15 Oct A Head Injury Can Cause Serious Complications
According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 2.8 million Americans suffer from brain injuries every year. Whether it is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), closed head injury, skull fracture, or bleeding from the brain, more than 80,000 victims of these injuries experience long-term disabilities as a result of their injury.
The result of the impact of a blow to the head is what causes brain injury. This can lead to a bruise in the brain or severe damage to its internal tissues and blood vessels. The severe impact of a head or brain injury can go from mild concussions to something worse that will lead to a coma or death of a person.
A personal injury lawyer has extensive knowledge and background experience representing victims of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Helping their clients get the needed compensation that they deserve is their goal.
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
A traumatic brain injury is a forceful contact or trauma to the head, which can disrupt the normal function of the brain. It can range from mild (concussion), moderate and to severe, depending on the part of the brain that is affected. The mild TBIs only come with a brief change in mental status or consciousness. Unlike a severe TBI that can cause an extended period of unconsciousness, as well as other neurologic changes that may live with the person forever.
Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries
According to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, children under the ages of 4, adolescents between the ages of 15-19, and the elderly are prone to TBI. These brain injuries can result from a car accident, medical negligence, slip, and fall, work-site accident, drowning, or other trauma.
Most of these brain injuries result from preventable accidents, which are the product of others’ careless, reckless, and even intentional actions. Here are other leading causes of TBI:
#1 Slips and Falls
A fall can occur when property owners neglect the existence of dangerous objects, including spilled liquids, broken rails, broken stairs, or poor lighting. Fall injuries are of serious concern.
#2 Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents can cause TBI for a person when slammed against an object or gets thrown off the car, truck, motorcycle, or even bicycle and then hitting the ground. Head injury is highly common when a motor vehicle driver strikes a pedestrian.
#3 Medical Negligence
Babies are prone to suffer from permanent brain damage due to the negligence of doctors, nurses, midwives, and other medical professionals during delivery and childbirth. A traumatic brain injury to a newborn infant, caused by an improper force or pressure on a baby’s head, can lead to cerebral palsy. This we know is a permanent disability.
Types of Traumatic Brain Injury
Head injuries vary in different types so if you or someone close to you suffers from a head injury in an accident, you may be suffering from one of these:
- Concussion: It is a mild form of TBI that causes one to be unconscious for a few minutes. It can make you dazed, confused, and disoriented while trying to maintain consciousness. This can lead to painful headaches, dizziness, depression, anxiety, and other emotional issues. Just a single concussion to a victim can make them vulnerable to additional ones.
- Contusion: A contusion is a direct impact on a person’s head that may lead to bruises on the brain. Swelling or brain herniation is associated with contusion and it is very dangerous. This type of injury requires surgical intervention for pressure to be released and oxygen to keep flowing to the brain at a safe level.
- Hematoma: Hematoma is a blood clot that may be severe and potentially fatal if it occurs near the brain.
- Hemorrhage: This can be a result of uncontrolled bleeding within the brain tissue or space surrounding the brain.
- Edema: This is a medical term for swelling. It can be extremely hazardous in the soft tissue of the brain.
- Penetration: When an accident and some form of impact breaks the skull, the pieces of bone or a foreign object may find their way to the skull cavity and severely damage the brain tissue. The rupture of the nerves and tissue in the brain can lead to permanent impairment or loss of one’s life. Injuries like these are known to be a severe form of TBI and require brain surgery to remove foreign objects and repair the skull. Damages like this are likely to be permanent and cause a life-long disability.
Who is Responsible for Brain Injuries?
If due to someone else’s negligence you sustain a brain injury, you can seek compensation by filing a claim against the negligent party with the help of a personal injury lawyer. The following individuals or entities below are responsible for a brain injury case:
- Medical Professionals: There are some cases whereby medical malpractice could result in internal bleeding or lack of oxygen that may contribute to brain damage.
- Vehicle Drivers: When a car or truck accident results in a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the negligent driver could be held responsible.
- Employers: Employers are likely to provide compensation if their employee sustains a brain injury while on the job. This can be done through their worker’s compensation insurance policy.
- Manufacturer: A brain injury caused by a defect in consumers’ product’s design will likely be a fault of the manufacturer and so will be held responsible.
- Property Owner: If an accident happens to a person and he/she suffers a brain injury due to the hazardous conditions on someone else’s property, the occupant or owner of the property will be held liable.
Do I Need A Lawyer as a Victim of TBI?
A traumatic brain injury caused by someone else’s wrongful conduct or negligence requires you to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. This personal injury lawyer will take up your claim by carrying out a thorough investigation of the accident that led to your TBI. Your lawyer will get the necessary information from your doctor, and the ones from the eyewitnesses before filing a lawsuit on your behalf.
Does a Lawsuit for Traumatic Brain Injury Have a Time Limit?
Yes, it has. Although, these limitations on when to file a lawsuit vary among different states. You must seek legal counsel immediately before the time limits expire.
Get in Touch with a Compassionate Personal Injury Attorney
Our personal injury attorneys have vast medical knowledge and experience on how to make certain that you or your loved ones get the full compensation that covers both your medical expenses, lost wages, rehabilitation cost, supplies, and equipment. We have an outstanding result for clients who suffer from paralysis, or loss of brain function as a result of traumatic accidents.
The personal injury lawyers understand that cases differ and require thorough preparation for the victim’s present and future needs to be fully compensated. If you or any of your loved ones have suffered from a traumatic brain injury, you can contact us for a consultation.
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