Traumatic Brain Injuries Alter Lives
Traumatic brain injuries are serious injuries substantially impacting the life of the victim. Some injuries are more mild than others, but all injuries to the brain are a serious matter.
Many traumatic brain injuries result from forceful impacts to the body. To suffer a traumatic brain injury, you do not have to receive a direct blow to the head. Often, minor injuries go undetected because the victim was not struck in the head. That does not make the injury any less serious.
About 1.5 million people in the United States suffer traumatic brain injuries every year. These injuries result in about 50,000 deaths. While not every traumatic brain injury will cause death, any injury to the brain can have substantial consequences, and must be treated by a medical professional as soon as possible.
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, you deserve legal representation with your best interests at heart. Traumatic brain injuries, also referred to as TBI, often require extensive medical attention, which is expensive. When you did not cause the accident, you should not suffer the consequence of paying the medical bills that result.
Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms
TBIs can have many symptoms. When a loved one suffers an impact to the body or head, it’s important to know what to monitor and when to get medical help. With any of these symptoms, we recommend medical attention.
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Vision loss
- Amnesia
- Disorientation
- Poor concentration
- Depression
- Agitation
- Irritability
- Changes in appetite
- Personality changes
Devastating impacts result from TBIs, both to the victim and their family. Working with a trusted Georgia traumatic brain injury lawyer can ease some of that strain. We have the tools and experience you deserve to help you get back on your feet and make a full and complete recovery from your injury.
When looking for the right TBI lawyer in Georgia for your case, you must ensure your attorney has handled TBI cases. These are not typical personal injury cases. They are much more complex. You should have confidence that your lawyer knows what they are doing and are focused on your best interests.
Many TBI claims require expert witnesses. Your lawyer needs to have experience in complex legal matters where expert testimony is required. Not every law firm has the resources necessary to manage your complex TBI case.
Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Over 150 people die each day from a TBI. Not every accident will cause death, but this shows the seriousness of the injury. When you suffer a severe blow to the head or body, your brain could suffer injuries so severe that normal brain function is disrupted.
Common causes of TBI include:
- Slip and fall
- Car accident
- Motorcycle accident
- Construction site accident
- Medical malpractice
- Sport and recreation
- Domestic violence
No matter what caused your TBI, your medical expenses will quickly rise. And since you did not cause the injury, you should not bear any responsibility for paying the medical bills. The best way to achieve this goal is to work with a seasoned Georgia TBI lawyer who can guide you through the complex legal process.
To prove someone else caused the accident resulting in your TBI, you must prove:
- They owed you a duty of care
- They breached that duty of care
- Their action or inaction was the direct cause of the accident
- You suffered damages because of the accident
If not for the other person’s wrongful act, the accident would not have happened, and you would not have suffered your injury. Accordingly, it is on them to pay your medical bills. But do not think it’s as easy as simply saying they were at fault. You must prove, using the steps above, they caused your injury. That can take time, and often requires the use of expert witnesses.
Using a TBI lawyer in Woodstock who has the resources to work with experts and negotiate with insurance companies gives you a good chance of maximizing your financial recovery. Doing so helps your physical recovery go smoother and quicker because it receives your full focus and attention.
Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries
There are several common types of TBIs. While concussions are the most well known TBI, they are not the only type.
Concussion
People receive concussions from an impact to the head, a violent shaking of the body, or whiplash. Many concussions happen in contact sports. Between 1.6 and 3.8 million concussions occur from sport and recreational activities. Medical professionals often refer to a concussion as a mild traumatic brain injury, but they still require immediate medical attention and care.
If ignored, a concussion can escalate to post-concussion syndrome, which greatly impacts your ability to perform routine tasks. Doctors treat most concussions with rest and medical care. When treated promptly and correctly, they rarely leave any lasting impacts.
Contusion
Contusions result from a direct impact to the head. This impact results in bruising and bleeding in the brain. Contusions usually require surgery to provide relief to the victim.
Coup-Contracoup
This type of TBI results from brain impacts on both sides of the skull. The force of the impact to your body is so strong that your brain is slammed into one side of your skull and ricochets off to the other side. This type of TBI is serious, because it injures the brain in two spots.
Diffuse Axonal
When your body is forced in one direction, usually in a serious car accident, your brain may lag behind inside the skull. This delay in brain movement can cause tearing in the brain. Diffuse axonal injuries often result in death or in lif- altering injuries. Most victims lose consciousness at the time of the accident.
Penetration
A penetration TBI happens when an object penetrates the skull. This injury often happens with gunshots, stabbing, construction site accidents, and other serious accidents. These injuries most often result in death.
Hematoma
Hematoma is a blood clot or a mass of blood which produces swelling between the skull and the brain. Sometimes, the swelling happens inside the brain. Doctors often require surgery to provide relief to the victim.
TBI Myths Abound
Many myths exist about TBIs. Three of the most common myths could actually cause you more harm.
You must suffer a blow to the head
When you are involved in a car accident, construction site accident, or any other accident where your body suffers a major blow, you could suffer a TBI. You do not have to receive direct impact to your head in order to suffer a TBI. The most common example of this being true is whiplash.
Negative scans mean you do not have a TBI
MRI and CT-Scans are good medical tools. But they rarely catch the microscopic damage caused by TBIs. This is why seeing a doctor regularly is one of the best ways to ensure your injuries are treated properly. One way to determine your health is to be evaluated for neurological disorders, memory, and psychological testing. This gives a doctor a good idea of whether you have suffered a TBI.
TBI recovery takes little time
The insurance company may try to minimize your injuries and your suffering. Your TBI is not minor and will not simply go away on its own. If you ignore a possible TBI, you could suffer additional injury which could be both life threatening and life altering.
Treating a Traumatic Brain Injury
Living with a TBI is not impossible. But treatment is often expensive and places a severe financial burden on you and your family. Treating your TBI may require a long term commitment both from you and from your family.
No two TBIs are the same. Each accident causing a TBI will vary slightly and the resulting injury will have slightly different symptoms, limitations, and disabilities. Treatment comprises both short and long term goals, and these are unique to your situation.
In the short term, your doctor will help to ensure your safety and well being with medical procedures, if necessary. Doctors focus the longer term treatment on regaining your life before your accident. This consists of minimizing further complications and helping you to recover functionality which may have been lost due to your injury.
Patience is key. Patience from you to understand the long road ahead. Patience from your family to understand you may never be quite the same. And patience from your medical team when you regress. TBIs are unique in that there is often regression, especially if your TBI includes any memory loss.
Adjusting to the changes in your life circumstances is confusing and frustrating. But you do not have to go through it alone. We are here to make sure you get the right medical attention and that you do not end up in financial ruin because of the high medical bills. When your TBI was caused by the negligence of another person, you deserve a lawyer who is experienced in handling complex legal cases like yours.
Getting Compensation
Many people like to avoid lawyers and courtrooms at all costs. But when you face extremely high medical expenses like those to treat your TBI, this may be your best course of action.
You may face:
- Extended hospital stays
- Multiple surgeries
- Doctor visits
- Specialist visits
- Prescription costs
- Time off work
- Rehabilitation in facility
- In home care
All of these come with high medical costs. That’s where your lawyer can step in to help. Your lawyer may try to get you compensation for:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Lost wages
- Loss of life enjoyment
- Lost companionship
- Medical bills
- Rehabilitation costs
Many people fail to account for all of their medical needs. It’s not their fault, they simply have not experienced a TBI before and they do not know how expensive the medical procedures and doctor visits become. But we do. We have helped many victims of TBI just like you.
Because of our experience, we know what it costs to get you back on your feet. When you work with us, we can help you create an accurate estimate of your future medical needs. This is important, because we need to know where to start.
To avoid court, many TBI victims too willingly jump into settlement offers with the insurance company of the at-fault party. This is a problem, because it could leave you paying out of pocket for your medical bills.
When you first receive a settlement offer from the insurance company, you feel excitement and relief that this nightmare might finally end. But what the insurance company does not tell you is that their offer is not their best offer. In fact, it’s usually a low ball offer. They know you are out of work and they know you have medical bills piling up. They simply offer you something unreasonably low hoping you take it without realizing how much you actually need.
This is why the estimate is important. If you take the low ball settlement offer, you may waive your right to bring any future claim against the insurance company for this injury. You also may not realize you needed more funds until it’s too late. Working with a Woodstock TBI lawyer can help you avoid this tragic situation.
Work with a Woodstock Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer
Filing a personal injury claim is surely not your first thought after your injury. But it should come soon after. To make sure you get the maximum compensation you are entitled to, work with a skilled and experienced Woodstock Accident Injury Lawyer. Your recovery depends on your ability to get the best medical treatment available, and that depends on your ability to pay high medical bills. Filing a personal injury claim can ensure that the at fault party is on the hook for those medical bills.
That is what you need to get better – peace of mind that your legal claim is handled so you can focus on your recovery. To learn more, contact the Law Offices of Kyle E. Koester online or at 770-744-5250 today. We look forward to helping you get back to your regular life.
