What Compensation Can You Receive for a Traumatic Brain Injury?
If you have been the victim of a traumatic brain injury caused by someone else’s intentional acts, recklessness, or negligence, you may be entitled to a monetary award. A brain injury lawyer near Montgomery, AL can assist you with filing a personal injury claim to obtain the maximum amount.
If you’ve suffered a brain injury, you may deserve compensation for these expenses:
- Medical costs, including hospital bills, surgery, prescription medication, therapy and rehabilitation, mobility equipment, or home alterations to accommodate disabilities
- Lost wages if you miss work during your recovery.
- Lost earning capacity, if your injuries prevent you from returning to your old job or the same number of hours you used to work
- Pain and suffering, or the emotional and physical distress your injuries caused
- Lost quality of life, for your inability to perform daily tasks or enjoy the activities of your life
What Are the Most Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries?
Any forceful impact on the head or body can cause a traumatic brain injury. The most common causes that our brain injury lawyers see include the following:
- Falls from ladders, stairs, or in the bath
- Slip-and-fall accidents or trip-and-fall accidents, especially in young children and elderly adults
- Motor vehicle accidents, including those involving motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, or pedestrians
- Contact sports such as football, boxing, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, martial arts
- Extreme sports such as mountain biking or downhill skiing
- Violence, including child abuse, assaults, gunshot, or stab wounds
- Explosive blasts where pressure waves damage brain tissues
Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries are classified as mild, moderate, or severe.
Symptoms of mild traumatic brain injuries include:
- Loss of consciousness lasting a few seconds to a few minutes
- A feeling of confusion or disorientation
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Problems with speech
- Excessive sleeping
- Dizziness or issues with balance
- Blurred vision, ringing in the ears, bad taste, or changes in the ability to smell
- Memory and concentration problems
- Mood changes or swings
- Feelings of anxiety or depression
Signs and symptoms of moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries include:
- Loss of consciousness for several minutes to several hours
- Persistent or worsening headache
- Continuous nausea or vomiting
- Convulsions or seizures
- Dilation of one or both pupils
- Clear fluids flowing from the ears or eyes
- Weakness or numbness in fingers and toes
- Coordination issues
- Profound confusion
- Agitation or combativeness or unusual behavior
- Slurred speech
- Coma or other consciousness disorders
Traumatic Brain Injury Effects
A traumatic brain injury can have effects that manifest themselves in the minutes, hours, and days following an injury. TBI effects can include:
- Altered consciousness, including coma, vegetative state, or brain death
- Seizures
- Fluid build-up in the cranium
- Infection
- Blood vessel damage, leading to blood clots, stroke, or other issues
- Persistent and severe headaches
- Vertigo
- Cranial nerve damage
- Cognitive issues
- Altered senses or other sensory problems
- Speech issues
- Behavioral and emotional changes
- Degenerative brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other forms of dementia
What Treatment is Available for Traumatic Brain Injuries?
Treatment for TBIs depends on the severity. Some mild traumatic brain injuries require no treatment beyond rest and over-the-counter pain medication for headaches. Anyone who suffers a mild traumatic brain injury should be monitored for several days to ensure that the damage does not worsen.
When a person suffers a moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury, immediate emergency care is necessary. Treatment usually ensures the brain has sufficient blood flow and oxygen supply.
Medications may also be administered. For example, diuretics reduce the amount of fluid in the tissues. Other drugs help reduce pressure in the brain. Sometimes, a TBI victim may need surgery to repair skull fractures, stop bleeding or minimize internal forces.
Severe brain injury victims may face months or years of rehabilitation, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and vocational retraining.
Talk to a Brain Injury Lawyer in Montgomery, AL Now
Suppose you or a loved one have suffered a traumatic brain injury caused by another person’s carelessness or recklessness. In that case, you deserve compensation for your medical treatment, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Contact the Stokes Stemle, LLC Montgomery brain injury attorneys today. Schedule a free, confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights and options. You owe nothing unless we recover a monetary award for you.
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