A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can occur in a frightening pileup on a California freeway. You may stroll down an aisle at a big store like Walmart and slip on a puddle left on the floor. You could hit your head on a shelf on the way down and suffer brain damage.
A TBI is a scary injury that can heal in a few days or result in lifelong issues with memory, seizures, and other brain function issues. It’s critical that patients worried about their long-term wellbeing can trust that they’ll receive full financial support as they recover.
A Free Consultation with a Real California Lawyer for Traumatic Brain Injury Victims
After you or a loved one have suffered a serious brain injury caused by someone’s negligence, you may wonder if you’ll get any help with the costs of recovery. The good news is that victims who have suffered brain trauma and their families can seek compensation from all at-fault parties.
A free consultation with a California Traumatic Injury Lawyer is your best resource to find out what your Traumatic Brain Injury is worth. It’s also an important way to learn about all the tactics insurance companies will use to withhold injury support.
There’s no obligation involved, but if you feel Maison Law can help you get the most out of your brain injury claim, you won’t need any money now. We don’t get paid unless we win your case and secure compensation for you.
Traumatic Brain Injury Dangers in California Accidents
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) defines a traumatic brain injury as a disruption in the normal function of the brain. A TBI might be caused by a blow, bump or jolt to the head, coming into contact with an object at a high speed or an object piercing the skull and entering brain tissue.
They commonly occur during contact sports. TBIs also happen when people get careless on the highway or while overseeing a residential property or business. Landlords can ignore repairs on a stairwell or leave a crumbling sidewalk to send someone down hard.
These are just a few of the types of California accidents that can cause Traumatic Brain Injury and leave victims in need of help with medical bills:
- Car Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Slip-And-Fall and Trip-And-Fall Accidents
In the context of fatalities, the AANS reports that the leading causes of TBI-related accidental deaths in the United States are motor vehicle accidents and falls. For non-fatal TBIs, the two leading causes are reversed. They are falls and motor vehicle accidents.
Some other causes might be attributed to falling objects, a victim striking his or her head against an object, sports injuries, and medical negligence. The CDC finds that falls lead to nearly half of all Traumatic Brain Injury hospitalizations.
The California Traumatic Injury Lawyers at Maison Law have helped TBI victims win cases after these types of accidents and more. It’s critical to speak with a real California lawyer to find out if you have a case and how much you should be demanding from those at fault in your accident. Trusting an insurance company to provide you with fair support can leave you forfeiting thousands of dollars and force you to pay for recovery out of pocket.
What Are the Signs of a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Should a doctor observe one or more of the following signs, it can be determined that there has been an alteration of normal brain function:
- A decrease of consciousness or loss thereof.
- Loss of memory before or after an event.
- Muscle weakness, loss of vision, cognitive difficulty or other neurological deficits.
- Disorientation, slow speech or other signs of an altered mental state.
An attending physician will begin by asking about the circumstances surrounding the injury and evaluating the patient’s mental alertness. If a closed head injury is suspected, any signs of trauma like a bump, bruising and swelling will be noted. Then, a neurological exam will be performed. A CT scan will likely be performed after that. It will help show any evidence of bleeding, clotting, swelling or structural damage. An MRI scan that shows more detailed images of the brain will likely also be ordered.
What Are The Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries?
TBIs are often described as open or closed. With an open TBI, the scalp is cut, and the skull might be exposed or penetrated. Closed head injuries can be equally as serious, but there is no open wound. Here are some of the more common types of TBIs:
- Hematoma: Bleeding might occur outside or inside of the brain. A hematoma is a blood clot. Dangerous pressure can build up in the skull when a hematoma is present.
- Hemorrhage: This involves uncontrolled bleeding inside or around the brain. There are immediate and emergent concerns about blood loss and pressure building up from a hemorrhage.
- Concussion: As per the S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a concussion occurs when the brain moves rapidly inside of the skull and hits the inner walls of the skull. Chemical changes to the brain result. The brain might even suffer a dangerous twisting injury and damage brain cells that’s known as a diffuse axonal injury.
- Skull Fracture: Any skull fracture can lead to a severe brain injury, especially if the skull has been penetrated, or bone fragments penetrate the brain.
TBI Recovery After a California Personal Injury Accident
After an examination, a patient might be sent home to rest. He or she should stay away from non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen or aspirin. If there is undetected bleeding, they might make it worse. Patients must follow all of their doctor’s instructions, especially if they’re to be awakened every two hours at night. Any prescription medications must be taken on a timely basis.
In some cases, patients are put into a temporary drug induced coma. In such a state, the brain doesn’t require as much blood and nutrients. Many severe TBIs require surgery in efforts to prevent further brain damage. Likely reasons would be for treatment of hemorrhaging, the removal of a blood clot, reducing pressure on the skull by creating a window, removing bone fragments or foreign matter or to repair the skull.
What Can I Be Compensated for after a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Traumatic brain injury victims must submit a complete list of their damages and hardships to the insurance company for the at-fault party. Your Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer will make sure this list doesn’t leave anything off that could become your financial responsibility.
These are just a few of the factors that will be used to determine the amount on your TBI insurance settlement check:
- Totals on medical bills.
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy costs.
- Estimates on the costs for life with a permanent disability stemming from a brain injury.
- Travel costs to medical appointments while you are unable to drive.
- The pain and emotional anguish you’ve suffered after a brain injury.
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
- Lost income from work. Including estimates on a lifetime of support needed if a brain injury patient can never return to work.
- Wrongful death benefits. Families who have lost a loved one to complications from a traumatic brain injury can file a wrongful death claim. This civil claim asks for support to pay for a funeral and all medical bills. Families can also be awarded money for the future when they’ll be without the care and economic support a loved one would have provided.
What Can I Do to Help Strengthen my Traumatic Brain Injury Claim?
There are several steps to take to make sure you have all the proof of your accident you need when you file a TBI insurance claim.
If you are feeling strong enough, try to collect evidence on the scene of your incident in the moments after it happens:
- Call 911 and get examined by an ambulance crew. Go to the hospital if you need to. After a car accident, make sure the police or the California Highway Patrol respond. They’ll create a collision report that will serve as evidence of your innocence.
- Take photos of visible injuries, the damage involved, and the obstacle that caused your accident and brain injury. After a slip-and-fall, the hazard that sent you to the ground may be cleaned up quickly after you leave.
- Note the presence of any security cameras in the area. Tell your California Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer about them so your lawyer can secure that footage.
- Get contact information from witnesses so they can provide key testimony later.
- See your own doctor as soon as you can after an accident. Follow your doctor’s instructions. See a neurologist if recommended.
Contact a California Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer Today
TBIs can be minor, or they could be lifelong or even fatal. At Maison Law, we understand that a TBI can affect a victim’s quality of life and ability to make a living.
If you or somebody close to you suffered any type of traumatic brain injury as a result of the carelessness and negligence of somebody else, you might be eligible for compensation for your injuries and damages. To determine what your next step should be, contact a California traumatic brain injury lawyer for a free, no-obligation case review.
If you need our help, it doesn’t cost a penny to retain us to represent you. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you and your family.
