No matter how minor or major, any car accident can have a significant impact on a victim’s life. Even a low-speed crash can result in severe injuries like whiplash, traumatic brain injuries, and a range of emotional damages, like the trauma of experiencing an unexpected collision and additional pain and suffering. Many injuries can be life-threatening, even in a minor accident, which is why it is so important to get medical care as soon as possible. Too often, people try to downplay their injuries after an accident, put off seeing a doctor, and focus on filing an insurance claim to collect compensation for property damage to their vehicle — all while ignoring injuries that may become worse as time goes by.
Brain swelling is one of the many risks that a victim may face if they leave their injuries untreated, and they may write off a severe traumatic brain injury as just “getting their bell rung.” If you or a loved one has suffered from any sort of blow to the head in an accident, it is imperative that you see a medical professional as soon as possible to ensure you have a full understanding of your injuries. If you are worried about your medical bills and the cost of care, contact a personal injury attorney at the same time to get a better understanding of how insurance will cover these procedures.
Contact 1-800-Injured Today To Connect With a Car Accident Lawyer
1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical referral service. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car accident, contact us now for a free consultation with an experienced and proven personal injury lawyer in your area. Instead of going through the process of finding a lawyer near you who is ready to take your case, we can handle it while you focus on your personal needs, such as your medical care and employment obligations.
Read more below about brain swelling and the risks this may pose after a car accident, and contact 1-800-Injured now to connect with an attorney who can help you through the insurance claims process and fight for the money you deserve.
What Causes Brain Swelling After a Car Accident?
Cerebral edema is the medical term for brain swelling, and this condition can be caused by a number of issues, including a traumatic brain injury. A traumatic brain injury is a broad term for any sort of injury to the brain resulting from an impact or trauma. It can range from concussions to aneurysms, as well as this dangerous condition with swollen brain tissues.
Cerebral edema is characterized by an increase of fluid to the brain, which in turn increases the pressure in the affected area and causes swelling inside the brain cavity. This condition is extremely dangerous and must be treated by a doctor as soon as possible to avoid permanent and life-threatening complications. Swelling is a natural response to an impact injury, but when the swelling is excessive, it can limit blood flow and oxygen to the brain and lead to serious brain damage and even death.
During a car accident, there are many possibilities for a passenger to suffer a blow to their head — against a window, car frame, or even from the airbag. Regardless of how the blow happened, the most important thing to recognize is that it did happen, and it absolutely must be treated.
Seeking Compensation For a Brain Swelling Injury
Once you have gotten your medical needs addressed, you will need to start looking towards your options for seeking compensation. Typically, this is handled through an insurance claim. Once you contact the at-fault driver’s insurance company to initiate your claim, they will assign an insurance adjuster to your case who will go through all of the details of your accident and the resulting damages in order to determine how much you are owed. It is very important to remember, though, that this adjuster is working on behalf of the insurance company and is not prioritizing your best interests. Their goal is to reach a low-cost settlement agreement in order to save their employer as much money as possible while avoiding an ongoing legal battle. This is where your attorney comes into play.
Personal injury attorneys are skilled at both calculating damages AND negotiating out-of-court settlements on behalf of victims. Throughout the claims investigation, your attorney will be able to act as your intermediary, advise you on how to best move forward, and will perform their own investigation to get a sense of the damages you have actually suffered. Once compiled, they will be able to submit a counter-offer when the insurance company makes their settlement offer to you.
Calculating Economic Damages
Economic damages are the basis of your personal injury claim and seek repayment for financially-measurable impacts on your life. The most obvious of these damages include things like your medical bills, all other expenses for your recovery, as well as the impacts on your earnings. There are a variety of other economic damages that your attorney will calculate, as well. Economic damages are calculated on a 1 to 1 basis, meaning there is no multiplier or ability to request more economical damages than you have actually suffered.
Calculating Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages can be much more complicated to calculate than economic damages because these damages seek compensation for impacts that have no measurable dollar value. The most common non-economic damages include things like the pain and suffering due to your injuries, the trauma you experienced during the accident, and a range of other physical and emotional impacts of the crash. These damages are calculated using a number of different methods. Two of the most common methods involve setting a “per diem” rate and multiplying it by the number of days you have suffered or by indicating their severity on a scale and using that scale as a multiple against your economic damages. Regardless of how your attorney calculates your non-economic damages, their priority is to get you the money you deserve.