Any sort of injury can completely alter a victim’s life, but few can be as impactful as a serious brain injury. Brain injuries can be caused by several things such as blunt trauma, loss of oxygen, drug interactions, and more, and an experienced medical professional must treat each as soon as possible to ensure that the victim gets the best chance of making a recovery or avoiding further damage. People are at risk of brain injuries at any age — including before or during birth — and a nearly-identical injury can have completely different effects between two different people.
If you or a loved one has suffered from a brain injury due to someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or malice, you may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Brain injuries may result from medical malpractice, car accidents, bicycle or motorcycle collisions, slips and falls, and many other types of incidents, but regardless of the specific cause, if someone else is at fault, they must be held accountable.
Contact 1-800-Injured To Connect With a Brain Injury Lawyer in Tallahassee Today
1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical referral service. After an unexpected brain injury, taking additional time out of your life to find, reach out to, and schedule with law firms can be a complex process. Insurance companies benefit when victims initiate claims without legal support. Instead of trying to find an attorney on your own, contact 1-800-Injured, and we will take care of this step on your behalf while you focus on your many other needs.
During your free consultation with a brain injury attorney in Tallahassee, you will be able to go through the many details that make your situation unique, such as the cause of the injury, the type of injury, the impacts that the injury has had on your life so far, and much more. The attorney will then be able to give you a better idea of how they can help you move forward with your legal case, including past cases they’ve represented that are similar to yours. Knowing that you are not alone can be an enormous relief, and the sooner you partner with an attorney, the sooner you can look towards the future with confidence.
Common Types of Brain Injuries
The following is a short list of common brain injuries, but whether or not your injury is included in this list has no bearing on whether or not you have a legal right to compensation. No two accidents or injuries are alike, and partnering with an experienced personal injury attorney is one of the best ways to get a specific understanding of your situation and how you can move forward with the support of an attorney.
Concussions
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, meaning that it is caused by trauma or blunt force. A concussion is characterized by a rapid movement (impact) that jolts the brain and leads to chemical changes as brain cells and tissues are stretched, damaged, or change shape. Depending on the severity of the concussion, symptoms may be minor and short-lived, including mild dizziness or a headache; other, more severe concussions can result in long-term changes in personality, serious memory loss, crippling headaches, and much more.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
The term traumatic brain injury, more commonly referred to as a TBI, is caused by a blow to the head and includes puncture wounds, skull fractures, and more. TBIs are common in vehicle accidents, pedestrian and bicycle crashes, sports injuries, and any other situation where a blow to the head is a risk. After any impact injury to the head, whether or not there is an open wound, bump, bruise, or penetration injury, it is essential to consult with a doctor and go through the necessary testing to ensure that there are no secondary injuries that may cause further complication.
Edema
Edema is a condition where fluids build up around the brain and increase intracranial pressure to a level that there can be serious or permanent damage done to the brain if left untreated. TBIs, strokes, tumors, infections, or high elevation are all causes of edema, and there are a variety of ways that someone may be put at an increased risk of this type of issue. While edema is less common in personal injury cases than things like traumatic brain injuries, there are plenty of ways that someone else may fail their duty of care to a victim in a way that this type of injury causes serious or permanent issues or death.
Diffuse Axonal Injuries
A diffuse axonal injury is characterized by shifting or rotating of the brain inside the skull that causes the long nerve fibers known as axons to shear or tear. This tearing can lead to a coma and a wide range of other severe damage to the brain, but finding evidence of this type of injury can be difficult since the microscopic tears do not commonly show on an MRI or CT scan. Working with a medical professional who understands a DAI’s complexities is essential to ensure that you get the care you need.
Hematomas
A hematoma is a pooling of blood, and a brain hematoma may be intracranial (pooling blood within the skull), epidural (pooling blood below a membrane known as the dura mater), or subdural (pooling blood on the surface of the brain), any of which can lead to serious complications or death if left untreated. Drug interactions, trauma, and tumors are all common causes of brain hematomas. They must and must be treated by a medical professional to alleviate symptoms and identify a recovery plan as soon as possible.
Hypoxia/Anoxia
Hypoxia is a serious reduction in oxygen to the brain, while anoxia is the complete loss of oxygen to the brain. Oxygen is essential to brain function, and the brain consumes 20% of the oxygen our bodies use, although it accounts for roughly 2% of our body mass. Disruption of oxygen to the brain due to a stroke, asphyxiation, assault, trauma, drug overdose, or any other number of issues can lead to many brain cells dying. It may result in permanent or fatal brain damage depending on how long the brain goes without fresh oxygen.