When to Sue for A Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are responsible for many deaths and permanent disabilities every year. TBIs are typically caused by a violent bump, blow, or jolt to the head. In some cases, an object penetrates the brain such as a shard of glass from a windshield and causes a penetrating head injury that disrupts normal brain function. Symptoms of traumatic brain injuries include physical paralysis, chronic pain, sleep issues, loss of hearing, loss of control of bowels or bladder, headaches, lost sense of taste, and seizures. The list of potential health issues goes on from there.
The bottom line is that a traumatic brain injury can change your quality of life for the worse for the rest of your life. It can also have a huge impact on the family of the victim. What happens when the family’s primary breadwinner suffers a traumatic brain injury that renders them unable to work in the job they were doing before the accident? Or when a stay-at-home mother loses her ability to drive the kids to school or help with homework? These types of losses can be compensated through a personal injury claim or lawsuit.
Traumatic brain injury statistics
According to the CDC, TBIs are a contributing factor to about 30 percent of all injury deaths in the United States. In 2014, there were approximately:
- 5 million visits to emergency departments because of TBI-related issues
- 288,000 hospitalizations because of TBI
- 57,000 deaths related to TBI
Common causes of traumatic brain injuries
The most common causes of brain injuries are car accidents and sports injuries. Brain injuries range from mild to moderate to severe. A mild head injury may look like a mild concussion where consciousness was lost for less than 20 minutes. A moderate brain injury may be a head banging against a steering wheel in a car accident where consciousness was lost for between 20 minutes and six hours. And a traumatic brain injury may be a person flying through the windshield of their car and crashing on the pavement, which leaves them unconscious for more than six hours.
When to sue for a traumatic brain injury
When a person’s quality of life is affected long-term or permanently or they experienced a hospital stay because of a traumatic brain injury, then it is a good idea to contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. You may be able to recover damages for your losses and injuries, including medical bills, physical therapy, lost wages, job retraining, loss of essential services and more.
A traumatic brain injury attorney will be able to assess your accident and injuries and discuss your legal rights. The injury lawyer may be able to help you pursue an injury claim and will let you know whether it is appropriate to sue for your traumatic brain injury.
Seek the help of a personal injury attorney
If you or a loved one was injured because of the negligence of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
