Traumatic Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when a a fall, collision, or other incident causes a shaking or jarring of the body, thus affecting the brain and its stability and positioning within the skull. The force from the incident can cause bruising, bleeding, or swelling of the brain tissue. Interestingly, the most susceptible parties to traumatic brain injury are young children and the elderly.
Many insurance companies place little value on brain injuries, especially the more common types like concussions. They operate under the assumption that an invisible injury – one not readily apparent by looking at the victim – has less value. They often offer little to no compensation for the weeks, months, years, or lifetime of struggles, medical bills, and life alterations.
Overcoming this bias is extremely technical and should only be handled by experienced advocates. A brain injury case cannot be handled in the same way as a whiplash, fracture, or even surgical case. Treatment must be managed properly, the right experts should investigate and report on the case, and only experienced attorneys should present the factual background of the injury, as well as the future needs, to the insurance company or defense attorney. If any component of this equation is missing, valuable compensation may be lost. If you or a loved one think there may be a brain injury component to your suffering, contact our team immediately. The sooner we get the right personnel involved, the earlier we can begin to manage the important pieces of the puzzle. Your case is different from most, and it should be handled that way.
The Severe Nature of Brain Injuries
Brain injuries, whether mild or severe, lead to serious repercussions that can last a lifetime, even with long-term professional care. According to the CDC, 30% of all accident-related fatalities involve a brain injury component. An even higher number of injured persons involved in a non-fatal accident suffer some degree of brain injury. People who suffer from traumatic brain injuries often require immediate and long-term care. Some terms brain injury victims may hear to describe their condition are concussion, hematoma, or “diffuse axonal injury” – a disruption of the nerves making up the central nervous system. Unfortunately, some families will be informed that their loved one has suffered a brain injury catastrophic enough to cause paralysis, a comatose state, or death.
Brain injuries differ from other head injuries in that rather than merely an external injury, brain injuries involve multiple internal components and take much longer to recover, if at all. The severity of brain trauma is identified and rated by physical, emotional, and behavioral effects. And while some patients may recover with the proper treatment and care, many have lasting effects that require lifestyle changes, lengthy to permanent treatment, and alterations to their future. Brain injuries must be diagnosed and treated immediately. A brain injury left unnoticed and untreated is far less likely to heal. The delay itself may cause catastrophic results.