March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, an awareness campaign that honors accident victims with brain injuries. Our job is to represent those victims in civil court cases. This article will discuss some important brain injury facts to know for your personal injury case.
The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) reports over 5.3 million US residents living with permanent disabilities from brain injuries. Here are some goals of Brain Injury Awareness Month 2022:
- Reduce stigma related to brain injury-related disabilities
- Raise awareness for the diversity of these injuries
- Give light to the diverse demographics of these injuries
- Inform and educate the public about his injuries as chronic conditions
- Offer care and support to the community of individuals with brain injury
You can do your part in helping in raising awareness for Brain Injury Awareness Month 2022 by getting educated on the issue.
Facts About Brain Injuries
Motor vehicle collisions are one of the top three causes of traumatic brain injuries. Car accidents contribute to about 15% of all traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in the US.
In addition to car accidents, other common causes of TBI include:
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bike accidents
- Oxygen deprivation (from an accident like a near-drowning experience)
There are two main types of brain injuries – traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and non-traumatic brain injuries (NTBIs).
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) occur from external force or trauma. They can include open and closed wounds from falling or blunt force from a traffic accident.
- Non-traumatic brain injuries (NTBI) are when internal factors cause a brain injury. Examples of NTBI include oxygen deprivation and exposure to certain toxins or chemicals.
- Both TBIs and NTBIs can be categorized under the umbrella term known as “acquired brain injuries” (ABIs). ABI is any head injury that is not congenital or present at birth.
Treatment and Recovery
The brain cannot regenerate brain cells that have been destroyed. Recovery for traumatic brain injuries focuses on rewiring rather than regenerating brain cells. So TBI rehab involves training new parts of the brain to take over the injured parts that have resulted in dead brain cells. While many individuals with brain injury trauma are able to recover to some extent, not everyone can or will fully recover. The most important factor for acquired brain injury treatment is to seek medical attention as soon as possible after the accident. Sooner treatment will have more effective outcomes. As such, it’s important for people to educate themselves on the symptoms of brain injuries. Some of the signs and symptoms include:
- Persistent headaches that worsen over time
- Feeling uncoordinated or experienced numbness or weakness in the limbs
- Slurred speech
- Vomiting and nausea
- Confusion or restlessness
- Bizarre and unusual behavior
- Seeming irregularly agitated
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness
Were You or a Loved One a Victim of a Brain Injury Accident in Colorado?
Sustaining any injury, especially a brain injury, can be a terrifying experience. If the outcome is unknown or the prognosis is grim, the experience can be even more stressful and scary for everyone involved. You might have some questions about you or your loved one’s brain injury like:
- Will this affect my ability to return to work?
- Can I still engage in physical activity?
- Can I continue to live my life the way I did before the accident?
- Will my loved one recover from their brain injury? If not, what will my life be like moving forward?
Brain injury victims and their families need to do as much research as possible to understand what lies in store for them after the accident. The more you know, the better equipped you will be when making important decisions. For example, you may have to make big decisions regarding medical treatment, at-home care, or other essential matters.
If someone else’s negligence caused you or your loved one’s brain injury, you might be entitled to take legal action to recover damages. If so, you may also have questions about your personal injury lawsuit and how an attorney can help you navigate your case.
How Can a Denver Personal Injury Lawyer Help You?
Traumatic brain injuries can change your life. The experience can be quite a tragedy when an unexpected accident causes traumatic brain injuries that have life-changing effects. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that TBI can affect our thinking, sensation, and emotion. The potential for these effects can even be permanent. People who have suffered from a TBI might experience:
- Inability to remember specific events or facts that they usually would remember
- Severe personality changes
- A disability that prevents them from holding a job
- Pain, fear, trauma, and huge medical bills
- PTSD
Some cases of TBI can heal quickly and may require minimal medical intervention. But, sadly, other patients require therapy and medical treatment for years, sometimes a lifetime.
After suffering a traumatic brain injury from an unexpected accident, we understand that life poses new difficulties. But one of the best things you can do to improve your odds of getting justice and a brighter future is to contact an experienced Denver personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident. A personal injury lawyer will help you understand the costs you might incur as a TBI victim, what legal recourse you have, and how your attorney can help you get the most from your claim.
The Role of Your Personal Injury Lawyer
One of the biggest mistakes you can make after sustaining brain injuries in an accident is failing to get help from a qualified lawyer. Perhaps people believe they cannot afford a lawyer or don’t fully understand the critical role of a lawyer in their personal injury claim. Here is how hiring an experienced Denver personal injury lawyer will benefit you and the odds for your case.
- Your personal injury lawyer will conduct a thorough investigation of your case. They will help you prove the negligence of the at-fault party, which one can argue as one of the most critical elements of your case. A meticulous investigation is necessary to understand and demonstrate how the accident occurred to prove negligence.
- Expert consultation and networking. Part of the investigation and understanding the nature of your TBI is consulting with other experts to reconstruct the accident. Your lawyer will work with medical experts and most likely have professional ties with other pertinent experts who can help your case.
- Filing claims. The first step to recovery is usually filing an insurance claim. Sometimes the parties involved cannot reach a settlement, or the insurance companies will try to lowball you. Your attorney will ensure you file your claim in a timely manner and get the compensation you deserve.
- Negotiating a fair settlement amount. This is one of the most important roles your lawyer will play in your case. The other party will most likely try to settle for much lower than you deserve. While you focus on recovering, your lawyer will handle the negotiations on your behalf and ensure that you receive an offer that fairly compensates you for your losses.
Supporting the Cause
Now that you have an understanding of the basics of acquired brain injuries, we encourage you to continue educating yourself and share information with your community. Together we can reduce stigma and increase support and care for those living with brain injuries. We hope you have also found some helpful information on how TBI relates to you or your loved one’s personal injury case and why it’s imperative to seek legal representation from an experienced Denver personal injury lawyer.
Contact a Denver Personal Injury Lawyer Today
Our Denver personal injury lawyer team is committed to advocating for the rights of people living with brain injuries. We will fight to recover the compensation you deserve and hold the negligent party accountable for causing your injuries. You deserve the total and fair amount so that you can afford high-quality, comprehensive treatment for the brain injuries that someone else’s negligence has caused you.
If you or someone you love has been affected by an acquired brain injury that was someone else’s fault, contact us today. Our skilled and experienced Denver personal injury lawyers will happily discuss your legal rights with you and help you protect them. Call us today for a free initial consultation.
