There are literally thousands of different types of accidents that can occur and that can cause serious harm to the victims that are involved. While many injuries can impact a victim’s quality of life, one of the most debilitating is a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Facts About Traumatic Brain Injuries
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), traumatic brain injuries are a leading cause of disability and death in the United States.
In a basic sense, a traumatic brain injury is any injury to the brain that disrupts the normal function of the brain. In some cases, patients are able to regain full function and in others, the damage is permanent.
Symptoms of a TBI can include: 
- Memory Loss
- Headaches
- Issues With Motor Functions
- Paralysis
- Personality Changes
- Loss Of Senses (Vision, Hearing, Taste, Touch)
Even if the damage is in the exact same area, a TBI can impact two different patients in a completely different way.
What Are The Leading Causes Of Traumatic Brain Injuries?
The following are the most common causes of traumatic brain injury:
Falls
A slip-and-fall accident might not seem like that big of a deal, but if the head is struck during the fall, the brain can strike the inside of the skull.
Falling Objects
Being struck by a falling object is serious, despite what you may have seen Larry, Moe, and Curly do. Each year, thousands of people are hit by falling objects and must be rushed to the hospital.
Auto Accidents
Car, truck, bus, or motorcycle accidents frequently cause serious traumatic brain injuries.
Assaults
Assaults, including domestic violence and gun violence, are significant causes of TBIs.
Blast Injuries
Blast injuries, which are often sustained by military personnel, can cause TBIs.
The Cost Of Treatment For A TBI
TBIs can range in severity from mild (concussion) to severe and can have long-term physbical, cognitive, and emotional effects. It is essential to seek medical attention immediately if one has sustained a head injury, as prompt treatment can improve the chances of a full recovery. Generally speaking, and depending on the symptoms and the severity of the brain injury, the average lifetime cost of care for a patient with a TBI is between $600,000 and $2,000,000.
That’s more money than the average American has to pay for medical care. Even with the best insurance, the out-of-pocket expenses are still financially disabling, especially if the brain injury prevents the patient from returning to work.
Although a large percentage of accident victims don’t realize it, in many cases, a brain injury lawsuit can be filed, which could help them to recover significant compensation, compensation that will help them to pay their medical bills and stay financially safe.
How A Personal Injury Lawsuit Can Help
A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as head trauma, can have serious and long-term effects on a person’s physical and cognitive abilities. If you or a loved one sustained a TBI as a result of another person’s negligence, you might be able to seek compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Here’s how a personal injury lawsuit can assist you in recovering from a head injury.
- Medical treatment: One of the most important ways a personal injury lawsuit can assist in recovering from head trauma is by providing financial assistance for medical treatment. Hospitalizations, surgeries, physical therapy, and other specialized medical care may be included.
- Lost wages: If victims of TBIs are unable to work as a result of their head trauma, a personal injury lawsuit can assist in recouping lost wages. This can assist families to maintain financial stability while victims focus on their recovery.
- Pain and suffering: A personal injury lawsuit can compensate those suffering from a TBI for their pain and suffering; This is in addition to medical expenses and lost wages. Physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life are all examples of this.
- Long-term care: If a head injury resulting from negligence necessitates long-term care, such as rehabilitation or home health care, a personal injury lawsuit can assist in covering these costs. This allows any victims to receive the care they require without having to worry about the cost.
- Holding the responsible party accountable: A personal injury lawsuit can hold the responsible party accountable for their actions in addition to seeking compensation. This can help prevent similar accidents in the future and give the victim and their family a sense of justice.
What Victims Of TBIs Need To Know
A personal injury lawsuit is a civil lawsuit filed against the person or party whose negligence caused the plaintiff harm. The purpose of a personal injury lawsuit is to hold the responsible party accountable for their actions and to compensate the victim for the damages they have incurred. For example, if the plaintiff sustained a TBI in a car accident that was caused by another driver who was texting while behind the wheel, the texting driver would be considered negligent.
To succeed in a personal injury lawsuit, victims must be able to prove that the responsible party acted negligently or recklessly and that this negligence or recklessness caused their head injury. This may involve presenting evidence such as medical records, eyewitness testimony, expert testimony, and more.
Compensation that can be recovered through these lawsuits comes in the form of a settlement or verdict and is intended to pay for a plaintiff’s medical bills, lost wages, physical pain, and emotional turmoil. In cases where the victim has died from a brain injury, their family can file on their behalf and obtain additional compensation for funeral and burial expenses.
The legal process does take time and consists of:
- The Pleadings: This is when the initial paperwork is filed with the court and the defendants are informed of the lawsuit.
- Discovery: During this phase, both sides collect evidence to support their claims.
- Settlement Negotiation: This may or may not take place depending on the circumstances. Additionally, even if negotiations begin, it does not guarantee that the lawsuit will end in a settlement.
- Trial: If the case cannot be settled then it will go to trial.
The legal process is complicated and stressful, which is why plaintiffs need a strong legal team by their side. And while a personal injury lawsuit cannot reverse the damage caused by a head injury, it can help victims recover the financial resources they need to pay for medical treatment and support themselves and their families while they recover. It can also provide a sense of justice and closure for victims and their loved ones.
