One of the most valuable parts of our bodies is our brain. It is the power line behind our mobility, speech, emotions, and the beautiful moments we capture with our family and friends. Due to the negative impact traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can have on your body, your life, and your family—those who cause them should be held accountable for their actions.
One of the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries in Clearwater is the negligence of others. TBIs usually happen when a person or company decides to act in a way that causes harm to you or a loved one. This could be when a distracted driver crashes into a vehicle, resulting in the innocent motorist experiencing whiplash, a concussion, or a sudden fatal injury.
No matter the reason for a severe brain injury, you are entitled to seek the help of legal experts, such as the experienced traumatic brain injury attorneys at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys.
Accidents That Often Result in Traumatic Brain Injuries
In addition to automobile accidents caused by distracted or reckless drivers in Clearwater, serious head injuries could happen in a variety of other ways.
Severe brain injuries can also happen when a person slips and falls, plays a high-contact sport, or is a patient at a nursing home who is lifted by a poorly trained caregiver.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), a traumatic brain injury is a negative response by the brain because of a penetrating or non-penetrating injury. Penetrating injuries are usually the result of a person intentionally hitting another in the head with a blunt-force object, which enters the brain and harms vital tissue. In contrast, non-penetrating injuries happen from unintentional acts of neglect or recklessness and tend to hurt the brain after it aggressively bounces against a person’s skull.
Regardless of how the brain injury occurred, dedicated legal professionals could use their skill and knowledge to assist.
Complications from Traumatic Brain Injuries
Brain injuries affect patients differently because not every patient experiences the same symptoms or responds to the same treatment. While some patients get better, some people experience permanent symptoms that affect the rest of their lives and impact their ability to form and maintain both personal and professional relationships. Brain injuries can cause physical, sensory, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms.
Symptoms of Mild TBIs
Doctors usually agree that patients suffer mild brain injuries when they experience a lack of consciousness or change in mental status for only a few seconds to a few minutes. People with mild TBIs can experience the following symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Irritability
- Headaches
- Mood changes
- Ringing in the ears
- Sporadic emotions
- Nausea and vomiting
- Inability to recall memories
- Numb sensations in the body
- Forgetting basic tasks/functions
- Lack of sleep or sleeping too much
- Heightened sensitivity to sound and lights
- Loss of consciousness for only a few minutes
- Problems with one’s ability to see, such as blurred vision
Fortunately, most patients with mild symptoms recover fully with rest and observation.
Symptoms of Moderate and Severe TBIs
Patients with moderate and severe TBIs often lose consciousness or experience acute confusion for much longer. While they can experience any of the same symptoms as those people with mild cases, their symptoms are generally more severe. In addition, they might also experience:
- Dilated pupils
- Slurred speech
- Profound confusion
- Inability to awaken
- Convulsions
- Seizures
If any of these signs are present, contact a medical professional immediately. Some symptoms might appear immediately after an accident, while others might develop days or even weeks later. That is why it is critical to get a medical evaluation any time after an accident.
Access to physical, speech, cognitive, and behavioral therapy as soon as possible after a brain injury can make a difference in determining whether a brain injury survivor will make a complete or nearly complete recovery. Obtaining a fair damages award could give a family the resources they need to pay for medical treatments and care to keep the patient comfortable and provide them with the best chance of recovering from any complications from their brain injury.
Assessing Fault in Brain Injury Cases
A Clearwater TBI lawyer is here to make a difference. After experiencing a brain injury, an injured person’s focus should be on recovering. They should not have to waste valuable time worrying about how to pay their medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and other expenses. However, an injured person’s brain injury could interfere with their ability to work, which could cause them to experience financial struggles. A qualified legal professional could help ease their burdens by building a strong case and allowing them to focus on healing.
A severe head injury attorney could help individuals and families by:
- Collecting information and answering any pressing questions – Skilled investigators can comb through all available evidence, including police reports, medical records, and eyewitness accounts. They can search tirelessly until they determine precisely what caused the accident and who is legally at fault
- Working to develop the best solutions to go after the negligent person or company
- Speaking in an injured person’s best interest with insurance companies, opposing counsel, and in front of a judge and jury
- Providing transparent details on the likelihood of monetary compensation from the negligent party and the potential payment of damages timeline
Our experienced legal team knows how to assess fault and use it to build solid legal claims. They can use the evidence to prove the four elements of legal negligence:
- First, they can show that the at fault person or company had a duty of care towards the injured party. For instance, in the case of a car crash, the lawyers can show that the at-fault driver had a duty of care towards everyone on the road, including the injured party in the car they struck
- Second, they can show how the at-fault driver breached that duty of care, such as by running a red light.
- Third, they can show how the accident caused the brain injury
- Fourth, they can show how the brain injury resulted in damages to the injured person
Our legal professionals at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys can speak with individuals and families in person, over the phone, or initially through online chat. We are three brothers dedicated to helping others.
Recovering Compensation for Serious Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury is a personal injury to a person under Florida Law. This means under Florida Statutes § 95.11, a person has only two years from the moment they become aware of their TBI to file a case for compensation. This also includes a person’s dependents or estate seeking to bring a wrongful death or survival action.
Due to the potential amount of money individuals and families can receive from the negligent person or company, it is difficult to recover comprehensive payments without qualified legal assistance.
A dedicated Clearwater attorney could help those who suffer TBIs caused by another party’s careless, reckless, or intentional actions.
Learn More About Frequent Causes of TBIs from a Clearwater Attorney
Our team of well-practiced and compassionate lawyers has experience seeking fair compensation for those injured by any of the common causes of traumatic brain injuries in Clearwater. Call Perenich Law Injury Attorneys today to speak with one of our dedicated legal professionals about your potential claim.
(727) 669-2828