Any serious injury can have a far-reaching effect on your life. However, brain injuries are particularly difficult to recover from because they impact both your body and your mind. A severe brain injury can affect both short- and long-term memory, make it more difficult to concentrate and solve problems, and even cause personality changes. In some cases, these effects are permanent.
If you have suffered a brain injury because another person was negligent, we believe the responsible party should be held accountable. The attorneys at Atnip & Associates, PLLC may be able to help you seek compensation to cover medical costs and support you as you embark on the lengthy journey of healing. Please call our office or get in touch online to set up your free case review.
Usually, your brain is protected by your skull. But sometimes, it sustains an impact significant enough to cause a major injury. These are some of the most common causes of brain injuries our attorneys see.
Falls of all kinds are among the causes of serious brain injuries. Depending on the height of the fall and other factors, it’s possible to suffer anything from a minor concussion to a fatal trauma.
Some falls are true accidents. Unfortunately, many are caused by another person’s actions or failure to act.
Car accidents can cause catastrophic injuries — including major injuries to the brain. Some brain injuries from car accidents happen as a result of an external impact (like hitting your head against a windshield). However, many happen from acceleration or deceleration.
These kinds of injuries are more common on high-speed roads like Coolidge Highway. For instance, imagine you’re driving along the highway when you hit a work truck parked on the shoulder. The impact brings your car to an abrupt halt, but inertia means your brain tries to keep going. It slams into the inside of your skull, and if that impact is hard enough, you might suffer a brain injury as a result.
When they hear about brain injuries caused by car accidents, most people think of the injuries sustained by the driver and passengers. However, accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists can cause brain injuries as well.
An unfortunately common example is a car striking a person crossing the street. For example, imagine a pedestrian crossing 12 Mile Road downtown. A driver isn’t paying attention and strikes the pedestrian. Even if the accident happens at a low speed, serious injuries are still possible — the pedestrian may be knocked down and strike their head on the pavement.
Violent assaults can also cause brain injuries. Some injuries happen as a result of blunt-force trauma. It’s also possible to sustain a penetrating brain injury, meaning an object actually enters your brain. Gunshot wounds are a common example.
Sports — and especially contact sports — have the potential to cause brain injuries. It might seem like sports injuries are an inevitable part of the game (and therefore no one’s fault). However, if your child is part of a recreational football league, is not given proper protective equipment, and suffers a brain injury as a result, an attorney may be able to build a personal injury case against the league.
While traumatic brain injuries are the most well-known type of brain injury, not all brain injuries are the result of physical trauma. In some cases, prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals can cause brain damage with effects similar to those of a traumatic brain injury.
Working with an attorney can’t erase the accident that caused your brain injury or make that injury suddenly heal. However, it can make adjusting to life with a brain injury significantly less stressful.
When an attorney seeks compensation for you, they aren’t necessarily trying to punish the responsible party. The primary purpose of settlement is to help you cover the often astronomical costs associated with brain injuries. Some experts estimate the lifetime cost of a brain injury is between $85,000 and $3 million. The following are some of the expenses a settlement may help you cover.
If you sustain a brain injury, prompt medical treatment is essential if you want to preserve your chances of recovery. Unfortunately, that medical care is often very expensive — especially if you’re admitted to the ICU or require a lengthy hospital stay.
Most of the time, the emergency treatment cost of a brain injury is just the beginning. You likely will have continued follow-up appointments to meet with a doctor who can monitor your progress. You may need speech therapy or occupational therapy to try to restore the cognitive functioning you had before the accident. If the brain injury has impacted your physical functioning as well, you may require physical therapy.
Brain injuries can sometimes cause personality changes, and often, someone with a brain injury is left struggling emotionally as they try to come to terms with what has happened. In these cases, ongoing psychiatric care may be necessary as well.
Ongoing medical care often proves to be the most costly effect of a brain injury. For severe injuries, the various therapies can continue indefinitely — and costs add up quickly.
Many brain injury victims also seek compensation for lost wages. They cannot work immediately after the injury, and often, the lasting cognitive and physical effects make it impossible for them to work in the same field as before.
In many cases, victims will also seek compensation for the loss of future wages. For example, suppose that you’re a computer engineer. You suffer a brain injury that impairs your cognitive function so severely that you cannot work in the same field as before. The only jobs you can handle pay significantly less than computer engineering. In this case, you might be able to pursue compensation for the additional wages you would have earned if you hadn’t suffered the injury.
Handling the aftermath of a brain injury is stressful enough. If you have to find a way to cover everyday expenses as you heal, that stress is multiplied. Even if you have other working people in your household, those people often reduce their hours to help care for you. A settlement can help you pay rent or a mortgage, buy groceries, pay for utilities, and more.
| Case | Settlement | Descripton |
|---|---|---|
“Confidential v. Confidential” | $1,500,000 | Third-party automobile negligence resulting in a traumatic brain injury from a rear-end collision. |
“Gavan v. Citizens” | $150,000 | Negligence and uninsured motorist claim causing traumatic brain injury resulting from separate rear-end motor vehicle accidents. |
“Kenney v. State Farm” | $136,722 | First-party claim arising out of a motor vehicle wherein plaintiff sustained a traumatic brain injury, torn meniscus of left knee requiring multiple surgeries, neck and back pain and lumbar disc surgery. |
If you’re healing from a traumatic brain injury, it might feel impossible to focus on anything but medical care. However, if you take the first crucial step and contact a brain injury attorney, your attorney can take your case from there.
At Atnip & Associates, PLLC, we’re committed to seeking justice for people who have been hurt due to the negligence of others. While our attorneys are fierce litigators, they also offer you support and guidance through the process. If you or a loved one is suffering from a brain injury you didn’t cause, we invite you to get in touch and schedule a free consultation today.
