March is brain injury awareness month, and as such, we wanted to put the spotlight on this injury—i.e., what causes it, how to recognize signs of brain damage, and how victims can seek the help of an attorney for compensation after sustaining a brain injury in an accident.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious injury that can affect how the brain and even the rest of the body function. It can happen in numerous ways but is often the result of a blow or a jolt to the head. TBIs can be categorized as mild, moderate, or severe, but even mild brain injuries can lead to complications and require expensive medical treatments.
According to the CDC, there were around 64,000 TBI-related deaths in the U.S. in 2020, which is estimated to be around 176 TBI deaths per day. Even if the TBI is not fatal, these types of injuries can lead to short- and long-term health problems and can affect brain development in young children.
If you or a loved one are the victim of a brain injury from an accident, the personal injury attorneys at McCoy & Sparks can assist you. We see these kinds of traumatic injuries for various reasons, most often from auto accidents, and are dedicated to helping our clients get the compensation they deserve for their pain, suffering, and other damages.
Causes of Brain Injuries
Brain injuries affect nearly 1.7 million people every year across the country and around 15,000 people in the state of Kentucky. The type of brain injury a person suffers from can, of course, vary depending on how it happened, but some of the more common TBIs that doctors treat include concussions, whiplash, skull fractures, swelling of the brain, and brain bleeding.
While car accidents tend to be the leading cause of TBIs, these injuries can occur for various reasons. The most common of which include:
- Car and truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Falls
- Boating accidents
- Sports injuries
- Assault
- Disease
Car accidents and other types of vehicle collisions are one of the leading causes of TBIs because of how often they occur and cause injury in general. When an individual is involved in an auto accident, there is extreme force placed on their body from the impact, which can cause them to either hit their head against something, or the rapid movement of the head can jostle the brain and cause damage.
Signs That You Are Suffering From Brain Damage
The signs and symptoms one experiences after sustaining a brain injury can vary greatly depending on the extent of the injury. With mild TBIs, the symptoms generally include:
- Headaches
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Blurry vision
- Ringing in the ears
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Speech problems
- Temporary memory loss
- Mood changes
While a mild TBI can sometimes heal on its own with rest, it is always best to get checked out by a doctor just in case. The initial symptoms above do not necessarily mean that the injury isn’t severe. Even mild TBIs can lead to short-term health problems or complications if the injury worsens and is not properly treated.
Some of the more severe symptoms that may develop and are a sign that the injury could be life-threatening and requires emergency medical attention include:
- Loss of consciousness for extended periods
- Persistent or worsening headaches
- Uncontrollable vomiting and nausea
- Seizures
- Clear fluids leaking from the ears
- Numbness in the extremities
- Loss of coordination
- Extreme confusion
- Aggressive and combative behavior
- Slurred speech
Compensation for a Brain Injury
If you suffer from a TBI, no matter the severity, it is always in your best interest to work with an attorney. Recovering compensation for a personal injury after an accident requires you to file a claim or even a lawsuit, and while you may deserve to be compensated, it is not uncommon for insurers to deny claims or offer low settlement amounts.
When you initially file a claim after an accident, there are several factors that will be considered to determine how much money you are owed. These factors can include the cost of your medical bills, loss of wages, evidence to support your claim and what happened, the extent of your pain and suffering, and more. If insurers feel that there is not enough evidence or information to support your claim, they will likely offer you a lower amount than what you actually deserve.
The medical bills alone for a TBI can be quite expensive, not to mention how much suffering you may be going through while trying to recover and move on, but without an attorney, you may not be awarded the full amount you need and deserve. This is why it’s essential to work with an attorney.
The right lawyer will know what it takes to support your case and can advocate for your rights against insurers who might seek to take advantage. The more help you can get, the more money you are likely to receive for your case.
Trust McCoy & Sparks—Premier Personal Injury Attorneys in Central Kentucky
No matter the extent of your injuries, you have a right to pursue a claim or even a lawsuit to hold the guilty party accountable and receive compensation for damages. The money you are awarded can help cover the cost of expensive brain injury treatments and surgeries as well other things like lost wages and pain and suffering.
Recognized as one of Central Kentucky’s best law firms for over a decade and counting, McCoy & Sparks works to help victims in need, representing thousands of clients in Central Kentucky with a focus on providing premium service and delivering superior results. Our goal is to develop a strategy that best serves your personal needs to help you reach the best possible result.
You owe us nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Make the right call to (844) 4KY-WINS for a risk-free consultation with one of our attorneys today.