Over the years, 144,000 people in Houston, Texas, sustain a traumatic brain injury annually.
The most common causes of brain injury include motor vehicle accidents, slip-and-fall incidents in the workplace, trips and falls in a construction zone, and domestic abuse, among others.
Research shows that the average lifetime medical cost of a person with a brain injury ranges from $85,000 to $3 million. The entire treatment process will cost patients and their families approximately $40.6 billion every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate.
Therefore, when you sustain a brain injury, getting the full and fair compensation equivalent to your injuries is essential to help you recover later.
Check out this article to learn the different types of brain injury, why you need to get the maximum compensation, and why you need a personal injury lawyer.
Three Types of Brain Injury
These are three common types of brain injury that people can sustain at any point in their lives:
Concussion
A concussion is a mild swelling of the brain caused by a sudden blow or jolt to the head, such as a car accident, a slip-and-fall incident, or getting hit by a car. Concussion symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, blurry vision, ringing ears, and memory problems.
Most people assume that concussions always involve a loss of consciousness. In many cases, remember that people who suffer from concussions never lose consciousness.
More often than not, you can recover from a concussion. However, a concussion can lead to an untimely death if you sustain another while recovering from the initial blow. Watch out for these symptoms for a few days.
If your headache gets worse, if you vomit repeatedly, or if symptoms worsen at any time, proceed to the emergency room immediately and seek a medical expert’s help.
Skull Fractures
The primary cause of skull fractures is severe head trauma due to a skull bone break.
It can occur from falls, automobile accidents, violent assaults, or severe blows to the head, among others. You can feel a lump or dent on your head and see some bruises after some time.
Some symptoms of skull fractures include confusion, loss of consciousness, and blood or clear fluid running out of your nose and ears.
Remember that skull fractures may go unnoticed by medical experts if there are no clinical signs. Therefore, you must observe yourself thoroughly and look for any unwanted symptoms.
It is best to seek medical attention as soon as these symptoms become apparent.
Penetrating Brain Injury
A penetrating brain injury (or an open head injury) is a traumatic brain injury that can happen when an object breaks the skull and harms the brain.
Penetrating brain injury can be sustained through a gunshot wound, a stab wound, or a direct and forceful impact to the head. One part or several areas of the brain gets affected.
The symptoms include seizure, pain at the point of impact, heavy bleeding from the head, ears, nose, or eyes, breathing problems, slurred speech, impaired vision, loss of consciousness, and loss of feeling in the limbs.
Surgery such as cranioplasty and craniotomy may be done to remove the portion of the skull that broke off and remove any objects which penetrated the skull.
Effects of Brain Injury
Brain injuries are different from one another. Aside from the expensive costs of surgery, hospitalization, and long-term treatments, the devastating effects of a brain injury will linger upon you and your family. Take note of how brain injury affects all aspects of your life and the people around you:
- Own Life – A brain injury will limit your movement, speech, and cognitive skills. After sustaining the injury, you may go into a downward spiral of self-pity for yourself. You may also think that you are a burden to your family with your current situation and lose every ounce of independence you have.
- Family Life – Your family will need to adjust to your needs as a patient. They have to look after you 24/7, buy the necessary medical equipment, and clean up any mess you make. While recovering from the injury, remember that your family is cheering you on.
- Relationships with Others – Brain injury can alter your mood and personality. This makes you prone to arguments and fights with the people around you, especially those who do not fully understand your situation. You may lose friendships along the way due to difficulty communicating with others.
- Work – Sustaining a brain injury can affect your ability to work. Your brain will not be as sharp as before, and it will show in your quality of work. It’s even more challenging to cope and do your work when you cannot filter out unwanted noises like you used to. You will get constant headaches and dizziness, which leads to more missed work days.
Why Should You Get the Maximum Compensation
The road to getting compensation after suffering from a brain injury is a daunting process. Another problem you should consider is that most insurance companies do not give in to your demands unless you hire a personal injury lawyer to do the job for you.
Due to the steep costs of your treatment after sustaining a brain injury, getting substantial compensation will be beneficial for you and your family in the long run.
Here are the reasons why:
Cover medical costs and long-term needs
The medical costs of brain injuries differ for each kind of injury. Aside from that, long-term treatment, such as follow-up checkups, laboratory tests, therapies, and specialized medical equipment for recovery, requires a lot of money. It would benefit you big time when you get a high amount of compensation to cover these needs.
Replace lost income
Brain injuries can hinder a person from earning his income the usual way. Whether it’s a job that demands hard labor or soft skills, the brain allows the body to do its normal functions and makes a person perform his job well. Brain injuries can lead to paralysis and physical impairment. The compensation you will get replaces the income you lost from the days you were incapable of working.
Get paid for property damage
If the brain injury is caused by a car accident, you can get compensation for repairs and damage-related costs from the at-fault driver. Your compensation will cover the expenses of getting your car back in shape.
Why Hire a Personal Injury Attorney
Personal injury attorneys specialize in handling personal injury cases in your workplace or elsewhere. You and your family should know what you are up against if you sustain a brain injury and try to claim compensation for damages.
Learn more about the injury
A personal injury attorney will take the time to learn about your injury and its impact on your life. They will study how it affected your speech, motor skills, cognitive skills, and capacity to earn income. After learning about your injury, they will prepare a course of action to help your claim and win your case.
Investigate and gather evidence of the incident
Personal injury attorneys work with medical experts, property companies, and security officers to get records and footage of the accident. They compile these to come up with solid evidence to get you ample compensation for your needs.
Negotiate the rightful compensation for you
The sharp negotiation skills of personal injury attorneys come in handy in cases like yours. They will negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf to get you the compensation you deserve.
File insurance claims
Your personal injury attorney can file a monetary claim if you have existing life insurance. This money will help your family with your medical and daily expenses as you recover. They can help you identify the policies in your insurance that may cover your claims.
Prepare to go all out in legal battles
Personal injury attorneys are fearless in taking it to court when they do not reach an amicable settlement with the guilty party. Years of experience in courtrooms have prepared them for making arguments to help you win the case. They have the evidence to back up your claims in your favor.
Hire a Houston Brain Injury Attorney Today
Sustaining a brain injury is a difficult time for you and your family. It impairs your senses, motor abilities, and capacity to earn income.
If you suffer a brain injury from a vehicular or workplace accident, it is high time to get the compensation you deserve.
Hire a personal injury lawyer in Houston, Texas, to help you understand your rights, receive money for medical costs for recovery, and get legal work done without worry.
With a personal injury lawyer in Texas, you can recover in peace.