If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury because of someone’s negligent actions, you may be entitled to compensation. Damages from a traumatic brain injury can cost individuals and families thousands of dollars in medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses. These expenses, like the injury, are never expected; and when they arise from negligence, it can be especially troubling. An experienced Minneapolis Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer can help you by explaining your rights and options, and if necessary, by filing a personal injury claim. Contact the experienced brain injury lawyers at Sand Law LLC today or read on to learn more about Minneapolis brain injuries.
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) refers to the disruption of normal brain function, often caused by a blow to the head, a fall, jolt, or an object penetrating the skull into brain tissue. Traumatic brain injuries can causes everything from temporary symptoms, like loss of consciousness or blurred vision, to long-lasting and permanent symptoms like amnesia or altered personality.
A traumatic brain injury, like the type one suffers in a car accident or slip and fall, may be classified as mild, moderate, or severe. These names can be a bit misleading, since no brain injury is really mild but this is how doctor’s will describe them so it’s best to understand the terms as they will be presented.
With a mild TBI, an injury victim may never lose consciousness, and if they do, it’s just for a few seconds. Mild TBI sufferers may also experience:
- headache,
- nausea,
- lack of motor skills or loss of coordination,
- lightheadedness,
- blurred vision,
- fatigue
- and changes in sleep.
In addition to these physical symptoms, mild TBI patients can also experience a whole range of cognitive and emotional symptoms that affect mood and behavior. Like we said, no brain injury is really mild, so the cognitive and emotional symptoms could range dramatically. This could include confusion, memory loss, trouble with concentration and attention, difficulty controlling one’s emotions, and loss of enjoyment of life.
An injury victim who is suffering from a moderate or severe TBI may lose consciousness for hours or even days. They may also experience the same symptoms as a mild TBI but to a greater degree, or they may experience:
- difficulty speaking and being understood,
- paralysis,
- spastic movements,
- chronic pain,
- partial or total loss of vision,
- decreased or loss of hearing,
- and a whole range of other physical symptoms.
Moderate to severe TBIs also can cause sufferers to experience an almost endless amount of cognitive and emotional symptoms. The brain controls literally every part of the human body, so when it is damaged, the list of things that can go wrong are endless.
Some of the most common cognitive and emotional symptoms of a moderate to severe TBI are inability to concentrate or pay attention, memory problems, decreased thinking or computing abilities, severe confusion, impulsiveness, decreased executive functions (like, planning, organization, problem solving), persistent sadness or apathy, irritability, and depression.
Click here for more thorough descriptions of TBI symptoms.
Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injuries are caused by:
- any type of impact to the head,
- by a sudden jarring movement to the head,
- or by an object penetrating the skull.
Think about these 3 causes as 1) your head hitting the ground when you fall, 2) your brain slamming against your skull during whiplash, and 3) a piece of jagged metal from a car accident pierces into the side of your head.
Any of these three causes of a TBI can be a result of a car accident, motorcycle accident, slip and fall, or even a workplace accident.
Auto accidents and slip and falls are by far the most common types of accidents that cause TBIs in regards to negligence. The other common causes are related to sports or everyday clumsiness.
If a person slips and hits their head on the ground, a brain injury is a very likely possibility. In fact, almost half of all TBI-related emergency room visits are due to falls. And of those who suffer TBIs from falls, the elderly and children are disproportionately affected. These types of accidents can occur in grocery stores, on business entryways, in shops, or even in the home of a friend.
The second leading cause of TBIs are motor vehicle accidents. Unfortunately, car accidents are extremely common and the brain is easily damaged during these violent events. Car accidents can cause a TBI by causing someone to hit their head on the dashboard, by their head whipping forward during a sudden stop, or by a loose object penetrating the skull. When it comes to injuries from a car accident, the possibilities are nearly endless.
If you suspect that an accident or negligent incident caused you a brain injury, it’s important to seek medical care immediately. Not only is critical to treat a brain injury right away for a speedy recovery, but documenting the injury with your doctor is best the way to ensure you can pursue compensation later.
TBI Statistics and Common Complications
In 2014, there were approximately 2.87 million cases of traumatic brain injury in the United States alone. Of those cases, 837,000 occurred in children. An additional, 13.5 million people in the US suffer from a disability related to TBI.
A traumatic brain injury can cause serious complications, and many people often face permanent disability from their accidents. Unfortunately, these injuries are often expensive as well, with about 76.5 billion dollars going toward direct and indirect TBI-related costs annually.
Brain injuries can causes sufferers many complications. Because the brain is such a vital part of the body and is responsible for so much, injuries to different areas can have different impacts on accident victims. More severe injuries may affect more of the brain and cause more difficult complications. Complications can include states of seizures, coma, vegetative state, minimal consciousness, and even brain death. In the worst circumstances, TBIs can lead to wrongful death. These complication can make a brain injury even more expensive and stressful for a family. An experienced Minneapolis brain injury attorney can help.
TBI In Children
Traumatic brain injury is especially common in children. Children are especially susceptible to injuries because of their size, fragility, and curious nature.
Furniture tip-overs are a leading cause of child brain injuries. These accidents can occur if a piece of furniture isn’t properly mounted onto a wall. These accidents can occur in your own home, by fault of the manufacturer, or even in a daycare by the fault of the daycare.
TBI is also the leading cause of death and disability in children, as children often suffer from more complications than adults do.
Other brain injury causes in children can include abusive head trauma, medical malpractice, bicycle accidents, slip and fall, and car accidents.
Contact a Minneapolis Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney
Insurance companies can be difficult to deal with, especially when it comes to getting the financial compensation that you deserve. This is the most important reason to seek the help of a personal injury lawyer for your brain injury case. If you’ve experienced a life-changing injury caused by negligence, you deserve fair compensation. However, many insurance companies will try to low-ball you and pay as little as possible.
If you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury, contact one of our attorneys at Sand Law. It’s important to find experienced personal injury attorneys who have experience working with brain injury claims and who understands their complexities and nuances. Our years of experience can help you to get the money you need.
For more information, or for a free case evaluation, please contact us online or at 651-291-7263.