Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) sustained in accidents can cause changes in a person’s physical abilities, cognitive functioning, and even their ability to communicate. Some TBIs are fatal. Not all TBIs have such severe permanent consequences, but every TBI is a serious injury, even if the person recovers completely.
When an accident causes you or your loved one to sustain a TBI, contact a catastrophic injury attorney immediately. A Jupiter traumatic brain injury lawyer could ensure the negligent parties responsible for the accident pay appropriate compensation for your injuries.
Understanding the Impacts of TBI
A traumatic brain injury could happen in three ways: a blow or impact to the head, violent shaking of the head, or an object like a knife or bullet penetrating the brain. The brain floats in protective fluid, but a forceful impact or shaking could cause violent contact between the brain and the skull, damaging brain cells and the blood vessels that feed them.
Medical professionals classify TBIs as either mild, moderate, or severe. The classification depends on the patient’s presentation immediately after the injury, such as whether they lost consciousness and for how long.
Even a mild TBI could lead to permanent symptoms because the effects of TBI are cumulative. A Jupiter lawyer could use the latest medical research to demonstrate the long-term impact of a person’s TBI and seek a settlement that provides appropriate compensation.
Mild
A concussion is a mild TBI. The person might lose consciousness briefly or not at all but likely experiences some disorientation, confusion, and memory loss immediately after the event. Headache, blurred vision, balance issues, nausea, sleep disturbances, and moodiness are common symptoms, but different people experience concussions differently, and many other symptoms are possible. People often recover within two to four weeks, but sometimes symptoms linger for months or never resolve completely.
Moderate
A moderate TBI is a serious injury. A person with a moderate TBI could lose consciousness for several minutes to hours.
The symptoms of a moderate TBI include vision loss in one or both eyes, slurred speech, uneven pupil size, a headache that does not go away, confusion, and memory loss. Some people experience tingling in their extremities and muscle weakness. Symptoms often partially or fully resolve within one year, but others have permanent impairments resulting from a moderate TBI.
Severe
A severe TBI is a devastating injury. Loss of consciousness for several hours up to several days or longer is possible. Some people go into a coma and do not emerge. Severe TBI is often fatal, and some survivors are in a permanent vegetative state.
Even when a person regains consciousness, they might have significant issues with physical coordination and be unable to perform activities of daily living. Cognitive impairment and mood disorders are typical after a severe TBI. A person might be unable to speak or comprehend speech. People with severe TBIs usually cannot return to work and may be unable to live independently.
How Negligence Leads to TBIs
People often sustain TBIs in accidents resulting from someone’s negligence. The most common causes of brain damage vary somewhat depending on age.
In infants, TBIs result most often from falls and physical abuse by a caregiver. In children, car accidents and sports injuries are common causes. Car accidents remain a leading cause of brain injuries in the adult population, but as a person ages, it is more likely for a fall to cause a TBI.
A Jupiter attorney could investigate the circumstances of the brain damage, identify potentially responsible parties, and collect evidence of negligence. Whether the liable party is a driver, vehicle manufacturer, property owner, or another party, a legal professional could present a compelling case to secure compensation for all losses.
Timeframes for Filing a Brain Damage Lawsuit
Florida Statutes § 95.11 describes the allowed time for filing a lawsuit. The statute of limitations for negligence claims, which includes most claims arising from vehicle accidents, premises liability, and sports injuries, is two years. Some exceptions may apply to a particular case.
Failing to file a lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires defeats a claim—a judge will not consider it, regardless of its merit. It is wise to seek legal representation immediately after an incident that causes a TBI. A lawyer in Jupiter could preserve the claimant’s right to sue while negotiating a favorable settlement with the responsible parties’ insurers.
Call a Jupiter Attorney for a Free Consultation Regarding Your Traumatic Brain Injury Claim
When another party’s negligence causes an accident that leaves you with a TBI, you suffer the consequences forever. You deserve compensation from those who caused your injury.
A Jupiter traumatic brain injury lawyer offers data-driven representation that maximizes compensation for you. Schedule a no-obligation consultation today.
