Your brain is the most important organ in your body. You may think your heart or lungs are more important, but without your brain, your heart would not beat and your lungs would not function. Every function of your body, and every thought you have ever had are controlled by your brain. Luckily, the human body keeps this important organ safely within the protection of your skull, but the brain is still fragile.
Many brain injuries are not yet fully understood by science. Look no further than the emerging understanding of football-related brain injuries to see that we are still learning more about brain injuries and their effects every year. Both the mental and physical effects of brain injuries are a constant area of new and emerging study and understanding.
Because of this, personal injury cases based on brain injuries can be complicated. Whether your Dallas traumatic brain injury (TBI) was caused by a car accident, a slip and fall, an accident at work, or a faulty product, it is important to select a Dallas traumatic brain injury attorney who understands brain injuries and how they play-out in court. Queenan Law has attorneys who have experience in taking brain injuries to court, with real results for clients.
Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Because the brain is connected to every physical and mental/emotional sensation in your body, the effects of TBI can be downright strange. Usually, a TBI is caused by hard impacts to the skull. When something hits the skull hard, even if it does not break or penetrate the skull, the brain may literally bounce around the inside of the skull. This injury to the brain is not always severe, but can cause prolonged or permanent problems if it is severe. If something does actually penetrate the skull and damage the brain, the effects can be even worse.
The typical injury people may be familiar with is a concussion. A concussion is also called mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), and usually results in unconsciousness, nausea, lack of coordination, and other effects. It is not surprising to see someone suffering from a concussion experience confusion, dizziness, blurred vision, or fatigue. It is never a good sign when the body is literally shut down to unconsciousness due to a brain injury, and concussions should always be treated by a doctor. If someone frequently receives concussions, they may be vulnerable to further damage or conditions. This includes chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – the injury associated with NFL players and frequent brain trauma.
The more severe TBI is basically a more severe concussion. While many people receive concussions from sports or other physical activities, and often go on to lead normal lives, those who experience TBI may suffer permanent problems. While the general effects are similar to a concussion, and may involve unconsciousness, dizziness, fatigue, and blurred vision, there may be delayed side effects or side effects of a different nature. It is important to understand that brain tissue, unlike skin, cannot grow back after injuries, so many injuries leave permanent effects.
The effects of brain trauma are not always immediately apparent. While symptoms like unconsciousness may be immediately obvious, other symptoms may not emerge until the next day or even weeks later. For instance, trauma to the brain can affect the emotional centers of someone’s brain, causing them to have anxiety, outbursts of anger, sudden changes in mood, or feel scared and confused. Damage to the brain can even affect judgment, ability to speak and understand, ability to recognize people or things, and the ability to remember or form new memories. Some of these effects may not be immediately apparent to victims of brain trauma or their families, and may take days or weeks to notice.
Filing a Lawsuit for Brain Injuries in Dallas, TX
If you or a loved one suffered from traumatic brain injury in Dallas due to an accident of some kind, the effects of brain injury are not something that you need to simply live with without help. Certainly, any time you face an injury to the head, neck, or back, you should seek medical help. But medical bills and the ongoing care for a person with TBI may be costly. That is where an experienced legal team might be able to help you.
Any injury caused by someone else’s bad action or negligence can lead to reimbursement of medical costs for your injuries. That includes not only hospital visits and surgery, but also the costs of X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs that are usually necessary to diagnose TBI. It also includes ongoing medical care, which may be necessary with extremely severe cases of TBI.
If brain injuries caused you to have to miss work, then you may be compensated for those lost wages. It may take a long time to recover enough to return to work, especially if your job requires physical tasks. While worker’s compensation may help you with some of this, it may not be enough. Especially if you are no longer able to work at all or lost your job due to your injuries, this reimbursement may be essential.
Courts are also usually willing to reimburse those who were injured for their pain and suffering. These damages are difficult to put a price tag on, and are often dependent on the severity of the injury, the individual who was injured, and the effects the injury had on the person. In Texas, there is no legal limit or cap to how much can be recovered for pain and suffering, so juries may be willing to award large sums.
Experienced Dallas Brain Injury Attorneys Offering Free Consultations
The process of taking a personal injury case to court is complicated. Not only is there required paperwork that must be filed with the court and given to the defendant, there are deadlines that go along with every step of the case.
Because traumatic brain injury can be complicated to explain to a jury, much of the legal battle is often fought by experts hired by each side to explain the injuries. This mean your Dallas brain injury attorneys need to be experienced in using these expert witnesses and helping a jury understand the case.
Queenan Law has attorneys experienced in negotiating brain injury settlements and taking cases to trial. If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury and needs to be reimbursed for medical care, lost wages, or pain and suffering, Queenan Law may be able to help. Call (817) 476-1797 today to schedule a free consultation with a Dallas brain injury attorney.