A brain injury is a very serious injury and can result from many types of falls, accidents, collisions, and more. Brain injuries are often not readily apparent and can be misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all for weeks or even months before signs and symptoms appear. Some of these signs include short-term memory loss, a short temper, or a change in personality.
Brain damage, destruction or deterioration of brain cells, is often caused by trauma to the brain or from the brain’s oxygen supply being cut off. Many types of brain damage are irreversible and can severely impact the rest of your life causing either physical or mental disabilities. You must see a doctor immediately if you or a family member were injured in an accident and make sure to see a medical professional immediately if you begin to see signs of a possible traumatic brain injury after time has passed.
Symptoms include:
- Sudden short-term memory loss
- Change in personality and irritability
- Cognitive disabilities, such as being unable to do simple tasks (tying shoes, writing, eating)
- Respiratory problems and/or lung functioning complications
- Blurred or temporary loss of vision
- Partial or complete hearing loss
- Numbness in hands and feet or rotating numbness
- Partial or complete paralysis
When these symptoms appear, seek immediate medical help and then reach out to a brain injury lawyer to see if you qualify for compensation.
You may be able to get compensation for:
- Medical bills and expenses, including future care and treatment
- Temporary or permanent rehabilitation costs
- Costs of physical and occupational therapy
- Pain and suffering
- Lost wages
- Loss of career or lost future wages
- Permanent injury or disability
- Home and vehicle modifications (such as wheelchair ramps and lifts)
- Mental anguish and emotional duress
Traumatic brain injuries and head trauma are some of the most catastrophic injuries you can receive. They are often life-altering and can require extensive medical treatment, hospital stays, and future care. It is important for those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries and their families, to recover maximum compensation to pay for past, present, and future medical care, as well as lost wages and other expenses related to their accidents. Brain injuries often do not just go away and can affect cognitive and motor abilities for the rest of your life.
There are two main types of brain injuries: traumatic and acquired. Both types of injury can and do disrupt normal brain functioning. Not all head injuries cause brain damage, and not all brain injuries are the result of external trauma. “Traumatic” brain injuries are caused by external trauma, “acquired” ones are injuries at the cellular level in the brain, usually associated with pressure on the brain. Rarely, brain damage can also be a result of a congenital defect.
While most brain injuries and brain damage is caused by some form of blunt force trauma, not all are caused by hitting your head. Unfortunately, some traumatic brain injuries can be caused by medical errors or negligence.
Some Brain Injury Causes include:
- Car, truck, bus, or train accidents: Whether as a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian, a collision involving a vehicle can and do end in brain injuries.
- Slip and fall/trip and fall accidents: Falling down stairs or over cracks in the road, can cause you to hit your head hard enough to do damage.
- Construction accidents: Falling from any heights, like a roof, machinery, scaffolding, ladders, and more are one of the most common causes of severe injuries on construction sites.
- Medical errors/negligence: This includes surgical and even anesthesia errors.
- Birth injuries: Brain damage can be caused at birth when oxygen is cut off from the child’s brain and can have lifelong effects.
- Physical altercations: Physical fights with fists or weapons can cause brain damage when hit too hard in the head or when falling.
- Sports: In full contact sports, such as football, getting hit in the head or your head hitting the ground is a very real danger and can result in concussions and even brain injuries.
- Violence: Gunshot wounds, domestic violence, and abuse count for approximately 20% of brain injuries in the U.S.
- Explosive Blasts: Active duty military are the most common people to receive brain injuries from being too near explosions, though in New York City, fire and gas-related explosions have also caused brain damage.
- Lead poisoning: Exposure to lead paint, dust or toys can lead to irreversible brain damage.
Traumatic brain injuries, no matter the cause, are part of personal injury law. And while brain injuries can be difficult to prove responsibility, we understand the law surrounding this type of accident or negligence and can help you get the compensation you deserve..
Cases We Have Won Recently:
- Our client, a 26-year-old college student, was in a taxi that was struck by another car. Her head struck the plexiglass divider behind the driver’s seat. She was treated and released from the hospital, but continued to have headaches and cognitive difficulties. She returned to the hospital and was found to have slight bleeding of the brain and was admitted for four days. She returned to school, but was unable to complete her degree, and has since suffered from cognitive deficits, headaches, anxiety, depression, memory problems and confusion. Her doctors said she is permanently disabled and can’t work. The jury awarded a total of $10.8 million.
- Our client, a 28-year-old accountant, sustained a brain injury when she was struck by a car while in a crosswalk. The driver claimed she ran out between parked cars. Our client did not recall the accident, but remembered standing on the corner waiting for the walk light. Her head hit the ground and she was diagnosed as having mild traumatic brain injury. She tried for two more years to work, but was unable to do so due to concentration and memory problems. The client was later diagnosed with traumatically-induced epilepsy and is on social security disability. The jury found the van driver and his employer responsible and awarded a total of $7.4 million.
- Our client, a 38 year-old high school guidance counselor, sustained a traumatic brain injury after being struck in the head by a door. The client walked through a pair of swinging doors while walking downstairs during a fire alarm. To get downstairs, he was required to walk in front of the right door, which was pushed open by a student and struck our client. Over several months, he lost his balance, developed a speaking issues, and became hypersensitive to noises. He has been disabled since the accident and the jury found that the Board of Education was responsible for maintaining a dangerous and defective door and our client was awarded $6 million.
- Our client suffered fractured facial bones and a traumatic brain injury when he fell from scaffolding on a movie set. He was unable to return to work as an artist in charge of major movie sets, and the insurance company offered $300,000 to settle the case as the jury was deliberating, which we declined. The jury the awarded our client $3.65 million for lost wages, future income, and medical expenses.
At the Law Offices of Ronemus & Vilensky, we understand brain injury law and consult with licensed neurological and other medical specialists to investigate the complicated medical issues involved in brain damage lawsuits. We understand this is a difficult, frustrating, and expensive time for you and your family, and we are compassionate and committed to getting you the help and the compensation you need and deserve.
