Celebrate Brain Injury Awareness Month by Learning About Brain Injuries

Brain Injury Awareness Month is an opportunity for people to consider the various ways in which the brain can suffer damage. It’s also a good time to learn about the steps you should take if you are involved in an accident and then diagnosed with a brain injury.

Traumatic brain injuries are common, but they aren’t always as easy to spot as you might think. Whether a brain injury is diagnosed as moderate or severe, however, it can cause complications and functional limitations long after the accident is over.

A brain injury attorney’s assistance and advice can help you deal with the financial ramifications of these significant injury events.

Ways the Brain Can Sustain Injury

There are four main ways that your brain can be harmed. These include the following methods:

Blunt Force Trauma

Any force that is applied to your head by an object that does not penetrate the skull is considered blunt force trauma. This includes hitting your head on something like a low ceiling, something falling from above and striking you on your head, and a blow to the head sustained in a sport like football or an act of violence.

Whiplash Trauma

Whiplash refers to the rapid movement of the head in one direction and then the opposite direction, such as from front to back or from left to right. This most often happens when a significant amount of sudden force is applied to your body, such as the force involved in many auto accidents and truck accidents. 

While there may not be any outward injuries, the rapid movement of your brain inside your skull can nonetheless cause harm to your brain.

Penetrating Trauma

With this type of injury, a force in an object actually pierces through the skull and damages the brain. A gunshot wound to the head is one of the most common types of penetrating injuries. Because these injuries directly damage the brain, they are routinely severe and sometimes fatal.

Other Trauma to the Brain

Finally, there are other ways the brain can be damaged that are not necessarily caused by physical force. These include drugs and alcohol, dangerous chemical inhalants like cleaning agents and carbon monoxide, and certain illnesses like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. 

The impacts of these agents of harm can be as significant and pervasive as harm from other sources.

Brain Injuries Are More Common Than You Might Think

Brain injuries of all types happen with surprising regularity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were over 223,000 hospitalizations for brain injuries of all types and severities in 2019 alone. Approximately 64,000 additional people died that same year from brain trauma. 

These numbers do not include brain trauma that was treated without requiring any hospital admission.

Legal Rights of Injury Victims

Brain Injury Awareness Month is about more than recognizing that brain injuries can and do happen. This month is also an ideal time for your brain injury lawyer to remind you about what legal rights you have following a brain injury and how to assert those rights in a brain injury lawsuit.

Your Right to Compensation Following a Brain Injury

If you sustain a blow to the head — or any other harm that damages your brain — and another person is the primary cause of the incident, you may be entitled to compensation. This compensation can help you address the many expenses you are likely to incur as a result of a moderate or severe brain injury, including the following:

• Hospitalization costs, emergency room expenses, and ongoing medical care
• Lost wages and lost future earning potential, if your limitations prevent you from returning to your old position and schedule
• Occupational therapy, rehabilitative therapy, and other therapy services designed to help you regain functioning
• Behavioral therapy, as some brain injuries can affect your emotions and behaviors
• Emotional and mental distress that may require counseling to address
• Medications you may need to manage your symptoms

Partnering with an experienced brain injury lawyer early after your brain injury accident is often the best way to determine what expenses and losses you can be compensated for and the total amount of compensation you might be entitled to.

Brain Injury Lawsuits Versus Settlements

Filing a brain injury lawsuit with the help of a brain injury lawyer does not necessarily mean you will need to go to court. Where there is clear and uncontroverted evidence of the other party’s liability for causing your injuries, that other party may reach out and offer you a settlement. 

Settlement offers are invitations to dismiss your legal case in exchange for the other party’s agreement to pay you a certain amount of compensation. 

These agreements present benefits for both parties. You benefit from receiving compensation more quickly than you would by proceeding with your case. The other party benefits from a settlement by gaining better control over legal exposure and how much compensation it must pay for your injuries.

This does not mean that a settlement is right for every circumstance. If the settlement is too low, or if the settlement amount does not arrive in a timely manner, you can be left open to suffering additional losses. 

For this reason, it is a good idea to discuss any settlement offer with an experienced brain injury attorney before accepting any settlement.

Because of the complexity of medical records and evidence in many brain injury cases, proceeding to trial without a knowledgeable brain injury lawyer is not recommended.

Have You Suffered a Brain Injury? Daniels Law Can Assist You

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury, you need an experienced and resourceful brain injury law firm to help guide you toward compensation. Daniels Law and our talented brain injury attorneys can quickly get to work on your case, helping you resolve your legal claim in a timely manner.

Contact Daniels Law today and schedule a consultation with one of our exceptional brain injury lawyers.

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