Traumatic brain injuries

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can result in physical and psychological damage that can remain with you for the rest of your life. Signs or symptoms may appear immediately after a traumatic event, while others may appear days or weeks later. The effects of a TBI can be far-reaching. If you or someone you love has suffered a TBI, rehabilitation may be the only way to regain physical and cognitive abilities. The costs of rehab can quickly grow. A Florida TBI lawyer can help you determine if you might be eligible to recoup those costs.

Types of Rehabilitation

You may no longer be able to work and provide for yourself and your family. You may not be able to complete simple household tasks such as washing clothes and vacuuming. You may need a caregiver to help you with your daily activities.

Brain injuries can affect almost everything in your life, and the type of rehabilitation that is best for you depends upon what areas of your life have been impacted and what unique challenges you may be facing. Some specialized treatments that may help you regain what you have lost are:

• Cognitive therapy
• Speech and language therapy
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Vocational rehabilitation

Your healthcare provider can connect you with the appropriate caregivers for your symptoms and help you to recover more fully.

Recoverable Damages in a Traumatic Brain Injury Claim

Rehabilitation is often expensive. Fortunately, you may not need to cover the costs on your own. In a TBI claim, you can typically pursue the recovery of damages for:

• Costs of medical treatment
• Rehabilitation
• Diminished earning capacity
• Disability

Your personal injury attorney can help you calculate your losses, which includes not only the costs you have already incurred but also the expenses you are likely to have in the future stemming from your injury. TBI victims often require long-term care and rehabilitation, and it is important for your brain injury lawyer to pursue damages that cover these expenses.

Proving a Traumatic Brain Injury Claim

Child TBI lawsuits are usually based on the theory of negligence, which means that the party being sued is legally responsible for your injury because they acted in a careless fashion.

To prove your case, a TBI lawyer will need to demonstrate the following:

• The at-fault party owed you a duty.
• They breached that duty.
• The breach caused your injury.
• You suffered damages.

They will use evidence like medical records, accident reports, and testimony from medical expert witnesses to help substantiate your claims and build a strong case on your behalf.

Get Help From a Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer Today

If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury, contact a personal injury law firm in Florida the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato at (954) 633-8270 for a free case evaluation with a TBI lawyer. You deserve justice and compensation, and we can help you evaluate your recoverable damages.

Brain Injury and Problems

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is any sudden physical trauma to the brain. Traumatic brain injuries are a leading cause of death and disability in adults, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. For those who survive a traumatic brain injury, there are multiple physical, emotional, social, and financial effects.

How a Traumatic Brain Injury Is a Life-Changing Event

A traumatic brain injury occurs when there is a sudden forceful blow to the head. This may be from a motor vehicle accident, fall, sporting event, or physical assault. The blow causes bruising, tearing, and bleeding of brain tissue and blood vessels. Normal brain function and activity is disrupted.

There are several types of traumatic brain injuries:

• A focal brain injury is damage that is confined to one area of the brain.
• A diffuse brain injury affects more than one area of the brain.
• Closed traumatic brain injuries do not involve penetration or breakage of the skull. Damage occurs from shaking or sudden forward and backward movement of the brain inside the skull.
• Penetrating or open brain injuries occur when bones in the skull are broken.

In addition, there are two stages in a traumatic brain injury. The primary brain injury happens at the point of impact during the traffic accident, fall, or assault. A secondary brain injury involves changes to the body’s chemical and cellular systems in the hours and days following the primary impact.

Your Brain May Never Fully Recover From a Traumatic Brain Injury

Medical professionals cannot predict a person’s recovery from a traumatic brain injury. Most experts agree that brain cells do not usually regenerate once they are damaged or destroyed. Some brains learn to reroute or make up for injured or lost tissue. Each brain injury and recovery is unique to each patient.

It is generally agreed that recovery from a severe brain injury is a prolonged process that includes specific treatment, therapy, and rehabilitation. Your traumatic brain injury lawyer from the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato can pursue damages to help you pay for these treatments.

Common Physical Effects From a Traumatic Brain Injury Florida

People with moderate or severe TBI can have multiple physical problems that last for months, years, or the rest of their lives.

Some of these physical problems include:

• Headaches
• Sensitivity to light and noise
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Difficulty speaking
• Paralysis or weakness
• Vision problems, such as blurry or double vision
• Poor balance
• Fatigue and decreased endurance
• Tremors
• Swallowing problems
• Poor coordination
• Seizures and an increased risk of epilepsy
• Sexual dysfunction

Help for Physical Effects of a TBI

A traumatic brain injury survivor may need help with activities of daily living (ADLs). The cost of caring for a TBI patient can easily bankrupt the average family. There is also the stress of being a constant caregiver that helps with many physical and life functions, including:

• Feeding, grooming, bathing, dressing, and toileting
• Nutritional care
• Dispensing medicines
• Helping with walking and transferring

Traumatic brain injury patients may also need to alter their home to accommodate a wheelchair and other adaptive devices. For legal help contact a brain injury lawyer in Florida.

Changes to Your Emotional and Cognitive Health After a TBI

Traumatic brain injuries affect both the patient and family members with many emotional and cognitive problems. You may not remember an important event, like your wedding day or the birth of a child. Sometimes, a traumatic brain injury transforms a quiet and congenial person into an aggressive bully. These changes are equally distressing for both patients and family members.

Other cognitive problems from a traumatic brain injury are:

• Impaired long- and short-term memory
• Difficulty concentrating
• Poor judgment skills
• Impaired problem solving
• Loss of organizational skills
• Sleep difficulties
• Inability to manage time
• Difficulty starting or focusing on a task
• Deficits in attention and concentration
• Depression and anxiety
• Personality changes, such as aggression and lashing out

You May Experience Social Effects 

Many traumatic brain injury survivors spend long weeks in the hospital followed by treatment at a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility. This disrupts their typical social patterns and interaction. A catastrophic injury can make people feel awkward and, unfortunately, their solution is to avoid the patient. This can make you feel isolated and alone.

In addition, many TBI patients are unable to return to their earlier activities, brain injury including sports and hobbies. You may also find it difficult to be around people if you have trouble speaking or finding words. Even the act of going to the grocery store or your place of worship may seem insurmountable as you recover.

Treatment for Physical, Emotional, and Social Issues

While there is no guarantee that a traumatic brain injury patient will return to their pre-injury status, there are many resources to treat and cope with these changes.

You may find help from trained professionals who may include:

• Internists and specialists
• Rehabilitation nurse
• Social worker
• Physical therapist
• Occupational therapist
• Speech/language pathologist
• Psychologist, psychiatrist, or other licensed mental health provider
• Audiologist
• Dietitian
• Case manager
• Respiratory therapist
• Recreation therapist
• Spiritual advisor

Of course, these services and programs may be beyond your budget or not covered by your health insurance. Most traumatic brain injury survivors and their families find themselves struggling financially.

The Financial Impact of a Traumatic Brain Injury

You may be able to work after your traumatic brain injury. However, you may not be able to return to your earlier employment due to physical and cognitive impairments. Your inability to work, combined with ongoing medical costs, can diminish you and your family’s quality of life.

A Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer Can Help

If your traumatic brain injury was caused by someone’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. A Florida personal injury lawyer with the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato will evaluate your case and seek recovery if you qualify. You have the right to seek compensation from the person or people who caused your injury and damages. For a free consultation, please call (954) 633-8270.

Head Injury

It can be very confusing to figure out what to do if you hit your head and have suffered injuries in an accident or mishap. As soon as you are able, you should get medical attention. Head injuries can be severe—even life-threatening. You could have bleeding in the brain without realizing it until it is too late.

If someone else’s carelessness caused you to get hurt, you can work with a lawyer to go after financial damages. Talk with a traumatic brain injury lawyer Florida as soon as possible to avoid the pitfalls that could hurt the settlement value of your injury claim.

Symptoms of a Head Injury in an Adult

The Mayo Clinic urges you to call 911 or your local emergency number if you have any of these signs after hitting your head, as they can indicate severe head trauma:

• Significant bleeding from your head or face
• Blood or other fluid coming from your nose or ears
• Severe headache
• You stop breathing, have a seizure, or lose consciousness
• The pupils of your eyes are different sizes
• You are confused or have slurred speech
• You lose your balance, are weak, or cannot use one of your arms or legs
• You have discoloration under your eyes or behind your ears

Even if you do not have any of these head injury symptoms at first, you should get medical attention immediately after a strong blow to the head.

Symptoms of a Head Injury in a Child

According to the Mayo Clinic, children can have any of the adult symptoms or these signs:

• Repeated vomiting
• Refusing to eat
• Persistent crying
• A bulge on the head (usually with infants)

Whenever a child sustains a significant impact to the head, you should take the child for a head trauma evaluation at once. Contact a lawyer for child brain injury and lawsuit information.

Treatments for Traumatic Brain Injury 

The treatment for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can leave you sidelined for weeks or months. For example:

• If you have a blood clot from the blow to the head, a surgeon might have to perform surgery to remove the clot. Untreated blood clots outside or within the brain can put pressure on the brain and damage brain tissue. A clot could cause a stroke.
• If your skull fractured, the surgeon might have to remove pieces of the skull that broke off or secure pieces of your skull closed with wire.
• You might need surgery to stop bleeding in the brain.
• With severe swelling in the brain or accumulation of cerebral spinal fluid, the surgeon might have to surgically implant a drain or create a window in your skull to prevent damage to brain tissue.

Long-term impacts of TBI can include cognitive impairment, chronic severe headaches, mood and personality changes, weakness, paralysis, and the loss of speech, sight, or hearing.

Getting Legal Help After a Head Injury By The Law Office Of Wolf & Pravato

If someone’s carelessness caused or contributed to the accident in which you sustained a head injury, a Fort Myers personal injury lawyer can help you go after the full value of your personal injury claim. You can focus on getting better and leave the legal matters to us. We can deal directly with the insurance company so that you do not have to. We offer attentive and caring service and treat clients like family.

Call the Personal injury Lawyer Florida at Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato at (954) 633-8270 to get started. The initial consultation is free, and there is no obligation. We want to help guide you through the legal process of what to do if you hit your head.

Some of the immediate symptoms of traumatic brain injury include:                                         

Loss of Consciousness

Loss of consciousness (LOC) can include being knocked out for a few minutes or being in a coma for several months. The duration of unconsciousness can indicate the severity of your head trauma. Furthermore, any type of LOC can indicate that you have a severe traumatic brain injury. If you lose consciousness, you should go to the hospital immediately. 

As you regain consciousness, you may start to experience other signs of a TBI. Some of these signs may occur immediately. Other signs may be delayed. If you experience delayed symptoms, you should visit your doctor right away. 

Seizures or Convulsions

A post-traumatic seizure may occur within the first week or two after the accident. You may also have one or more seizures within the next several months or years. If so, your doctor may diagnose you with epilepsy.

A medical specialist can determine how likely you are to experience one or more seizures or convulsions by the nature and severity of your injury. They can also determine if you need to undergo one or more surgical procedures to correct your condition.

Double Vision or Other Eye Problems

Vision problems are common symptoms of a concussion or traumatic brain injury. After your accident, there may be an interrupted signal between the brain and the eyes. This can cause a wide range of vision problems such as:

• Blurred vision
• Light sensitivity
• Difficulty reading
• Vision-related headaches
• Loss of peripheral vision
• Double vision
• Difficulty moving your eyes in any direction

Eye problems do not always appear right away. As a result, your doctor may overlook them. As a precaution, you may want to visit your eye doctor for an eye exam.

Fluid Draining from the Ears or Nose

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may leak from your ears or nose after a traumatic brain injury. The fluid may be clear or blood-tinged. This indicates a tear in the membrane around the spinal cord or brain. This type of injury may require a surgical procedure to stop the leaking.

Vomiting or Nausea

Vomiting is common after a TBI due to the impact on both the head and the body. Although vomiting can be a sign that you have incurred a head trauma, it is not always an indicator of a severe brain injury. Vomiting can occur up to two or three hours after the initial accident with no cause for alarm.

However, if you continue to vomit multiple times several hours after your injury, you may need to go to the emergency room. Regardless of how many times you vomit, you may want to seek some type of medical attention right away. This is the only way to determine exactly why you are vomiting.

Neurological Problems: Dizziness, Slurred Speech, Weakness 

Since your injury affects the brain, numerous neurological problems can occur after your accident, such as:

• Confusion
• Dizziness or poor balance
• Slurred or hesitant speech
• Inability to solve problems
• Inability to understand abstract concepts
• Poor coordination
• Reading comprehension problems

Neurological problems can occur instantly, or they can gradually get worse. In some cases, the decline in neurological function can happen over the years. After an extended period, you may not make the connection between your accident and your neurological condition. Only a medical specialist can tell you if your condition is related to your accident.

Paralysis

Partial or full paralysis may occur on one or both sides of the body depending on which part of the brain was damaged. When your brain is injured, it may be unable to send or receive a signal to an area of your body. As a result, you may have limited function or sensation in the paralyzed area. 

Since paralysis is often unpredictable, you may or may not recover from your condition. Some paralysis may go away, restoring your function. Other types of paralysis may be terminal. You may have to undergo extensive physical therapy if recovery is possible. In other cases, you may need round-the-clock care for the rest of your life.

Memory Problems and Amnesia

A traumatic brain injury can affect your memory in various ways. In most cases, you may suffer short-term memory loss. For instance, you may remember things that happened in your childhood. However, you cannot remember why you went to the grocery store.

In addition, you may not remember things such as:

• Details of a conversation
• Where you put certain items such as keys or a wallet
• Whether you agreed to or declined to attend an event
• Losing track of time
• Names or personal information of people you are close to 

In some cases, the injured person will not remember the accident that caused their traumatic brain injury.

Feelings of Depression or Anxiety

You may have feelings of sadness, loss, or despair long after your accident occurred. These feelings of depression and anxiety may seem overwhelming. Depression can be caused by physical changes in your brain or your emotional response to your injury. In some cases, it can be caused by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

The only way to determine if your depression is a physical, emotional, or mental response to your trauma is to visit your doctor for an official diagnosis. Your doctor may refer you to a TBI specialist who can diagnose your depression. 

Compensation for Your Traumatic Brain Injury Damages

If you suffered complications from a traumatic brain injury, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, or other damages. To find out more, contact the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato today. We offer legal services for victims of traumatic brain injuries. Call us today at 954-633-8270 for a free case assessment. You pay nothing unless you win your case.  

How Much Compensation You Can Get for a Brain Injury

There is no specific amount of compensation you can get for a brain injury as each injury is unique and affects everyone differently. A brain injury lawyer can help you determine the brain injury compensation to which you may be entitled.

Several factors determine the brain injury compensation:

The Severity of Your Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury can range anywhere from mild to severe. The severity of the injury can determine what you can recover. For example, if you suffer a concussion that keeps you out of work for a few weeks but healed on its own, you will likely receive less than if you suffered a severe brain injury that will require ongoing care.

You will likely also recover more if you require round-the-clock care or assertive devices such as a wheelchair.

Whether You Are Able to Return to Work

You are entitled to brain injury compensation for all the wages you lose during recovery. Let us continue with our examples from above: you suffer a concussion that keeps you out of work for three weeks. You make $1,500 a week. You would be entitled to $4,500 in lost wages.

However, you are also entitled to wages you will lose in the future. If your brain injury robbed you of your ability to work, you can recover those losses. You can also recover brain injury compensation if your injury forced you to work fewer hours or take a lesser paying job. In this case, your age and occupation can affect how much you recover. For example, a retired grandfather will recover less than a 40-year-old banker.

Note: As brain injuries can require round-the-clock care, lost wages do not only apply to just the victim. If a loved one of a brain injury victim had to work fewer hours or quit their job entirely to help care for the injured party, they can obtain brain injury compensation for those lost wages, too.

How Your Brain Injury Affected Other Aspects of Your Life

Most people only consider the financial effects of a brain injury. However, brain injuries can affect communication, emotions, and behavior. This can have a direct effect on relationships with friends and family. Many family members and friends of someone who suffered a traumatic brain injury find that their loved one changed completely.

If your brain injury affected your relationships with friends and family, you deserve brain injury compensation for that.

Whether Your Brain Injury Causes Physical or Emotional Pain and Suffering

In addition to the lost relationships, brain injuries can also cause physical and emotional pain and suffering. You can recover brain injury compensation for this as well.

What Parties Are Liable for Your Brain Injury

In some cases, only one party is liable for your injury. In others, two or more parties can be liable. For example, if you suffered a brain injury in a truck accident, you might be able to hold both the truck driver and the trucking company liable for your injuries. This means you may be able to recover a higher amount of brain injury compensation than if you only held an individual liable.

Whether You Accept the First Settlement Offer

The first settlement offer is often very low. Unfortunately, many people do not know what their case is worth, so they accept what they can get. This is why we recommend you do not accept the first offer—or any offer—you receive, without first running it by an injury attorney. An attorney can determine the value of your brain injury claim and ensure any offer matches that.

If the insurer or other party refuses to offer you a fair settlement, a TBI lawyer can take your case to court and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Whether There Are Damage Caps for Your Type of Injury

Some states cap the damages you can recover for injuries. In some states, they cap the noneconomic damages you can recover. In others, they cap the damages you can recover from medical malpractice cases. If your state caps damages, that can affect how much you recover.

Damages to Which You May Be Entitled

While the amount you are able to recover depends on your situation, there are common damages available in most injury cases:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity
• Miscellaneous expenses, such as yard work, childcare, or the costs of renovating your home to accommodate your disability
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of consortium
• Funeral or burial costs if the victim lost their life

There are several other damages to which you may be entitled. A brain injury lawyer can help you determine a value for your case.

How Our Team Can Help You Get the Compensation You Deserve

It can seem almost impossible to deal with a brain injury—or care for a loved one with a brain injury—while still trying to make ends meet and live a normal life. The last thing you need is to add another task to that list. Our TBI lawyers will handle recovering compensation for your or your loved one’s brain injury. We will identify liable parties, gather evidence, build a compelling case, negotiate with insurers, and take your case to court, if necessary.

We will discuss your case with medical experts to determine how your injury has affected you and will continue to affect you. We will ensure that you and your family feel supported throughout this stressful process.

Give us a call today to see how a brain injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato can help you and your family: 954-633-8270. The initial consultation is free, and we work on a contingency basis, which means you pay nothing unless you win your case.

We also help the victims of brain injury in the following cities:

• Florida brain injury lawyer
• Fort Lauderdale brain injury lawyer
• Fort Myers brain Injury lawyer
• Miami brain injury lawyer
• West Palm Beach brain injury lawyer
• Boynton Beach brain injury lawyer

Child Brain Injury and Lawsuit Information

Child Brain Injury Symptoms

Sports are a part of the American culture. Football alone is almost looked at with religious-like fervor, from the NFL to college football, high school football, and even peewee league. When you couple in baseball and basketball with other sports that are growing in popularity such as hockey and lacrosse, it should come as no surprise that so many people are either playing these sports or watching them. But, unfortunately, the realities of playing sports aren’t always as glorious when you factor in the harsh truths of how severe sports related injuries could be. Recent medical studies have started to shine a bright light on sports related traumatic brain injuries. Will Smith’s recent film Concussion took a look at the NFL’s attempts to block such studies from having an impact on their sport. The NFL has since reached an almost $800 million settlement with former players who have health problems from traumatic brain injuries. But while an emphasis has been put on major league sports where many athletes (from football players to hockey players and even pro wrestlers) have been forced to retire early due to repeated concussions, the impact on younger amateur athletes is still emerging. Here are a few things you need to know about sports related traumatic brain injuries and the impact that they can have on you and your loved ones.