San Antonio Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer
A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, refers to severe trauma to the head. A TBI could occur due to a crash, jolt, or blow to the brain. Severe trauma to the head could affect all areas of an individual’s life, also causing significant financial strain. If you or a loved one sustained a head injury due to the reckless, careless, or negligent actions of another, schedule a consultation with a San Antonio traumatic brain injury lawyer to protect your rights. Depending on your injury’s cause and the life-altering consequences it creates, you might be able to recover compensation for damages with the help of a skilled catastrophic injury attorney.
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Traumatic brain injuries occur due to catastrophic damage to the head. For example, a TBI could occur due to a blow from a vehicular accident, sports-related impact, slip and fall accident, or violent encounter. The symptoms of a TBI depend on the degree of brain damage, such as an open or closed head injury, including:
- Blurred vision
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headaches
- Confusion and memory loss
- Extremity tingling
- Light and sound sensitivities
- Sudden coordination issues
- Seizures or convulsions
- Coma
Symptoms can take hours or even days to develop. Anyone who suffers a serious blow to the head should be evaluated by a physician, even if they feel okay. If they experience unconsciousness, even for a short period, feel nauseated, vomit, or have any changes in their vision, they should be taken to the emergency room at once.
Similar symptoms of brain injury can have non-traumatic causes, such as stroke, brain tumors, certain drugs, and meningitis. It is always a good idea to have anyone displaying altered levels of consciousness evaluated by a doctor.
Additional symptoms include mood and behavioral changes, numbness, and speech issues. Some TBI patients experience one or a variety of symptoms in light of their accident type. In extreme cases, a TBI can even be fatal.
Why TBIs Are Serious
At one time, concussions were not thought to be serious injuries. Victims might have a headache for a few days, but then they recovered. As we now know, concussions and closed head trauma is very serious.
Although we like to think of brains as being securely protected by the skull, they actually “float” within the skull, within a series of membranes that provide cushioning. A concussion occurs when a severe impact jolts the brain and the membranes against the inside of the skull. Like other parts of your body, your brain and these membranes can bruise, but unlike those parts, brain tissue takes a very long time to heal.
Why This Matters for Your Brain Injury Case
When the brain is injured in a TBI, it affects how you think and feel. Depending on the area of the brain that is injured, the long-term effects can require extensive rehabilitation. For example:
- Damage to the frontal lobe, the forward part of the brain, can result in the victim carrying out risky, thoughtless, or inappropriate behavior. For instance, a calm quiet person could suddenly engage in daredevil activities.
- Damage to the left side of the brain can create issues with logical problems, speech difficulties, and difficulty understanding others’ speech. Victims may no longer comprehend instructions or have trouble completing tasks.
- Damage on the right side of the brain can lead to difficulties in visual processing, using common objects, and the inability to care for themselves.
- Trauma to the occipital lobe may result in blindness.
In addition, the effects of concussion and TBI can be cumulative. We now know that just recovering from one concussion does not mean the victim has fully recovered forever. Repeated head trauma can lead to increased risk of damage later in life.
Severe TBI victims are at greater risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinsonism. Although these disorders have other causes, people with severe head injuries must be aware of the possibility and monitored throughout their lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than half of those with a moderate to severe TBI are considered disabled or severely disabled five years after their injury, and an equal number are unemployed. This type of injury has life-long, lasting effects, and victims are entitled to recover damages from a negligent party who caused their injuries.
Recoverable Damages Following an Accident
A successful claim could help the injured party recover compensation for damages including costs of medical care, past and future wages, pain and suffering, emotional anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, disability, as well as loss of consortium. Additionally, injured claimants may be eligible to recover compensation for rehabilitation. Rehabilitation typically involves a range of services, including physical therapy to increase mobility, speech therapy to reduce communication issues, medication to manage pain and other symptoms, and a vocational counselor to determine whether the individual can return to work.
If the TBI occurred because of medical malpractice, the plaintiff could collect up to $250,000 in non-economic damages such as trauma, pain, and suffering. Texas does not place a cap on economic medical malpractice damages such as medical care and lost wages. An experienced traumatic brain injury lawyer in San Antonio can help injured claimants determine what types of damages they are entitled to recover.
Deadline to File a Personal Injury Claim
In the State of Texas, people who have been injured in an accident due to the negligence of others can sue the party that caused them harm. The injured claimant must file their claim within the statute of limitations. Plaintiffs have up to two years from the date of their incident to file a claim. If the claimant or their TBI lawyer fails to file the claim within the given deadline, they may be unable to recover compensation for damages.
Retain a San Antonio Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney Today
Brain injuries can unfortunately have lifelong consequences. It is vital to reach out to a San Antonio traumatic brain injury lawyer for help with your case. An experienced attorney can investigate the cause of your injuries, collect evidence, and help you hold the careless party accountable for your damages.
Call today to learn more about how an attorney could help your case. If you cannot make an appointment with a San Antonio attorney because of your injuries, ask a family member to arrange the meeting for you and speak on your behalf. Get the justice you deserve today.
