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Brain injuries, even apparently “mild” ones, are often devastating and life-altering ailments. Damage to the brain, skull and spine can leave you unable to live your life as you’ve always been able to. For specific information about what damage to different parts of the brain can do, please click the infographic to the right.
EXPERIENCED BRAIN INJURY LAWYERS
At Lourie, Chance, Forlines, Carter & King, PC, our Atlanta brain injury attorneys have seen up close just how brutal these injuries are. We have decades of experience helping clients who have suffered these injuries, which means we have the institutional knowledge to understand the extent of severity of your brain injury.
If you’re an Atlanta, Georgia resident looking at life after a brain injury caused by someone else’s negligence, please contact Lourie, Chance, Forlines, Carter & King, PC online or by calling our Atlanta office today at 404-760-7400 for a free consultation.
- Causes of Brain Injury
- Medical Consequences of Brain Injury
- Long Term Cost of Brain Injury
- Handling Brain Injury Cases
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A BRAIN INJURY ATTORNEY?
Experience is key in brain injury cases. Choosing an attorney who has sufficient experience dealing with traumatic injuries can help ensure the most rewarding results. It is also important to select an attorney with the resources to fully support your case – and with a proven track record in securing significant compensation for their clients
CAUSES OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
Brain injuries and traumatic brain injuries are exceptionally complicated medical issues, which means it’s best to find a lawyer who has ample experience handling these sorts of cases. Our Georgia personal injury lawyers understand brain injuries, but more importantly, we have deep, well-established connections with respected medical professionals who can both bolster your case and provide you with the treatments needed to make the fullest recovery possible – though complete recovery from a brain injury is never guaranteed.
The immediate cause of a brain injury is relatively simple: trauma to the head resulting in damage to the skull and brain. However, this trauma can result from a wide range of case types, including:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Defective products
- Medical malpractice
- Construction site accidents
Our brain injury lawyers have decades of experience helping Atlanta-area residents with these case types, which means we’re equipped to handle your case.
HOW IS TBI MEASURED?
Diagnosis of TBI typically requires a neurological exam in which various functions of the brain can be measured. This may include general thinking and processing abilities, sensory functions such as taste and smell, coordination and motor function, eye movement, and reflexes. Depending on the findings of these tests, TBI may be categorized as mild, moderate, or severe.
It is important to note that even mild cases of TBI can have far-reaching consequences including a loss of function, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and a loss of impulse control. TBI may also increase risks for dementia and have a marked impact on a person’s life expectancy
HOW COMMON IS TBI IN ATLANTA?
There are more than 200,000 cases of TBI in the United States every year. The leading cause of these injuries is falls, which may occur from a height, such as off of a ladder, or due to a slippery or unmaintained surface. The second leading cause of TBI is motor vehicle accidents
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES?
There are four main types of TBI. These are:
- Conussion
- Contusion
- Penetration
- Anoxic
All of these may result from injury in an accident
MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES OF BRAIN INJURY
The long-term costs of brain injuries are immense, but the consequences of brain injuries obviously extend beyond a victim’s finances. The pain and suffering of a brain injury are significant and tangible.
A traumatic brain injury can cause:
- Debilitating headaches
- Loss of feeling or mobility in the limbs
- Depression or other mental health ailments
- Mood swings, including violent shifts
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Death
As the victim of someone else’s negligence, you have the right to pursue compensation for these consequences, as well as for the medical expenses you have to deal with in the aftermath of a brain injury. There are no guarantees in personal injury law, but our Atlanta personal injury law firm can stand with you and serve as your champion in this difficult time, helping ensure you are provided the compensation you will need to cover the long-term costs.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A TBI?
TBI symptoms can vary widely. Initial symptoms may include a loss of consciousness, difficulties concentrating, confusion, and blurry vision. Irregular pupil size and/or shape are common as well.
In addition to these, victims of TBI may experience memory loss, an inability to speak or understand language, an inability to control emotions, impulsivity, lack of restraint, anger, depression, anxiety, and nausea or vomiting.
Depending on where the brain has sustained damage, TBI can result in a long-term or permanent loss of abilities including bowel and bladder control, sexual dysfunction, and difficulties breathing and swallowing. Victims of TBI are also at increased risk for premature death.
HOW SOON AFTER A TBI SHOULD YOU CONTACT AN ATTORNEY?
It is important to begin working with a lawyer as soon as possible following an accident that results in TBI. These injuries can quickly become expensive and insurance companies may try to force a settlement before you have time to take action. Speaking to one of our attorneys before you accept an insurance offer can help to ensure you are not taking less than you are due.
HOW MUCH IN DAMAGES CAN YOU PURSUE FOR TBI INJURIES?
There is no cap on damages for personal injury cases in the state of Georgia.
Depending on the specifics of your case, we can help you seek compensation for special damages, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and any other demonstrable expense. We can also help seek compensation for general damages, including physical and emotional pain and suffering.
When you choose Lourie, Chance, Forlines, Carter & King for your TBI claim, we will seek maximum compensation, working to secure every penny you are due to help ensure you can live the best life possible following your injury.
WHAT IF I CANNOT PHYSICALLY VISIT AN ATTORNEY AFTER MY TBI?
If you cannot come to one of our Atlanta offices to meet with us, one of our lawyers will come to you. Online meetings are possible as well.
We serve victims of TBI living throughout Georgia.
CAN I PURSUE COMPENSATION ON BEHALF OF AN INJURED LOVED ONE FOR THEIR TBI?
If a TBI has resulted in the death of a loved one, you can pursue compensation on their behalf through a wrongful death lawsuit. You may also be able to file a personal injury claim on behalf of a loved one who has suffered permanent damage and will, therefore, be unable to speak for themselves as well. The best way to learn if you are entitled to take legal action is through a private and confidential consultation with one of our attorneys.
HOW ARE DAMAGES CALCULATED IN A BRAIN INJUYRY CASE?
Damages in a brain injury case may be based on both general and special damages.
Special damages, also known as “economic damages,” can include medical bills, rehabilitation and therapy, home modifications, adaptive technologies, and similar damages where expenses can be established and shown. General damages, also known as “non-economic damages,” may include physical pain, emotional suffering, loss of enjoyment in life, and similar damages that are very real to the victim, but do not have a set economic value.
In most cases, insurance settlements will not include substantial compensation for general damages. Obtaining these may require the assistance of an attorney
LONG TERM COST OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
The uncomfortable reality of brain injuries, as with other significant medical trauma, is that they also result in huge medical bills. The American medical system can do wonders in treatment, but it is an expensive process. Without the compensation offered from a brain injury suit, you can find yourself bearing these expenses yourself. And that’s not right.
Lifetime treatment costs for a severe traumatic brain injury can easily exceed $1 million, and few people have the resources on-hand to handle those costs themselves. But why are brain injuries so expensive? Because everything you do and everything you are starts with your brain. When it is damaged, you often have to re-learn basic tasks. And because the brain is such a sensitive, important organ, treating it requires highly specialized and skilled medical professionals. Such professionals do not work cheaply.
The costs of brain injuries can include:
- Multiple, highly complex surgical procedures
- Lengthy physical therapy sessions
- A loss of long-term income caused by an inability to work as you did before the procedure
- Expensive prescription medications, including painkillers
- Mental health and other psychological treatments
All of these are necessary if you are to recover from your brain injury and live a full, healthy life. However, they’re expensive, and insurance only covers so much.
Our Atlanta brain injury lawyers can help you bear these expensive burdens by pursuing the justice and compensation you deserve as a victim of someone else’s negligence. Don’t allow yourself to be buried under an avalanche of medical bills when another party’s mistakes placed you in this unfortunate position.
WHAT SHOULD I BRING WITH ME TO MY MEETING WITH A TBI ATTORNEY?
You should bring anything relevant to your case to your initial consultation with a brain injury attorney. This may include:
- Insurance Policy Information
- Medical Records
- Police Reports
- Any Correspondence Relating to Your Injury
- Receips for Out of Pocket Expenses
Try to bring as much information to your first meeting as you can, but don’t worry too much if you are missing something. Your attorney will work to obtain any missing information that will be needed to establish your claim.
HANDLING BRAIN INJURY CASES
An individual may need ongoing medical treatment and therapy for brain injury and a lifetime of emotional and physical struggle is entirely possible – even with treatment. Our lawyers will do a thorough assessment of your situation and provide you with a detailed cost analysis. We will discuss medical injury costs, loss of employment and other costs you have incurred. Our attorneys will also analyze future loss of income and future medical expenses. We work hard to maximize our clients’ compensation.
CONTACT OUR ATLANTA BRAIN INJURY ATTORNEYS
If you have a brain injury, it is important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. Please call our Georgia brain injury attorneys at 404-760-7400 to schedule a free and informative consultation today.