Filing a Brain Injury Claim After a Car Accident: A Quick Guide
The human brain is one of the most complex and sensitive parts of our body. A simple bump can lead to serious, life-long complications if not properly identified and managed. When it comes to brain injuries caused by car accidents, cognitive and physical impairments often involve medical costs, pain and suffering, and other damages.
What should you do if you experience a brain injury after a car accident? Aside from securing your own health or the safety of your loved one, you need to file a brain injury claim as soon as possible. It’s in your best interest to consult with an experienced attorney who can facilitate your claim. As there are many different degrees of potential brain damage, there are also different types of damages and compensation to consider.
At the end of the day, you need to receive compensation for any suffering and possible long-term consequences that you or your loved one will suffer after a car accident. With the help of a reliable Michigan personal injury attorney, you’ll be on the right track to justice.
Identifying Symptoms of a Brain Injury
Not all brain injuries present with an apparent head bleed or skull fracture. In many cases, the signs can be difficult to spot, and the symptoms can develop over the next few days.
Any person involved in a car accident should watch out for the following symptoms, especially if they persist days after the injury.
- Loss of consciousness
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizziness
- Changes in sensation, taste, or strength
- Changes in behavior
- Easy fatigue
- Drowsiness or difficulty in staying alert
- Seizures or convulsions
- Memory problems
Because they can be easy to miss, it’s essential to be as thorough as possible when receiving medical attention after a car accident.
Classifying the Type of Brain Injuries
The type of brain injury determines the diagnostic tests to do, the treatment, and the cost of injury. Some forms of brain injury also tend to carry more complicated and severe consequences than others.
Knowing the type of brain injury is an essential step when filing a brain injury claim. There is a big difference between the consequences of a simple concussion versus a full skull fracture.
Here are some of the most common types of brain injuries after a motor vehicle accident:
Contusions: a hard impact to the head leads to bruising of the brain. Due to inflammation, the brain swells, and the blood begins to clot. Depending on the degree of swelling, essential oxygen flow can be hindered.
Concussions: this mild traumatic brain injury occurs after a whiplash-type or a direct, forceful impact such as a rear-end or head-on crash which causes the head and the brain to shake and strike against each other. The most severe cases can lead to a form of brain bleeding. Then, the pooled blood can compress other brain structures and lead to permanent damage.
Coup-Contrecoup: common in side-impact collisions, coup-contrecoup injuries involve the brain hitting the skull at the impact site as well as the opposite side. As such, coup-contrecoup injuries can lead to damage in more areas.
Diffuse Axonal Injuries: the parts of the nerve cells which connect each other can be torn apart due to the great forces involved in car accidents. Loss or destruction of these vital connecting fibers causes changes in sensorium, even leading to death.
Here at The Clark Law Office, our personal injury attorneys have the experience necessary to handle different types and extents of brain injury.
What to Expect in Compensation for a Brain Injury
Whether you’ve suffered a side-impact, head-on, or rear-end collision, the vital matter is your condition. Sustaining a brain injury is a serious concern that comes with substantial financial and emotional costs.
Victims of car accidents involving a traumatic brain injury can hold the at-fault party liable for damages. Compensation may include:
- Direct past and future medical treatment costs
- Lost wages and income due to poor health
- Loss of earning capacity due to long-term medical consequences
- Cost of medical assistive equipment
- Cost of adjustments to the home, vehicle and essential facilities
- Rehabilitation costs
- Costs of long-term care
- Pain and suffering, mental anguish, and emotional distress
To receive the compensation that you or your loved one deserves, you need an excellent personal injury attorney to handle your case. Here at The Clark Law Office, we provide the necessary support and expertise to ensure a better quality of life and justice. Contact us today for a free consultation, no fee unless you win.
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