What Qualifies as A Brain Injury?

A brain injury is a severe condition that can have long-term physical, cognitive, and emotional effects. It occurs when the brain is damaged due to a sudden external force. It can also occur due to a lack of oxygen.

Brain injuries can range from mild to severe and could lead to long-term physical or cognitive impairment or even death.

For this reason, knowing what a brain injury is, is very important. It will help you understand the potential legal and financial implications of causing a brain injury or ending up a brain injury victim due to someone’s negligence.

This article will provide an overview of what qualifies as a brain injury so you can take the proper legal steps with the help of traumatic brain injury lawyers.

What Is a Brain Injury?

A brain injury is an injury that results in damage to the brain and surrounding brain tissue. Brain injuries can cause short-term, long-term, or even permanent changes to an individual’s physical and mental abilities.

A traumatic brain injury occurs from a violent knock to the head caused by physical trauma, such as a car or sports-related accident, fall, or physical assault. It can even be non-physical trauma from incidents such as a stroke, drug abuse, exposure to toxic chemicals, and other accidents that deprive your brain of proper oxygen flow.

There are many different types of brain injuries, and they can range in severity. There four main types include:

Concussions

A concussion is the most common type of brain injury. It is a type of traumatic brain injury that results in a brief loss of consciousness and confusion, dizziness, amnesia, and other symptoms.

Vascular Injuries

A vascular injury is a rare condition that results in a blood clot that blocks blood flow to an area of the brain, causing brain cells to die.

Energy-transfer Injuries

An energy-transfer injury is a type of brain injury that occurs during a violent impact on the head, such as in a car accident or a fall.

Metabolic Injuries

A metabolic injury is caused by a problem with the body’s metabolism, such as a lack of oxygen, low blood sugar, or a build-up of certain chemicals in the body.

Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms

The symptoms of a brain injury vary depending on the type of injury. The most common symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury include headaches, confusion, dizziness, memory loss, blurred vision, and other symptoms that go away within a few days.

The symptoms of a moderate brain injury may last for weeks or months after the injury. The most common symptoms include a decreased level of consciousness (such as a person who cannot respond to their name or respond to questions appropriately), an abnormal level of consciousness (such as a person who responds inappropriately or is unable to follow directions), or seizures.

Severe brain injury, however, can result in a coma, paralysis, abnormal breathing patterns, or even death. The effects of severe brain injuries may not become apparent for hours or even days after the initial impact on the head—this is called delayed onset concussion (DOC).

Who Can File a Brain Injury Claim?

Anyone who has suffered a traumatic brain injury due to a wrongful act may be eligible to file a traumatic brain injury claim with the help of a traumatic brain injury attorney.

The type of traumatic brain injury lawsuit will depend on the circumstances surrounding the injury.

The typical three types of brain injury claims are negligence, product liability, and slip and fall claims.

Damages Owed in Brain Injury Claim

The damages owed in a brain injury claim will depend on the type of injury and the circumstances surrounding the injury. However, the most common damages owed in traumatic brain injury cases include medical expenses, lost wages, and potential future medical expenses related to the injury.

After all, the more severe the injury, the more likely a patient will require ongoing care for many years. This can include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychological counseling, and medication management.

Many brain injury victims also often need rehabilitation facilities to help them recover as much function as possible after an incident.

Due to the high nature of these costs, it’s important to get legal advice from traumatic brain injury attorneys who specialize in these types of cases as soon as possible so that you know exactly what options are available if you want to recover compensation for damages.

What To Do if Your Brain Injury Is Caused by Another Party’s Negligence

The first thing that should be done when you or your loved one experiences a traumatic brain injury is to get medical attention immediately. Anytime someone suffers a head injury, they should undergo tests such as CT scans and MRIs so doctors can determine the extent of their injuries and ensure no serious ones are present.

Once medical treatment has been completed, it’s time to begin documenting everything related to your case before any memory loss occurs due to swelling or other neurological side effects associated with head trauma.

Taking pictures of visible signs of injury, such as bruising or lacerations, will help collect evidence during this early stage since they can’t be changed later on when they’re much more complex (or impossible) for others involved in litigation against our clients. This will prove critical, especially if you suffered damages due to another party’s negligence.

To begin this process, you will need to speak with personal injury attorneys specializing in brain injury lawsuits.

An experienced traumatic brain injury lawyer can help guide you through the legal process and work diligently to get you the compensation that is justly owed to you.

Contact Michael J. Brennan for the Best Legal Advice in Chicago Regarding Brain Injuries

A brain injury can have devastating effects on an individual’s life. For this reason, you must ensure that you or your loved one gets medical attention immediately after an injury.

You should also seek a qualified specialist who specializes in treating traumatic brain injuries and other types of neurological damage so that they can assess your condition and begin treatment immediately.

Contact Michael’s office today by calling 708-726-6901 for a free case evaluation.