Not only is the brain one of the most important organs in the body, it is also highly susceptible to long-term harm. Severe or repeated impacts to the skull, face, or neck can cause significant trauma to the brain, potentially causing permanent and debilitating damage to your cognitive function, mobility, and sensory capacity.
If you suffered a serious injury to the brain in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, talking to a compassionate catastrophic injury attorney may be in your best interests. A qualified Johnstown traumatic brain injury lawyer could help you determine whether you have grounds to file suit, take stock of your recoverable damages, and pursue compensation for every form of harm related to your injury.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) usually stem from violent and sudden impacts from a foreign object against the outside of the skull. In particularly severe situations, an external object may penetrate the skull and directly damage the brain, but most TBIs are closed-head injuries that involve the brain being jostled around inside the skull.
Mild traumatic brain injuries may not have any serious symptoms and often heal completely after a few weeks, although repeated instances of mild traumatic brain damage can have increasingly severe effects. Moderate to severe TBIs, such as concussions, on the other hand, can have lasting, sometimes permanent harm, and symptoms may manifest in a number of different ways over the days and weeks following an accident.
Physical complications associated with severe TBIs include seizures, headaches, vertigo, and hydrocephalus, which is fluid building between the brain’s surface and the interior of the skull. Many victims of traumatic brain damage also suffer from cognitive deficiencies, including difficulty remembering past events, processing thoughts, and problem-solving. Speech and sensory input can also be impacted, and in the most dangerous cases, a TBI may cause prolonged unconsciousness or a coma.
No matter what symptoms are present immediately after an accident, it is crucial that anyone who experiences head trauma seek medical attention as soon as possible. Once a person’s condition has been diagnosed and treated, a Johnstown TBI attorney could help him or her pursue compensation from the party or entity responsible for his or her injuries.
Since traumatic brain injuries often have long-term consequences, it is important for civil cases based on these injuries to take not only short-term losses into account but also consider what losses someone may experience months or even years down the road. Recoverable long-term damages may include medical expenses for rehabilitative services, costs of home modification and replacement of household services, loss of consortium, and loss of enjoyment of life.
In addition to proving negligence by another party, a traumatic brain injury lawyer in Johnstown could help a claimant factor all his or her economic and non-economic losses into a comprehensive settlement demand. Local attorneys could also help contest any allegations of contributory fault made against a plaintiff by the defendant in the case, as well as ensure compliance with the two-year statutory filing deadline set by 42 P.S. § 5524.
Damage to the brain can cause devastating, often long-term harm to a person. Fortunately, anyone who suffers such an injury due to someone else’s negligence has the legal right to pursue and potentially recover compensation for every loss he or she sustained because of that reckless or careless behavior.
Legal counsel could offer further guidance about what legal options are available to you in your unique circumstances. Get in touch with a Johnstown traumatic brain injury lawyer today and Marcus & Mack to schedule an initial consultation.
