A victim of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) could experience a few moments of confusion to the complete loss of brain function for years or a lifetime. The severity of the injury will impact medical costs, rehabilitation expenses, and potential lost income. When another person or entity’s conduct caused your TBI, they should be held financially liable for your damages and losses.
Holding another party responsible for your TBI often depends on how your injury occurred. The complexity of your personal injury claim will be influenced by the circumstances surrounding the accident or incident.
In many cases, the symptoms of a brain injury are not obvious. Linking a brain injury to an accident could be challenging. However, our Bentonville traumatic brain injury attorneys have the resources and experience to build a compelling case. We fight for our clients, especially those who suffered a severe injury. Call our law offices at (479) 316-0438 to schedule a free appointment.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury occurs when a bump, jolt, or blow to someone’s head disrupts their normal brain activity. It is important to note that not every head injury results in a TBI. Furthermore, the severity of the injury will drastically vary from case to case. A mild TBI is a concussion that might only impact brain function for a few hours or days. These commonly occur when someone falls or when someone is injured in a contact sport such as football. More severe cases of TBI could result in a wide range of symptoms that are ongoing and adversely impact a person’s entire life.
TBIs are typically created through open or closed head injuries. If someone suffers an open head wound, they are likely to suffer a more severe brain injury. Many open head injuries are fatal. Nonetheless, a closed head injury could also be deadly.
An open head traumatic brain injury occurs when a person’s skull is penetrated with an object that contacts the brain tissue. This could be a sharp object, debris in a car accident, or a gunshot wound. The damage is typically severe and focused on the location of the injury.
On the other hand, a closed head TBI occurs when there is an impact without any penetration. Some common examples of closed head injuries including sports injuries and head injuries suffered in falls. The damage that occurs during a closed head injury could be much broader, affecting a significantly larger percentage of the brain.
How Traumatic Brain Injuries Occur
TBIs happened for a wide range of reasons. In some situations, they are caused by unavoidable accidents. However, other victims suffer traumatic brain injuries because of the negligent conduct or inaction of another person or entity.
Falls
One of the most common causes of injury claims and traumatic brain injuries are slip and fall accidents. People fall getting out of bed, at work, walking down the street, or in a grocery store. The severity of someone’s injuries is not necessarily determined by the height of the fall. When your head strikes a hard or sharp surface, you could sustain a TBI.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle accident cases encompass a wide range of crashes and injuries. Anyone who was in a car accident or knows someone who was in a crash is familiar with the term “whiplash.” Whiplash occurs when an accident victim’s head suddenly snaps back and forth. The forces involved can cause the brain to impact the skull, resulting in an injury.
Unfortunately, car accidents often result in more severe injuries – especially when high speeds or multiple cars are involved. Large commercial trucks often cause catastrophic injuries, including traumatic brain injuries.
Motorcycles are a common sight on many roads. These exciting vehicles provide their riders little to no protection. Some riders forego protective helmets to further experience the thrill of riding a motorcycle. However, when accidents occur, there is nothing to protect a motorcyclist’s head from the road surface or striking another vehicle. Motorcyclists typically sustain more severe injuries in an accident, including TBIs.
Sports Injuries
Playing sports is a valuable part of many people’s lives. Whether someone is learning to play as a child, star on their high school team, or is playing in a neighborhood recreational league, sports injuries happen. In high contact sports, bodies collide with each other and the ground. These collisions often result in head trauma. In many cases, a head injury results from an accident or something that occurred in the normal course of play. However, in other instances, a coach, participant, or equipment manufacturer could be held responsible for a head injury.
Medical Malpractice
Surgical mistakes account for a large number of traumatic brain injuries. When the brain is deprived of blood or oxygen, it could result in permanent damage. Known as hypoxia, this type of injury could occur during surgery, including pre-op preparation. Brain injuries are also adverse complications or consequences of difficult births. A newborn’s head could sustain a severe injury if a doctor neglected to perform a cesarean section when necessary or employed an unreasonable amount of force when using forceps. When medical mistakes result in unjustifiable harm, the medical professionals or facility responsible should be held liable.
Call Our Arkansas Personal Injury Lawyers if You Suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injuries could severely affect a person for a lifetime. These catastrophic injuries result in expensive bills for medical treatment, rehabilitation, and home healthcare. If a person suffers a significant loss of cognitive abilities or brain functions, their life will never be the same. No matter how the injury occurred, if it was another person’s fault, they should be held accountable. Our Fayetteville personal injury lawyers aggressively fight for the compensation our clients deserve. If you have experienced a TBI, contact our law offices at (479) 316-0438 to discuss your next steps.