A brain injury can happen in an instant but can leave you dealing with the consequences for the rest of your life. It can rob you of basic motor skills and change your personality and behavior. As a result, you may lose the life you once knew, including your occupation, your enjoyment of life, and your relationships.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the total annual cost of treating non-fatal brain injuries in the United States exceeds $40.6 billion. Some studies have also indicated that it costs on average $85,000 to treat a mild brain injury, $941,000 for a moderate brain injury, and $3million for a severe brain injury.
In addition, it can cost as much as $2 million to care for someone who has suffered a severe and debilitating brain injury for the rest of their life. It is therefore very important that if you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury due to someone else’s negligence, you enlist the help of a qualified brain injury attorney to recover as much compensation as possible for you and your family.
If you have suffered a brain injury due to the negligence or recklessness of another in Cincinnati, you may be facing serious consequences and deserve to be compensated by the wrongdoer(s). Call Monge & Associates toll-free at (888) 307-5581 to speak with an experienced Cincinnati brain injury lawyer about how we can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Cincinnati Brain Injury Quick Resources
- Common Causes of a Brain Injury
- Different Types of Brain Injuries
- Common Brain Injury Symptoms
- Brain Injury Compensation
- Influential Factors for a Brain Injury Settlement
- Contact a Cincinnati Brain Injury Lawyer Today
Common Causes of Brain Injuries
A person can suffer a brain injury in a variety of ways, but the most common brain injuries are caused by some type of significant impact on the head, neck, or skull. Many brain injuries are the result of a slip and fall or motor vehicle accident.
A brain injury can also be the result of a sporting accident, a work-related accident, or an act of violence. But, no matter the circumstances, whenever a person experiences significant trauma to the head, they risk suffering a brain injury.
Types of Brain Injuries
Depending on the nature of the injury, a brain injury can be classified as either:
- A closed brain injury: Where the injury does not break the skull. This is typically exemplified by the tearing of brain tissue and blood vessels caused by the brain being thrashed about inside the skull
- A penetrating brain injury: An injury that breaks the skulls and pierce the brain, such as when a person is shot in the head.
Doctors also categorized brain injuries based on severity as being either:
- Mild
- Moderate; or
- Severe
In mild brain injuries, the victim is usually able to respond to questions and move their body normally. 75% of all brain injuries are classified as mild.
In moderate brain injuries, the victim usually appears dazed or confused, has difficulty speaking, and may even lose consciousness, although a brain injury can occur even if there is no loss of consciousness.
In cases of severe brain injury, the victim will usually show little or no response, will have little or no control over speech, and will be unconscious for a prolonged period of time.
Brain Injury Symptoms
A brain injury can be very difficult to diagnose. Often, a person may not begin to show symptoms of a brain injury until weeks or months after an accident. Because of this, filing a lawsuit against those responsible for a brain injury can be complicated.
Some of the most common symptoms of a brain injury include:
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Mood changes
- Impaired thinking, moving, or acting
In the most severe cases, a brain injury can be fatal. Even if a brain injury is not fatal, it can leave the victim with impairments that can affect them for the rest of their life.
Some of the possible long term impairments that a brain injury can cause include:
- Loss of motor skills
- Muscle weakness
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Dizziness and balance problems
- Loss of taste or smell
- Vision or hearing loss
- Epilepsy
- Imbalance in hormone levels
- Trouble speaking
- Memory loss
- Seizures
- Inability to work
The long term effects of a brain injury may also be psychological and include problems with thinking and concentrating, changes in personality, bouts of rage and depression, and severe anxiety. If after an accident you observe any of the symptoms mentioned above, contact a doctor or visit an emergency room immediately.
Compensation for a Brain Injury
Regardless of how you suffered your brain injury, the costs can be overwhelmingly expensive. However, if you were injured because of someone else’s negligence or wrongdoing, you should not have to bear the cost alone.
For instance, if you were the victim in a car accident, the other driver’s insurance should cover the cost of your medical bills, rehabilitation, and other related expenses. Likewise, if you slipped and fell in a store because the staff failed to keep their facilities safe for customers, the store owner should pay for your expenses. A slip and fall accident attorney in Cincinnati can help you explore your legal options following an incident that causes serious injury.
Factors That Can Influence a Brain Injury Settlement
Because a brain injury can be so life-changing, brain injury settlements are often very high. That being said, there are essentially four factors that will determine how much you will receive in your brain injury settlement:
- The extent of your brain injury – how severe your brain injury is and how much it has affected your life.
- Your age at the time of your brain injury – because a brain injury can have a significant impact on the rest of your life, your age will be taken into consideration.
- The cost of your medical bills – this includes any medical costs you incurred after the accident, as well as any medical bills you will have to pay in the future in order to receive the treatment you need.
- The amount of money you have lost as a result of being injured – this includes both past and future lost income and earnings.
The full extent of a brain injury and the effect it has on your life can be difficult to prove. Because of this, recovering the compensation you need to cover your brain injury isn’t easy. This is where an experienced Cincinnati brain injury attorney can help.
If someone caused you to suffer a brain injury, a good brain injury lawyer can help you achieve the best outcome possible for your brain injury claim. Your attorney will achieve this by proving the full extent of your injury and identifying all sources of money available to cover your damages.
Contact Monge & Associates: Cincinnati Brain Injury Lawyers
To recover the maximum amount available for your brain injury claim, contact an experienced Cincinnati brain injury attorney at Monge & Associates. Our law firm will support you every step of the way, assisting you to recover the compensation necessary to cover your past and future medical, rehabilitative, and daily needs. Call us toll-free at (888) 307-5581, or get in touch with us online to schedule a free consultation.