The skull protects the brain from most minor bumps and jostles, but an impact against your face or head with even a little force behind it can lead to your brain sustaining a bruise, internal bleeding, or even tears and other structural damage. This is what’s known as a “traumatic brain injury” (TBI), and it’s one of the most dangerous and potentially deadly outcomes that any serious accident can have.
While not every TBI will have permanent and irreversible consequences, they are usually serious injuries worth talking to a seasoned catastrophic injury attorney about. If you believe you suffered brain damage because of another person’s negligence, a Pennsauken traumatic brain injury lawyer can file a lawsuit for every negative effect that injury has already had on your life and is likely to have in the years and decades to come. Our team at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers won a $5.7 million arbitration award for a client who sustained a brain injury after a tractor-trailer collision; we are ready to fight for you, too.
How Do TBIs Happen?
There are a few different ways in which the brain can sustain serious damage as a result of a traumatic accident. The most common type of mild TBI is a “concussion,” which happens when a sudden impact causes the brain to bounce off the interior of the skull, causing a bruise to form. Other types of impacts may cause:
- Bleeding from blood vessels deep inside the brain
- Tears in the tissue of the brain
- The separation of nerve endings that are supposed to connect the brain to other parts of the body
Common symptoms of traumatic brain damage that you should watch out for if you’ve recently been in an accident include:
- Headaches
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sudden changes in your mood
- Sudden trouble sleeping or waking up from sleep
- Any loss of consciousness longer than a few seconds
- Trouble speaking, concentrating, or keeping your balance
- Changes in sensation—for example, ringing in your ears or a strange taste in your mouth
Even mild TBIs can cause long-lasting harm if not properly treated, so going to a hospital or urgent care clinic should be your first priority if you think you may have suffered this sort of injury—even before contacting a Pennsauken traumatic brain injury attorney at our firm.
Building a Strong Civil Claim Over a Brain Injury
Getting prompt medical care is important not just because it’ll give you the best chances of long-term physical recovery, but also because your doctor(s) will create a record of your condition and the treatment you’ve received that could later be crucial evidence to work into a civil lawsuit. Other evidence that could be important both to proving someone else at fault for your injury and what kinds of losses your injury has caused include:
- Witness testimony, surveillance camera footage, and other things that can help show how the injury happened in the first place
- Bills, invoices, and other documents showing expenses you had to pay because of your injury
- Pay stubs or slips from work, to establish lost income while you’re recovering from your injury
- Photos/videos showing how you’re recovering from your injury
- Testimony from family members and friends to establish how the injury is affecting your daily life
During a private initial meeting, your lawyer can discuss what information you might need to collect and preserve for your Pennsauken TBI claim.
Discuss Legal Options with a Pennsauken Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney
Brain trauma can be a uniquely frightening and dangerous consequence for an accident to have, not to mention a frustrating one if your accident only happened because someone else was reckless or careless. You have a right to demand compensation from anyone who irresponsibly causes you harm.
Guidance from a Pennsauken traumatic brain injury lawyer at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers can make a big difference in getting a successful case outcome. Learn more by calling today. Consultations are always free and no-obligation.
