Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) happen when something causes the brain and the skull to collide forcefully. A blow to the head or an impact from a falling object could cause a TBI. A bad fall or collision could also cause a brain injury.
TBIs can range in severity. Although people usually recover from mild TBIs and concussions, moderate and severe brain injuries can have a lifelong impact. Regardless of the severity of your injury, a skilled attorney can help you pursue compensation from the person or business responsible for your accident. Contact a Reading traumatic brain injury lawyer at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers to discuss your legal rights.
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Doctors classify TBIs as mild, moderate, or severe based on the patient’s symptoms. Even a mild TBI could have significant consequences. Your Reading attorney can ensure the responsible parties pay for every impact of a TBI on your life.
Mild TBI
A mild TBI is what most people call a concussion. The injured person might lose consciousness for a few seconds or remain conscious. Symptoms like headaches and sensitivity to sound or light might clear up in a few days or linger for a few weeks – a concussion can impact everyone in different ways. Research indicates that the more concussions a person experiences, the more severe their symptoms may be and the longer they may need to recover.
Moderate TBI
A person with a moderate TBI might experience the following:
- Confusion
- Difficulty speaking
- Severe and constant headache
- Coordination problems
- Blurred vision
- Seizures
- Mood swings
Symptoms of a moderate TBI can last for months or even years.
Severe TBI
A severe TBI is usually a terminal condition. A person might live for some years but is mostly in a vegetative or semi-vegetative state with significant limitations on activities of daily living. People with severe TBI usually require full-time care in a nursing home. In these situations, a traumatic brain injury claim must include significant compensation to cover the costs of lifelong care.
Accidents That Could Cause a TBI
Many incidents can cause a TBI. Children often suffer head injuries when participating in sports or using playground equipment. Car accidents are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries for children and adults. Older adults often suffer TBI in falls.
Our skilled Reading attorneys can review the circumstances of an incident that led to a TBI. Depending on how the injury happened, several parties might be responsible. For example, if a person suffered a TBI in a car accident, the other driver might be liable. If the at-fault driver was working when the accident happened, their employer might also be liable. If the car’s brakes failed, the manufacturer could be responsible.
A TBI can be an expensive injury. Bringing multiple parties to the negotiating table helps ensure the injured accident victim gets enough money to compensate for their losses fairly.
The TBI Claims Process in Reading
When pursuing a TBI claim, your local attorney calculates how much money you can claim in “damages.” Damages include pain, suffering, and loss of life’s pleasures, as well as medical expenses, reduced income, and other out-of-pocket losses.
Your Reading lawyer will contact the parties responsible for the accident or their attorneys or insurance companies. After enough time has passed to fully evaluate your claim, your lawyer will make a settlement proposal requesting payment for your damages, or proceed to litigation if the at-fault party is not negotiating in good faith.
If you are found partially responsible for the accident, 42 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes §7102 prevents you from receiving 100% of your damages. The amount you collect will be adjusted to reflect your part in the incident. The Reading attorneys at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers can fight allegations that you were at fault for your traumatic brain injury to protect your right to full compensation.
Seek Damages After a TBI with a Reading Attorney
A mild TBI could cause significant suffering and inconvenience. A moderate or severe TBI is a life-altering event. If another person’s carelessness caused you to suffer a TBI, you deserve justice and compensation.
At Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, we know how to fight like hell to hold wrongdoers accountable for the harm they cause. Our team secured a $5.7 million binding arbitration award for a TBI victim injured by a tractor-trailer on a rural highway at night. She required advanced surgery to reconstruct her complex facial injuries.
A Reading traumatic brain injury lawyer at our firm has the skills and knowledge to get you the maximum possible settlement. Call us today to speak with a respected attorney about your situation.
