From involuntary physical functions to complex intellectual tasks, the brain is responsible for controlling and directing every aspect of our daily lives. When a person suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the effects on the victim and his or her loved can be absolutely devastating. TBI can lead to permanent personality changes, physical and/or intellectual disability, chronic pain and suffering, and enormous financial losses over the course of a lifetime.
If one of your loved ones sustained a traumatic brain injury in a car accident, slip and fall accident, or any other type of accident for which he or she was not at fault, your family may be entitled to significant compensation. The attorneys of Whitney, LLP can help. Our knowledgeable legal team has years of experience handling a wide variety of wrongful death and personal injury claims, including severe head and brain injuries. We will guide you through each and every step of the legal process, so that you can focus on spending time with your loved ones.
Even if you aren’t sure whether you have a claim, we encourage you to reach out to our legal team to see how our traumatic brain injury lawyers can be of assistance. We offer free initial consultations, and will always keep your family’s information private. To set up your free and confidential case evaluation, call our law offices at (410) 583-8000 any time of day or evening.
What Are the Causes of TBI? Who is Liable for Your Accident?
Many different situations and types of accidents can lead to a traumatic brain injury. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most common causes documented from 2006 through 2010 were:
- Falls – 40.5%
- Object Strikes – 15.5%
- Auto Accidents – 14.3%
- Assaults – 10.7%
(The remaining 19% of cases were attributed to other or unknown factors.)
Why is this data significant for TBI victims and their loved ones? In short, many of the scenarios that commonly cause TBI have the potential to involve some element of negligence, which is an important component of all types of personal injury claims. When a company or individual is negligent, it means he or she failed to exercise the reasonable standard of care, resulting in death or serious injury to another party.
For example, falls are the leading cause of TBI. If a landlord is aware of an existing or foreseeable property hazard, yet fails to take reasonable actions to repair or cordon off the hazard, the landlord could potentially be considered liable if the property hazard leads to a slip and fall resulting in TBI. This area of personal injury law is called premises liability.
Other examples might include a negligent driver who causes a car crash through inattention to traffic signals, or a negligent construction company which fails to enforce work site safety standards, leading to an object strike which causes TBI. Our attorneys will work with industry experts and specialists to analyze and investigate the evidence in your case.
Unfortunately, traumatic brain injuries are more common – and more catastrophic – than many people initially realize. The CDC reports that TBI led to 2.5 million visits to emergency departments in 2010 alone, causing an alarming 50,000 fatalities during the same time period. The CDC also found that men were almost three times more likely to die from TBI than women, and that persons aged 65 or older experienced the highest rates of TBI.
Common Medical Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Depending on factors like the area of the brain which is affected and the severity of the injury sustained, TBI can result in a broad spectrum of medical effects impacting mental, emotional, and physical function. These effects may be mild, moderate, or severe, and may be short-term, long-term, or permanent. While each case is different, TBI victims may need to leave their careers, abandon hobbies and leisure activities, end personal relationships, hire medical caregivers, modify their homes for improved access, and/or move into a residential care setting. All of these issues negatively impact the victim’s quality of life.
Some potential medical complications and health problems caused by TBI include the following:
- Chronic insomnia
- Depression and anxiety
- Difficulty balancing and walking
- Difficulty speaking and communicating
- Hearing loss
- Increased aggression and other personality changes
- Increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and epilepsy
- Intellectual disability
- Paralysis or reduced mobility
- Reduced sensory perception
- Vision loss
If your spouse or relative was a TBI victim, you may be able to recover compensation. We know that no amount of compensation can ever take back the accident – but it can help to cover medical expenses, make up for missed income, and keep your loved one more comfortable as they adjust to their injuries. Just as importantly, holding the other party accountable for its wrongdoing can help give you and your family peace of mind, so that you can begin to move forward with your lives.
To learn more about how our experienced personal injury lawyers may be able to help in a free, private legal consultation, call the law offices of Whitney, LLP at (410) 583-8000 today. Our attorneys handle claims throughout the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.