Traumatic brain injury, also called TBI, is the medical term for a specific type of head injury caused by a sudden event. Many types of occurrences can cause a traumatic brain injury. Some TBI accidents result in workers’ compensation and personal injury claims. Recovering compensation for either type of TBI claim involves numerous complicated issues. Representation by an experienced Virginia brain injury lawyer is absolutely essential in workers’ comp and personal injury claims involving TBI.
What Is Traumatic Brain Injury / TBI?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a traumatic brain injury is an injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain due to a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. Not all head injuries result in a TBI. Disruption of normal brain function, which is characteristic of TBI, causes symptoms that can be physical, cognitive, or behavioral.
Contact with a surface or object is not necessary to sustain a TBI. For example, the sudden jerking of the head that occurs in a car crash can be enough to cause a traumatic brain injury.
Traumatic brain injury is classified as mild, moderate, or severe. The CDC considers concussions to be mild TBI. Recovery from a mild traumatic brain injury generally occurs in a relatively short time, as long as the doctor’s orders are followed. Recovery from moderate and severe TBI can take much longer.
One of the greatest dangers about TBI is that the victim may not be immediately aware of the injury. It can take hours, days, or even weeks for the symptoms to appear. In addition, ignoring symptoms of TBI can have catastrophic consequences. For those reasons, anyone who receives a head injury in any type of accident should immediately seek a professional medical evaluation.
Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury
TBI can be difficult to diagnose. One reason is that there is a broad range of potential symptoms. Even mild TBI can cause symptoms like headaches, nausea, tiredness, memory loss, trouble sleeping, irritability, dizziness, and emotional and behavioral issues. Confusion and disorientation can last for weeks. The more serious the injury is, the more significant the symptoms will be. Complications can last for months or even be permanent.
Cognitive, physical, and behavioral or emotional symptoms of many types can occur. In moderate and severe TBI, symptoms may include loss of speech, vision, or hearing, seizures, or even paralysis. In many cases, treatment helps to alleviate the symptoms, but it can take a long time to recover fully. In some cases, permanent disability may result.
TBI in Workers’ Compensation & Personal Injury Claims
If you suffer a TBI at work, workers’ compensation likely covers your injury. In addition, if you receive a TBI in an accident that is someone else’s fault, you may have a personal injury claim. In some situations, you may have both a workers’ comp claim and a personal injury claim.
Many different accidents give rise to TBI claims, but there are two common causes for a TBI compensation claim. Car crashes are one of the most common causes of traumatic brain injury for both drivers and passengers. The injury may occur because a loose object strikes the victim’s head or the victim’s head hits a surface inside or outside the vehicle. The sudden movement of the victim’s head at impact may also cause TBI. If someone causes a car crash that results in traumatic brain injury, the victim may have a personal injury claim against the at-fault party.
Slip-and-fall accidents are another common cause of TBI. The injury usually occurs when the individual’s head strikes the floor or exterior surface or collides with another object during the fall. If the fall happens on premises of a business or another person, the owner or occupant may be responsible under premises liability rules, which is a type of personal injury law.
Other types of accidents can cause traumatic brain injury as well. Anytime you suffer a head injury, getting medical treatment is the top priority. If you may have a workers’ compensation or personal injury claim, you also should talk with a Virginia brain injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident, to make sure your compensation rights are protected.
Compensation for a Traumatic Brain Injury
Whether you have a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury claim, recovering full compensation for a traumatic brain injury is challenging. Precise medical diagnosis and prognosis is often difficult, because of the nature of the injury. The duration of symptoms is hard to predict, as is the extent of disability suffered by the victim. Recovery and treatment can be complicated as well.
The medical character of traumatic brain injury and the difficulty of evaluating long-term implications and treatment needs make it essential to have an experienced, knowledgeable traumatic brain injury lawyer represent you in a workers’ compensation or personal injury claim for TBI. If you do not retain a knowledgeable Virginia brain injury lawyer, you may not recover adequate compensation.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Virginia Brain Injury Lawyer
Our brain injury lawyers at Renfro & Renfro in Richmond, Virginia, assist clients with both workers’ compensation and personal injury claims involving TBI. Clients trust in us to fully investigate their claims, evaluate their injuries, and aggressively pursue the compensation they deserve.
A traumatic brain injury can significantly change your life for a substantial period of time — or even permanently. You can count on us to help you and your family navigate through the process of securing your compensation. We welcome you to contact us for a free consultation.
