Any time something causes a bump or blow to the head, the person may sustain an incapacitating traumatic brain injury. While it can be heartbreaking to learn that a loved one has suffered a potentially life-threatening or life-altering injury, you may wonder how they were hurt and what you can do to help them. If your loved one’s brain injury happened because of someone else’s negligence, then you may have legal options. Our Ottawa brain injury lawyer is dedicated to helping families get justice.
Schweickert Ganassin Krzak Rundio, LLP is a personal injury law firm in Illinois. We understand how overwhelming it is to see a family member suffer. Our attorneys will be at your side and can help you and your loved one. When you are taking care of your loved one and making sure they’re getting the care they need, the thought of filing a claim may feel like too much to add to your list of responsibilities. We can guide you through the litigation process and answer your questions along the way.
Before learning more about how we can help you and your loved one, let’s take a closer look at traumatic brain injuries and why they’re so serious.
How Do TBIs Happen and What Are the Symptoms?
A traumatic brain injury can happen quickly and can occur in any kind of accident. Here are a few examples of accidents that could result in a TBI:
- Motor vehicle accident
- Motorcycle accident
- Bike or pedestrian accident
- Slip and fall accident
- Construction accident
- Airplane crash accident
- Medical malpractice case
Oftentimes, accidents involving vehicles can easily cause a TBI. If someone is in a car, their head could hit the window next to them or the air bag could jostle their head. Motorcyclists are also at risk of head injuries, especially if they’re not wearing a helmet. Cyclists and pedestrian accidents may result in the victim’s head hitting an object or the ground.
Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere. If there’s something that causes someone to lose their balance and fall, their head could hit the ground. This could be more dangerous if they’re falling from a height. Construction workers also face this threat if they’re working on scaffolding or a ladder. Objects falling and striking them on the head is another cause of TBI.
While TBI victims may show different signs of distress, the injured person could show the following symptoms:
- Slurred speech
- Cannot think clearly
- Weakness in limbs
- Ongoing nausea or vomiting
Unfortunately, when the TBI is more severe, there’s a chance the victim could have long-lasting injuries. If they’ve lost control of some bodily movement, they may need to undergo rehabilitation to regain strength. There’s also occupational therapy that can help the person learn to live with their injury. In some cases, there may be permanent brain damage that cannot be reversed.
While there are milder forms of TBIs, the person should still see a doctor because they may possibly need treatment. Let’s look into mild TBIs and how they differ from severe TBIs.
How Dangerous Are Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries?
A mild traumatic brain injury is commonly referred to as a concussion. When someone has a concussion, they may experience the following symptoms:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Confusion
- Concentration issues
It may not be apparent that someone has a concussion right after the accident. They may be a bit out of it, but then seem like they’re okay. However, symptoms of a concussion may not show until a few hours later. Any time someone suffers a head injury, they need to go to the doctor to get a proper medical evaluation.
Concussions can take weeks or months to heal. Recovery usually includes rest, some non-intensive activity, and then working back up to a regular schedule.
However, not all patients may be able to make a full recovery. If your loved one’s accident has resulted in an injury with permanent consequences, you should have trustworthy representation at your side.
How Our Ottawa Lawyers Can Help
If your loved one was harmed because of negligence, then you should be able to hold the person liable for their actions. Because each person’s case will be unique, your brain injury attorney will investigate what happened and determine how the other party was negligent. We’ll work diligently to prove their negligence caused the accident and is the reason why your loved one has been injured.
We understand it can be hard to focus on your loved one if you’re dealing with harassing insurance adjusters. They may try to use tactics to reduce any settlement amount because their goal is to save money. Our Ottawa brain injury lawyer won’t let this happen. We can assist in building the case and making the claim as strong as possible and fight for full and fair compensation.
Your loved one deserves to get the medical care and future care they need so they can recover as best as they can from this injury. They also deserve to be compensated for the time they lose from work and for the pain and suffering they have gone through. If you’re seeking representation for your loved one, give our Ottawa office a call today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. We can go over what happened, discuss the validity of the claim, and help you decide the best way to proceed.
