Forest Hills, Queens Brain Injury Lawyer
The brain is the central processor for your entire body. All signals and commands, from the command to pump blood to the commands to write your name on a sheet of paper, come from your brain. Unlike most of the tissue in your body, the nerves and synapses in your brain tissue and nervous system are not able to regenerate and recover from injury. That means that most brain injuries involve lasting effects that take a substantial amount of time to heal or permanent injuries that may never heal.
If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury in an accident, talk to an attorney today. The Forest Hills personal injury lawyers at Sullivan and Galleshaw represent victims of traumatic accidents and help them and their families fight to get compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. For a free consultation on your case, contact our law offices today at (718) 843-0300.
Types of Brain Injuries
Brain injuries come in many varieties. Most commonly, you can suffer injuries when you hit your head or your head is struck by another object. Extremely forceful impacts may even cause skull fractures, which can leave your brain at risk for further injury. Some accidents even involve sharp objects, like broken pieces of metal, which can pierce through the skull and damage the brain directly.
Blunt-force trauma usually results in one of two injuries. The first, and more common, is a concussion. Many athletes and other active people will probably experience a concussion at some point in their life. These jarring blows to the head cause the brain to move within the brain cavity, and the brain may bounce off the inside of your skull. When this happens, brain tissue may suffer bruising or similar injury. This also knocks you unconscious.
Concussions are sometimes referred to as mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) but repeated or serious concussions can be a serious problem. Concussions often result in nausea, mood issues, memory issues, and other symptoms, plus your head can seriously hurt. Repetitive concussions can result in CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), the disorder famously common among football players and other athletes. If an accident causes injuries that push you over the edge from mild concussion to CTE, you may be able to recover for any worsened condition you suffer.
More serious than concussions are full-fledged “traumatic brain injury” (TBI). Unlike the “mild” TBI of concussions, the symptoms of TBI are often magnified. The damage to your brain is far more severe than in a concussion, and the tissue of whole regions of your brain may die or become inactive. Losing function in any part of your brain can have serious consequences. In many TBI cases, the victim suffers permanent changes to their personality, mood swings and emotional outbursts, cognitive issues, trouble remembering people or objects, loss of senses, loss of sensation, serious motor control issues, problems eating or drinking, incontinence, and other issues.
In some cases, TBI may be so severe that the victim never recovers. This may require skilled nursing care for the rest of their life, or constant help and attendance at home. To get help covering the costs of these issues, it is important to talk to an attorney about your options for filing a lawsuit.
Suing for Brain Trauma and Head Injuries in Forest Hills, Queens
Filing a lawsuit for your or your loved one’s injuries can help cover the expenses of dealing with a serious injury. In many cases, you can be entitled to compensation for the medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering the victim faces, along with other damages.
Compensation for medical costs can include all bills stemming from the accident or injury. That means that the initial hospitalization and medical treatment, medical imaging, surgeries, follow-ups, rehabilitation and physical therapy, medical devices (e.g. wheelchairs), home nursing care, and medical transportation may all be covered.
If the victim misses work or is no longer able to return to work because of the injury, a lawsuit can help cover those lost wages. Especially if the victim’s income supports them or their family, they may need replacement wages if they cannot work.
Lastly, the victim of a serious brain injury faces intense pain from the injury, surgeries, and recovery process. This can lead to serious suffering, which a court of law can work to compensate.
As the family member of a victim of TBI, you may also suffer damages. The expenses you need to make, time off from work to help care for the victim, and the necessary help around the house with chores or child care that can all be claimed as part of the compensation.
Forest Hills Brain Injury Lawyers Offering Free Consultations
If you or a loved one suffered a serious brain injury or concussion in a car accident, slip and fall, or any other accident, talk to an attorney today. The Queens brain injury lawyers at Sullivan and Galleshaw offer free consultations to help you understand your options and what your case might be worth. For a free consultation on your case, contact our law offices today at (718) 843-0300.