Every year, about two million Americans sustain head and brain injuries that cause permanent impairments, affecting their ability to work, attend school, and engage in family or social life. Work routines and hobbies that once felt second nature can become difficult or impossible after a brain injury. Beyond the immediate impact on communication and daily activities, traumatic brain injuries also increase the long-term risk of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and post-traumatic dementia.
At MichieHamlett, we understand that recovery from a severe brain injury requires vigilance, perseverance, patience, and faith from both victims and their families. A Roanoke traumatic brain injury lawyer from our team can provide the guidance and advocacy you need. Contact our experienced catastrophic injury attorneys today for compassionate and committed legal support.
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, can be of many different types and can come about in many different ways. For instance, TBI can be focal (confined to one area of the brain) or diffuse (affecting several areas of the brain). Head injuries can also be classified as either “open” or “closed,” depending on whether the skull was fractured or penetrated or merely struck violently without breaking. Skull fractures can also be “comminuted,” where several pieces of bone have broken and may have entered and damaged the brain. Concussions and brain injuries are also ranked from mild to moderate to severe according to the health impacts and symptoms they produce.
Leading causes of TBI include:
Brain injuries in car and truck accidents can come about when the victim’s head strikes the windshield, dashboard, side window or another interior part of the car. Rollover accidents, where the roof crushes and crashes that eject the passenger from the vehicle are also likely to cause severe or even fatal head injuries. In the area of medical malpractice, brain injuries do not typically occur from trauma, per se, although they could in the event of a surgical mistake made during brain surgery. More often, medical negligence causes a brain injury due to a prolonged lack of oxygen to the brain. A surgery that lasts too long for safety or an anesthesia error can result in brain injury. Many birth injuries, such as cerebral palsy or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), occur because negligence or incompetence during labor or delivery caused debilitating oxygen deprivation. These injuries can result in a lifetime of cognitive and motor deficits and developmental disabilities.
Brain injuries are often devastating for individuals and their families because of the extensive medical care and financial costs associated with the trauma. These injuries also bring the frustration of living with a disability, ongoing pain and suffering, and the reduced ability to earn a living. Initial hospital bills for emergency treatment, surgery, and intensive care may be substantial, and many individuals leave the hospital and transfer directly to a specialty rehabilitation facility for several months. Some never leave the facility and require continuous care at home or in a skilled nursing setting. For others, recovery is possible but long and demanding, involving repeated visits to medical specialists for occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological counseling, and related care. Modifications to the home and vehicle, along with adaptive equipment and assistive technology, are often necessary to help individuals with brain injuries maintain independence and self-care.
When faced with large claims filed against a negligent doctor or distracted driver, the insurance companies sadly take an aggressive stance against paying these claims rather than settling for the full amount. Diagnosing a brain injury, treating it, and making a prognosis are all complex tasks. The highly technical nature of brain injury cases, unfortunately, can make them harder to prove and easier to defend.
Having a law firm like MichieHamlett on your side can prove invaluable when pursuing a brain injury claim against a large insurer. Our firm has the knowledge, skills, and resources to go up against the biggest insurers. Through many years of tort representation in brain and traumatic injury cases, our Virginia brain injury attorneys have ensured that insurance companies treat our clients with the dignity and respect they deserve.
Your job is to improve your health to the maximum extent possible and regain as much of the quality of life that you lost. Our job is to hold the responsible parties accountable to you and see that you get a full and fair amount of compensation to help you through these difficult times.
For help pursuing compensation after a traumatic brain injury caused by a Virginia car or truck accident, medical malpractice, or another catastrophic event, contact us at MichieHamlett today. A Roanoke traumatic brain injury lawyer from our team is ready to review your case and explain your legal options. Schedule your free consultation today.
