If you sustained a brain injury due to someone else’s negligent or reckless actions, contact the St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers of Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers immediately to discuss your case with us. You might be entitled to financial compensation for your medical treatment, lost wages, and other expenses from the accident.
Injuries to the brain can interfere with normal functioning. The injury can cause temporary or permanent damage. The symptoms often appear immediately after a traumatic jolt or blow to the head and are debilitating. Some people suffer long-term complications from severe damage.
Various circumstances, such as a car crash or fall from heights, can lead to a brain injury. Different types of injury ranging broadly in severity are possible. Sometimes, a mild concussion causes temporary disruptions to the functioning of the brain. A severe traumatic brain injury could result in brain swelling or bleeding.
Emergency medical care is often necessary following a brain injury. A doctor must examine the accident victim to diagnose the exact condition. They might recommend ongoing treatment to address physical or cognitive impairments before everyday activities can resume.
Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers understands that the effects of a brain injury can be far-reaching. You could suffer chronic pain, decreased mobility, and other limitations. Permanent damage can lead to a disability that prevents independent thinking or performing routine tasks without assistance.
Our brain injury attorneys in St. Petersburg, FL, can help you hold the at-fault party liable for harming you. They should face the consequences of their actions. We will represent you in your claim or lawsuit and fight to try to resolve the matter favorably. You will be our top priority when you hire us and receive personalized attention until the end.
Call Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers for your free consultation at (727) 605-1100 to learn more about your legal options after suffering a brain injury in an accident that wasn’t your fault.
Types of Brain Injuries
A brain injury can happen in a variety of situations. Sometimes, symptoms begin immediately after the physical trauma. The symptoms of certain brain injuries don’t develop for a few days or weeks.
Brain injuries fall under two main classifications – traumatic brain injury and non-traumatic brain injury.
Non-Traumatic Brain Injury
An external factor doesn’t cause a non-traumatic brain injury. Events that can contribute to this type of injury include:
- Illness
- Cardiac arrest
- Metabolic disorder
- Oxygen deprivation
- Brain aneurysm
- Drowning
Two types of non-traumatic brain injuries indicate the cause of the damage:
- Hypoxia – Hypoxia is when reduced blood flow causes the brain to receive less oxygen than it needs.
- Anoxia – Anoxia is when the brain doesn’t receive any oxygen. This can cause various issues because the brain needs oxygen to function correctly.
Traumatic Brain Injury
A violent blow or jolt to the head or body can cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI can also result from a penetrating injury when an object pierces the skull and damages the brain.
Various TBI classifications depend on the cause of the injury:
- Coup-contrecoup – A coup-contrecoup injury occurs when brain damage happens in two stages. The first impact happens when an external force causes the brain to bounce off the front of the skull. The brain suffers additional damage as it rebounds and impacts the back of the skull.
- Diffuse axonal injury – Microscopic changes to the brain occur with a diffuse axonal injury. The brain shifts and rotates inside the skull from an internal force and causes tears in the long connecting nerve fibers.
- Intracranial hematoma – An intracranial hematoma is the collection of blood outside a blood vessel in the brain. When the blood pools within the skull, it can place pressure on the brain and lead to life-threatening complications.
- Penetrating brain injury – A penetrating brain injury occurs when something enters the brain through a fracture in the skull. Various problems can arise, such as brain swelling and internal bleeding.
- Concussion – A mild traumatic brain injury is called a concussion. A concussion results when a sudden or violent blow or movement to the head alters the brain’s normal function. It can lead to a range of debilitating symptoms, including memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and impaired coordination.
- Contusion – A brain contusion is bruising of the brain. It typically causes bleeding and swelling near the injury site.
Traumatic brain injury symptoms depend on the location and type of injury.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
A mild TBI happens when the brain moves back and forth rapidly inside the skull after the head suffers a blow, jolt, or bump. The most common symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury include:
- Sound or light sensitivity
- Blurry vision
- Feeling depressed or anxious
- Dizziness or loss of balance
- Headaches
- Speech difficulties
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping more than normal
- Vomiting or nausea
- Loss of consciousness for several seconds or minutes
- Mood changes
- Concentration and memory issues
- Drowsiness or fatigue
Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
A moderate to severe TBI can happen if there’s a penetrating injury or jolt, blow, or bump to the head or body. Symptoms start to develop within hours or days of the physical trauma. The damage to brain cells, tissue, and nerves can be permanent and cause a range of complications.
A severe traumatic brain injury often causes symptoms, such as:
- Slurred speech
- Loss of coordination
- Worsening or persistent headaches
- Inability to wake from sleep
- Loss of consciousness for several minutes to a few hours
- Numbness or weakness in the fingers and toes
- Profound confusion
- Agitation, combativeness, and other unusual behaviors
- Coma and other consciousness disorders
- Dilated pupils
- Repeated vomiting or nausea
- Seizures or convulsions
Noticing the symptoms of a TBI in children can be a challenge. It’s often difficult for young kids to vocalize their symptoms or realize something’s wrong. It’s critical to pay attention to the warning signs of a TBI in children, such as:
- Drowsiness
- Seizures
- Irritability
- Depressed or sad mood
- Crying persistently and having the inability to be consoled
- Changes in sleeping habits
- Reduced or loss of attentiveness
- Changes in eating or nursing habits
- Loss of interest in toys or activities previously enjoyed
If you or your son or daughter sustained a brain injury, seeking medical attention is vital. Your doctor can evaluate the symptoms, run tests, and determine whether the injury is a TBI. Prompt and adequate treatment could alleviate the symptoms and heal the injury entirely.
Most Common Causes of Brain Injuries
A brain injury can happen under numerous circumstances. You don’t necessarily have to be in a traumatic accident to suffer brain damage. Even a minor injury can damage nerves, brain cells, and other structures that interfere with cognitive functioning and physical abilities.
Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers can represent clients in various accident cases involving brain injuries. The most common causes of brain injuries include:
- Workplace accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Car accidents
- Dog bites and attacks
- Premises liability
- Defective products
- Truck accidents
- Elder abuse
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Boating accidents
- Airplane accidents
Fatal brain injuries can also happen. If the fatal brain injury was caused by someone other than the deceased, a wrongful death case could be filed. Our St. Petersburg brain injury attorneys have experience in multiple types of personal injury and wrongful death matters that deal with an injury to the brain.
Compensation for a Brain Injury
Whether you file an insurance claim or lawsuit, you can pursue compensation for your injury. For example, if you suffered a brain injury in a car crash, you could file a claim with the negligent driver’s auto insurance carrier. Or you might be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against a doctor whose error caused your brain injury.
The compensation you recover in your case could cover your accident-related losses, such as:
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Damage to personal property
You can also recover punitive damages in a lawsuit against the at-fault party. However, Florida law requires you to show clear and convincing evidence of the defendant’s gross negligence or intentional misconduct to receive this form of compensation.
If you are the personal representative of your family member’s estate and someone else’s negligent, reckless, or malicious actions caused their death, you could file a wrongful death lawsuit. The compensation you receive could cover losses, such as:
- Mental pain and suffering
- Lost wages, earnings, and benefits between the date of the deceased’s injury and death
- Loss of parental companionship, guidance, and instruction your parent can no longer provide
- Lost services and support the deceased provided to family
- The value of benefits and earnings the deceased would have saved and left in their estate if they survived
- Funeral and medical expenses the estate or a surviving family member paid
- Loss of the deceased’s protection and companionship
Statute of Limitations for a Brain Injury
When you file a lawsuit, you must meet all requirements under state law. Florida has a statute of limitations for injury cases that allows a four-year timeframe for the injured party to file their lawsuit. That means you have four years from the date of the accident to initiate your lawsuit for compensation.
If your loved one suffered a fatal brain injury in an accident someone else caused, the wrongful death statute of limitations provides a two-year period for filing suit.
Contact Us
Since 2007, Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers has represented accident victims suffering from brain injuries. We believe in fighting for our client’s rights and holding negligent individuals and companies accountable for their wrongdoing. You can expect quality legal services and ongoing communication throughout the entire process. Don’t go through this challenging time in your life alone.
If you sustained a brain injury due to the actions of another person or entity, call Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers at (727) 605-1100 for your free consultation with one of our brain injury attorneys in St. Petersburg, FL.
