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Brain injuries at work, in a car accident, or in any other sort of accident could be life-altering. The brain is the central processing station for everything your body does, and even mild traumatic brain injuries (concussions) can leave you laid up for days. More serious brain injuries could be deadly or cause paralysis, speech issues, and serious cognitive issues.
While you are recovering from your injuries and unable to work, a Fort Worth brain injury lawyer can help build your case and fight to get you the compensation you need. Medical treatment, ongoing home care, physical therapy, and things like wheelchairs can all be very expensive. Getting damages for these harms could be vital to your survival and recovery.
For help with your brain injury case, contact The Queenan Law Firm today. Our Fort Worth brain injury lawyers seek to help victims and their families recover the compensation they need for serious brain injuries or a death in the family caused by brain injury. For a free case consultation, call us at (817) 476-1797.
Types of Brain Injuries from Accidents in Fort Worth
Accidents happen in different ways, many of which can cause serious head injuries. Brain injuries can often cause substantial effects for the victim, potentially leading to long-term conditions and disabilities.
Traumatic Brain Injury
One of the most common ways brain injuries happen is through blunt force trauma. These injuries are often referred to as “traumatic brain injuries” (TBI) and cover anything from a concussion to serious brain damage caused by a blow to the head. These injuries can have effects ranging from temporary unconsciousness, pain, nausea, and memory loss to substantial paralysis, loss of motor skills, comas, and even death.
Open vs. Closed Head Injuries
Brain injuries can also come from damage to the skull. “Penetrating” or “open-head” injuries can involve a skull fracture that exposes the brain to outside conditions, or they can be caused by something entering the skull and penetrating the brain. These injuries can have serious and sometimes odd effects depending on what area of the brain was damaged. In any case, brain surgery and medical care are often required to treat the injury and remove any potential debris in the head wound. Contrast these injuries with “closed” head wounds where the brain is not exposed.
Other Brain Injuries
Some brain injuries also happen because of exposure to chemicals or lack of breathable air. Many workers face exposure to chemicals like benzene that can cause nerve damage and brain damage in high concentrations. If you were injured in a drowning accident, were strangled in an assault, or suffocated from smoke inhalation, you could also face brain injuries because of the lack of oxygen (hypoxia). Hypoxic-ischemic shock is a common result, especially for newborns suffering from suffocation during delivery.
Suing for the Effects of Brain Injuries in Fort Worth, TX
Many brain injury victims are entitled to sue because of their injuries. In many cases, there is someone responsible for an accident or an injury, and the victim can have those individuals or companies – and any relevant insurance companies – pay for their injuries.
To file a lawsuit for a brain injury, you will need to choose the proper target of the lawsuit. This is usually someone involved with the accident who had a duty to help keep you safe. For example…
- Brain injury cases from car accidents are often filed against the driver who hit you.
- Brain injury cases from workplace injuries are often filed against a negligent employer.
- Brain injury cases from slip and falls are often filed against the property owner.
For fault to be proven in an accident case, there must be some legal duty that was violated. For example, traffic laws and OSHA regulations provide clear rules for other drivers and employers, respectively. If there is no specific law in place, there may be legal expectations as to what actions are reasonable and unreasonable based on how the average person would act in the same situation.
Your attorney can help you determine the proper parties to sue and what claims to make about their duty and breach of duty. An attorney can also help you file a case on behalf of a spouse, parent, or child who was injured and now cannot act for themselves because of the injury. Similarly, our Fort Worth brain injury lawyers can also file a wrongful death case for families who lost a loved one to brain injuries.
Proving the Cause of Your Brain Injuries in Fort Worth
For a court to award a brain injury victim damages for TBI or other brain injuries, the victim and their lawyer must prove that the brain injury was the victim’s fault. The breach of a legal duty is an important part of proving negligence. Alternatively, you can sue for intentional injuries such as assault and battery. In any case, you must show that the accident or assault was what actually caused the injuries rather than some other intervening cause.
Many people do not seek immediate treatment for brain injuries. Brain injuries are not always obvious to people who are not medical professionals, so not everyone seeks treatment right away. If your brain injury appeared some time after the accident, it could be hard to prove that your injury is indeed linked to the accident you were involved in. Because of this, it is vital to seek medical treatment immediately after a head injury to build a record of your accident and injuries.
Call Our Fort Worth Brain Injury Attorneys for Help with Your Case
The Queenan Law Firm’s Fort Worth brain injury attorneys offer free legal consultations to help victims and their families with their cases. For a free legal consultation and more information about how to file and what your case might be worth, call (817) 476-1797 today.