Traumatic brain injuries are among the most devastating forms of injury because they can significantly affect a person physically, mentally, and cognitively, causing a range of disabling mobility issues, learning difficulties, emotional problems, and personality changes. There are several types of traumatic brain injury, each with the potential to leave a lasting effect on a person following an accident.
At Cain Law, our Oklahoma brain injury attorneys understand the unique physical, emotional, and financial challenges accident victims face. Our compassionate legal team takes the time to get to know you and the elements of your situation so we can craft a personalized legal strategy that meets your needs and offers the greatest likelihood of recovering maximum compensation for your injuries.
If you suffered a traumatic brain injury due to someone else’s careless actions and are concerned about the high cost of your current and future medical needs, contact our office today to arrange a free consultation and learn how we can best advocate for you.
How Our Brain Injury Lawyers Can Help You
Coping with the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury can be emotionally and physically painful. You may face unique challenges and hurdles daily in your recovery journey. Worrying and fighting for the money you deserve are the last things you want to focus on. That’s where the brain injury lawyers at Cain Law come in. We remove the stress and burden of compensation recovery from your shoulders, allowing you room to breathe and prioritizing your health.
Our Oklahoma brain injury lawyers have extensive experience handling cases involving different types of brain injuries. We start by thoroughly assessing your situation. When we take a case, we move quickly to collect and preserve valuable evidence that can prove liability and establish the full extent of your damages.
Other steps we take to help you after a brain injury-causing accident include:
- Managing communication between you and all involved parties
- Coordinating your medical care so that you have access to the best doctors and the latest technology in diagnosing your or a family member’s brain condition
- Building a compelling claim backed by evidence
- Negotiating for maximum compensation
- Working with locally and nationally recognized medical experts who can further support your case
- Preparing a case for trial when necessary
- Managing strict legal deadlines
We advocate for injured accident victims, pursuing maximum compensation for their injuries and holding careless parties responsible for their actions.
What Are the Three Types of Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury is an injury that affects the normal functions of the brain. TBIs generally occur in one of two ways and are categorized as:
- Closed Brain Injuries – Closed brain injuries are the result of a sudden and violent blow to the head or body, such as in sports injuries or car accidents. The force of the blow causes the head to suddenly accelerate forward and backward, allowing the head to collide with other objects or the skull, causing injury to the brain. Often, closed brain injuries cause bleeding, swelling, chemical changes, or tissue damage.
- Penetrating Brain Injuries – Penetrating brain injuries occur when a foreign object pierces the skull and damages the brain. Bullets from gun violence and bits of bone from a fractured skull typically cause penetrating brain injuries.
Closed and penetrating brain injuries fall into one of three types of TBIs. The 3 types of brain injuries are:
- Mild – Mild brain injuries are the least severe and typically do not result in long-term or permanent brain damage. In addition to close monitoring by a medical professional, these TBIs may be treated with rest and over-the-counter pain medications. Concussion is the most common form of mild traumatic brain injury.
- Moderate – Moderate traumatic brain injuries are injuries that are more significant than mild injuries and may result in long-term health issues.
- Severe – Severe traumatic brain injuries are the most catastrophic form of brain injury and often lead to life-long medical complications, physical disability, and emotional or cognitive changes. A severe brain injury can also leave an individual in a vegetative state or cause death.
Moderate and severe brain injuries require extensive medical care and potentially physical and cognitive therapy and rehabilitation. Most medical practitioners use the Glasgow Coma Scale to evaluate the severity of a brain injury.
This scale helps determine a person’s ability to follow directions, move their eyes and limbs, speak clearly, and answer questions. The higher the score, the less severe the brain injury. This score, in combination with other diagnostic tools, can help medical personnel determine whether a brain injury is mild, moderate, or severe.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
The signs and symptoms of a brain injury can vary depending on the person and the severity of the injury. In some cases, the signs of brain injury do not manifest until hours or days after the initial impact or injury, which makes seeking immediate medical attention after an accident vital to your health and safety.
Individuals with a mild traumatic brain injury may experience:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Confusion
- Blurry vision or light sensitivity
- Short-term memory loss
- Difficulty concentrating
- Brain fog
- Anxiety
- Irritability
The symptoms of a moderate or severe brain injury can include the same symptoms as mild TBIS, but they might be more intense or include:
- Loss of consciousness
- Pain
- Persistent headaches
- Muscle weakness
- Mobility issues
- Changes in hearing or vision
- Dilation of one or both pupils
- Clear fluid draining from the ears or nose
- Seizures
- Confusion
- Memory loss
- Slurred speech
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty communicating
- Angry or emotional outbursts
- Depression
- Changes in mood or behavior
- Impulsiveness
All head injuries are serious and require medical evaluation, so don’t delay in seeking medical treatment.
Facts and Figures
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are about 190 traumatic brain injury-related deaths every day in the United States. The leading causes of these brain injuries are falls, motor vehicle accidents, and firearm-related incidents. Moderate and severe TBIs can leave accident victims in financial distress, with the expected lifetime economic cost of traumatic brain injuries running into the millions of dollars in some cases.
Additionally, according to the International Brain Injury Association, of all injury types, brain injuries are the most likely to result in death or permanent disability.
Contact Our Brain Injury Lawyers if You’re Experiencing Symptoms
Suffering a brain injury following an accident can be a life-changing event. The brain injury attorneys at Cain Law want to help you by pursuing the compensation you deserve, giving you access to the resources you need to continue to support your recovery. Contact our Oklahoma office today to learn more about your legal options through a free consultation. In pain? Call Cain!