About Traumatic Brain Injuries
You can feel overwhelmed when you’ve been involved in an accident that leaves you injured—perhaps severely—unable to work and make a living and unsure of what you need to do to protect your future. Your stress and anxiety may be even more severe if your injuries include a traumatic brain injury. Being involved in an accident caused by another person’s negligence or carelessness can turn your life upside down. If you find yourself in such an untenable situation, you need a Fairbanks brain injury lawyer from Ringstad Law Office. Brain injuries can result in physical and cognitive issues that may last for months, years, or even forever. Attorney Kenneth Ringstad wants to help you through this difficult time.
Why Choose a Fairbanks Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer from Ringstad Law Office?
Unfortunately, justice doesn’t always come easy in the world—you have to fight for it. But when you are injured, you may be unable to fight for a full and fair settlement. At Ringstad Law Office, we have built a practice around personal injury law for those injured in accidents. We defend our clients aggressively, dealing with the insurance company on your behalf, whether during negotiations or in a lawsuit.
Attorney Kenneth Ringstad prepares every case as though it is going to trial. This means that even though the vast majority of personal injury claims are settled outside of a courtroom, the insurance company knows we are ready to fight for you in court when necessary. When you choose Ringstad Law Office, P.C., you will work with attorney Ken Ringstad from start to finish. When you need answers to your questions and someone who believes in you and will vigorously fight for you, you need Ringstad Law Office.
What Causes a Traumatic Brain injury?
While many different types of accidents can cause a traumatic brain injury, automobile accidents and falls are the top two causes of TBI. Automobile collisions involving cars, large commercial trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians are common causes of brain injuries. Falls that cause brain injuries include a fall from a height, a fall downstairs, or a slip and fall accident resulting from owner negligence. Other causes of traumatic brain injury include acts of violence, sports injuries, and combat injuries.
What Are the Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury?
While each brain injury is unique according to the circumstances, as well as the individual victim, below are some of the most common symptoms of brain injury:
Mild brain injuries:
- Persistent headache
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Fatigue
- Speech issues
- Loss of balance
- Blurry vision
- Changes in taste and smell
- Ringing in the ears
- Sensitivity to sound or light
- Feeling disoriented or confused but with no loss of consciousness
- Short loss of consciousness—from a few seconds to a few minutes
- Memory issues
- Mood swings or mood changes
- Depression or anxiety
- Insomnia
- Sleeping much more than usual
Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries:
- Loss of consciousness that can last from several minutes to hours
- Chronic headache
- Convulsions
- Seizures
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pupil dilation
- Clear fluid drainage from the ears or nose
- Coordination loss
- Weakness or numbness in the extremities
- The significant, ongoing confusion
- Agitation or other types of unusual behaviors
- Slurred speech
- Changes in personality
- Cognitive loss
- An inability to learn
- Inability to read or write
As you might imagine, many of these symptoms can alter your life in many ways, making it difficult or impossible to return to work or school and, in many cases, requiring consistent home care. The lifetime costs for a brain injury can range from $85,000 to more than $3 million. These costs can bankrupt the victim of a brain injury unless there is a full settlement. Brain injuries often do not resolve themselves quickly, according to the CDC.
Only about a quarter of those with moderate to severe brain injuries showed significant improvement within five years—with about 30 percent showing worsening symptoms at five years. At least three-quarters of TBI victims and their families can expect prolonged healthcare costs, including nursing home care, speech and occupational therapy, in-home services, assistive devices, lost wages and earning capacity, transportation expenses, and a diminished quality of life.
Mild Brain Injuries Versus Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries
Mild brain injuries are more common than moderate or severe TBIs. They are characterized by either no loss of consciousness or a brief period of unconciousness that only lasts seconds or minutes. Memory loss for a person with a mild brain injury usually lasts for less than an hour, during which the victim may also have physical symptoms like dizziness, confusion, nausea, and a headache. A moderate TBI can include the loss of consciousness for a few minutes to as long as a few hours.
The victim of a moderate TBI can experience the same symptoms as those with a mild brain injury, but the symptoms can be more severe, lasting for weeks, months, or for the remainder of the victim’s life. A severe TBI can cause the victim to lose consciousness for more than 24 hours and can often lead to a coma that lasts days, weeks, or months. Permanent cognitive, behavioral, and physical changes often accompany a severe TBI.
What Types of Damages Can an Individual Receive Following a TBI?
Damages for victims of a brain injury may include both economic and non-economic damages, such as:
- Economic damages can include medical expenses, lost wages, and future wages. Medical expenses can include ambulance costs, physician expenses, surgical costs, prescription drug costs, rehabilitative therapy costs, and the cost of necessary assistive devices.
- Non-economic damages can be more challenging to quantify because they don’t have a specific financial cost attached. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering—both physical, emotional, and mental trauma and pain.
Hire a Fairbanks Brain Injury Lawyer Near You
When you’ve suffered a brain injury, having a highly skilled Fairbanks brain injury lawyer can help you and your family through this difficult time. Attorney Kenneth Ringstad is ready to help you and your family through this difficult time by getting the medical attention you need and the financial compensation you deserve. Ken will always be on your side, with you every step of the way. Contact Ringstad Law Office, P.C., today.
