If you or a member of your family has suffered a traumatic brain injury, concussion, or severe head injury from being in an accident, there are personal injury attorneys available who can fight aggressively for your best interests and help you obtain the highest amount of compensation possible. Cellino Law has a proven track record of successfully recovering millions of dollars in compensation for personal injury victims across the western part of New York state. Learn how a skilled and experienced Long Island traumatic brain injury lawyer can help you move forward from your accident. Give our attorneys a call today to schedule your free case evaluation.
Suffering a traumatic brain injury can have life-changing consequences. You may not be able to work ever again. There may be changes to your personality and physical abilities. You may need to have extensive treatment, support, long-term care as well as other types of resources to assist with your recovery. You also will be faced with many challenges if a family member has sustained a brain injury.
Our Long Island injury law firm is here to represent you and your best interests. If the negligence of another party caused an accident where you or a member of your family suffered a traumatic brain injury, it is critical that you obtain enough compensation to ensure that both your current needs as well as those in the future are fully met. Cellino Law’s personal injury attorneys understand how serious an impact that a severe head or brain injury can have on you as well as your family. That is why we fight aggressively to deliver justice and obtain the maximum amount of compensation for you.
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
The Mayo Clinic defines a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as brain damage caused by an injury. A traumatic brain injury is the result of a collision between the skull and brain. Each year, those injuries result in around 52,000 deaths and 275,000 hospital stays. They can occur during various types of impacts, including car accidents, playing sports, and violent acts. The brain is not tightly contained inside of the skill. There is instead space that surrounds the brain. So, for example, when a person is involved in a car accident, more than the neck can snap back. It is also possible for the brain to move inside the skull. This can result in injuries.
Anytime the brain is shaken up inside of the skull it can cause tissues to tear and the brain to bruise and bleed. Traumatic brain injuries are very serious conditions but can be difficult to identify since often these kinds of injuries are not visible. They range from more common and easily recognizable brain injuries like concussions to injuries that are harder to recognize like Diffuse Axonal Injury, Hypoxic Brain Injury, and Anoxic Brain Injury. No matter what kind it happens to be, a brain injury is always hard to deal with and a full recovery is not guaranteed.
What Accidents Commonly Cause Traumatic Brain Injuries?
Trauma to the head often causes brain injuries, particularly when the head gets struck by an object with force, such as a windshield or the ground. Some of the more common causes of TBI include the following:
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Construction Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Slip and Fall Accidents
Unfortunately, some individuals who suffer a traumatic brain injury die. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that from 2006 to 2010, car accidents and falls were two leading causes of death that relate to traumatic brain injuries. Falling was the leading cause for individuals 65 years old and older, while motor vehicle accidents were the leading cause for people 5 to 24 years old.
How Are Traumatic Brain Injuries Diagnosed?
Healthcare providers frequently conduct tests to assess the individual’s brain functioning, nerve functioning, level of consciousness, and physical condition in order to diagnose a traumatic brain injury.
Below are the most common tests used to diagnose a traumatic brain injury:
Diagnostic Imaging
If it is suspected that a patient has a traumatic brain injury, then a doctor might order an image of the individual’s brain, using a CT-scan, MRI, or PET scan so that injury can be better visualized and properly treated.
X-rays are used by Computerized Tomography (CT-scans) to produce a cross-sectional, 360-degree image of an individual’s brain. CT-scans may also show bleeding, bruising, and other kinds of brain damage as well.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to form brain images. An MRI may generate more detailed images of the brain compared to a CT-scan.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans use a radioactive substance called a tracker to identify brain damage or diseases. A PET scan is able to show a doctor how a brain is functioning.
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
A person’s ability to move, talk, and open their eyes is rated by the Glasgow Coma Scale. A doctor rates a person’s responses to each of those categories and then provides a total score. The total score indicates how serious a traumatic brain injury is. Generally speaking, mild TBI will have a score of 13 or higher, moderate TBI is indicated by a 9-12 score, and severe TBI has scores of 8 or less.
Physical Evaluation
An individual who is suspected of having a traumatic brain injury will frequently be given tests by one or several of the specialists below to evaluate the person’s cognitive, motor, and communication skills:
- Neuropsychologist
- Physical therapist
- Occupational therapist
- Speech-language pathologist
After an individual’s impairments are identified and assessed, a specialist will then be able to recommend the proper rehabilitation treatment to manage the injury’s effects and to help the person return to normal cognitive functioning as closely as possible
Although some traumatic brain injuries might need more care than others, seeking prompt medical treatment and diagnosis will help to ensure that you get the care that you really need.
Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Depending on how the trauma to the head occurred, different parts of the brain can be affected. Some types of traumatic brain injuries subside quickly, which only require rest and limited treatment. However, there are also permanent injuries that require intensive and more long-lasting treatment.
Below are some of the most common types of traumatic brain injuries that occur:
Closed TBI
This type of injury results when an outside force is applied to the head, but the skull is not broken. A closed TBI may be classified as mild (concussion), moderate, or severe.
Penetrating TBI
This type of injury happens when a foreign object penetrates the skull and the outer meninges layer or dura is compromised in some way.
Diffuse Axonal Injury
These injuries involve rapid brain shifts inside of the skill which causes the axon, or connecting fibers of the brain, to twist and tear.
Coup-Contrecoup Injury
These injuries involve a bruising pattern to the tissues in the brain on the site of impact in addition to the opposite side of the individual’s head.
Skull Fracture
Disruption or fragmenting of the skull can result in brain damage or an infection.
Intracranial Hematoma
This type of injury results in a ruptured blood vessel where blood collects inside of the brain tissue or in the empty areas of the brain.
If you or a member of your family has suffered a brain injury in an accident, give the traumatic brain injury lawyers at Cellino Law a call at (888) 888-8888 to schedule your free consultation.
Signs and Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury
Any type of traumatic brain injury can have a serious impact on your life. You may have symptoms that last for several months or even years and can affect everything from your being able to work to having healthy relationships.
The human brain is very complex, and each individual may show different symptoms and signs of damage. To suffer a brain injury does not require you to have lost consciousness. Some symptoms might appear right away, while others may not be obvious for days to weeks after the accident. Below are some common symptoms and signs of brain injuries:
- Chronic low-grade headaches
- Having difficulties remembering, concentrating, and solving problems
- Difficulty with reading and/or writing
- Vision changes or hallucinations
- Changes in sexual drive or function
- Feelings of sadness, irritability, anxiety, or mood changes
- Slurred speech or losing the ability to talk
- Poor control over your voluntary movements
- Difficulties with recognizing faces and visually locating objects
- Unusually aggressive behavior
- Difficulties with your hand-eye coordination; impaired spatial orientation
- Impaired gross and fine motor coordination
- Tremors, dizziness, nausea
At Cellino Law, our attorneys understand the permanent destruction that a traumatic brain injury can cause. The national practice of our law firm is focused on providing legal representation to brain trauma victims. If you suffered a head injury in an accident, you may be able to receive compensation.
How Can a Traumatic Brain Injury Impact Your Life?
A traumatic brain injury may cause many different results. In most situations, however, an individual will have to learn how to cope and manage permanent physical or mental impairments that he or she has sustained.
The consequences of a traumatic brain injury can be either short-term or long-term ad can affect the following:
- Cognitive processes, including memory, concentration, and reasoning skills
- Sensory processing, including taste, smell, touch, hearing, or sight
- Communication skills, including speech, expression, or understanding
- Mental health and behavior such as anxiety, depression, changes in personality, or acting out
- Motor skills and also coordination, including posture, balance, and picking up or holding objects
Severe financial hardships can be caused by traumatic brain injuries for injured individuals and their families. Extensive medical treatment might be required to manage a traumatic brain injury, and that can become quite expensive very fast. In addition, the effects of traumatic brain injuries, along with any associated disabilities, might prevent an individual from being able to work any longer or from being unable to advance in their career in the way they had been expecting before their injury.
An individual might also have a difficult time performing tasks that had been routine in the past and may be unable to participate in activities any longer that had been a regular aspect of their life prior to the accident.
How to Prove a Traumatic Brain Injury Case
To effectively prove a traumatic brain injury case requires extensive resources, like the expertise of medical professionals and specialists. In certain situations, you might not know that you have sustained a brain injury until it is too late. This is why it is so important to see a doctor immediately after you are involved in an accident and make sure that a full checkup is done.
The Cellino Law firm has access to many leading accident and brain injury authorities that we can call on. We can draw on the expertise of these authorities to build a strong case for you that will include the current and future projected worth of your injuries for your lost income, long-term medical treatment, and other expenses.
Why Should I Hire an Attorney for My Traumatic Brain Injury Case?
Cellino Law hires only the finest and most experienced attorneys. We use a selective process that has really paid off for us. Our team has won numerous notable cases. We also settle out of court in many cases and help save our clients plenty of time, money, and hassle. Our attorneys have been able to successfully prosecute all different kinds of personal injury cases. We are experienced negotiators which can help to reduce the financial hardships of your injuries.
We explore all possible options with you and thoroughly and honestly explain what you can expect whenever you work with us along with the chances of success in court or with a settlement. We have successfully argued and won claims of more than $4 million for our clients who have suffered traumatic brain injuries caused by negligence in car and motorcycle accidents. It is not necessary for you to deal with this by yourself. Give our team in Long Island, NY, a call so that we can candidly and honestly assess your case for you.
What Amount of Compensation Can I Expect to Receive for a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Many brain injury victims receive substantial financial rewards as a result of being severely incapacitated and due to the fact that they will be facing high medical expenses for the remainder of their lives as a result of their injuries The precise amount of compensation you will be awarded in a settlement or verdict for your brain injury is going to depend heavily on the specific details of your case, how serious your injury is, and how your brain injury is impacting your life. Your case could potentially be worth thousands of dollars, or maybe even millions of dollars. It really depends. You might be eligible to be compensated for the following:
- All medical expenses, including your long-term care costs
- Loss of earning capabilities
- Replacement services
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages
Are you interested in finding out how much your case might be worth? If so, call Cellino Law and speak to a personal injury attorney to schedule your free consultation.
Contact a Long Island Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer at Cellino Law Today!
Whether you sustained a traumatic brain injury as the result of a car accident, slip and fall, or some other type of accident, you will very quickly discover that the insurance company does not have your best interests in mind. No matter what type of head injury or brain injury you have, the goal of the insurance adjuster is to pay as little as possible on your claim.
The insurer might try to downplay how serious your brain injury actually is, or try to make the claim that you have a pre-existing condition. They may challenge the extent that the overall impact of your brain injury is having on you and attempt to pressure you into accepting a low amount of compensation.
Do not let the insurance company jeopardize your well-being and future. Our personal injury lawyers in Long Island know how critical your case’s outcome is to you, and that is something we take very seriously.