Because the brain is such a complex organ, an injury to it can be unpredictable and difficult to diagnose. While brain injuries impact everyone differently, they often last a lifetime and dramatically affect the quality of life of the injured person and their family.
A traumatic brain injury (also referred to as TBI or intracranial injury) can have a major impact on your life, with swelling, headaches, migraines, concussions, constant dizziness, or even hemorrhages occurring as a result.
Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, falls, assaults, construction accidents, physical violence, and sports are among the most common causes of TBI. Many victims require medical care in the immediate aftermath, as well as long-term care for the rest of their lives.
Because these injuries may not appear for weeks or even months after an accident, and because they can be difficult to diagnose, calculating future medical bills can be complicated. At Valent Legal, our Halifax TBI lawyers understand the specific nature of brain injuries and have the experience to help you and your loved ones seek just compensation for the harm you have suffered.
For a free, no-risk case assessment, give us a call today. We work on a contingency-fee-basis, which means there are no fees until you get a settlement or you win a judgment in court. In most cases, our service exceeds our clients’ expectations. Visit our page How We Work to learn more.
When Do You Need a Lawyer for a Brain Injury?
Brain injuries often do not produce the kinds of visible symptoms that are apparent to other people. The result can often be that other people are completely unaware that a person even has a brain injury.
Insurance companies may also dispute whether you actually have a brain injury. In some cases, they may attempt to claim that the accident causing your brain injury was your own fault.
You need to have a lawyer for assistance with a brain injury claim, because they will give you the best possible chance of recovering compensation for your injury. Your lawyer can conduct an independent investigation into the accident that caused your brain injury and collect all of the evidence needed to prove that another party was at fault.
Your lawyer can craft and submit a demand letter based on your personal needs and can negotiate for a fair and full settlement to your case. You are strongly advised to let a lawyer handle settlement negotiations for you, as insurance companies are notorious for underpaying people who attempt to represent themselves.
Common Causes of Brain Injuries in Nova Scotia
Brain injuries can stem from many different kinds of accidents in which people suffer a blow to the head or a jolt that causes the brain to shift inside the skull.
Examples of some of the more common causes of traumatic brain injuries include:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Falling objects
- Medical malpractice
- Birth injuries
- Defective products
- Acts of violence
People can also suffer mild brain injuries or acquired brain injuries (ABIs) because of stroke, lack of oxygen (hypoxia), tumors, or other illnesses, such as cancer, brain infections, or inflammation.
Compensation in a Brain Damage Lawsuit
Settlements are a common resolution to brain injury claims because insurance companies may be reluctant to bear the costs of going to trial. When a lawsuit is filed, the victim must prove the negligence of another party caused their brain injury, based on what is referred to as a balance of probabilities, meaning that allegations are more likely to be true than not true.
If someone has been hurt as a result of someone else’s negligence, a court can award them various “damages”. These damages are meant to quantify the various types of losses that people can have, and to try to put them back into the position they were in before the slip and fall ever happened. Most of these damages are “pecuniary” (losses which can be readily quantified by money) or “non-pecuniary” (subjective losses which can’t be quantified by money).
Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury
TBIs may involve symptoms such as:
- Loss of consciousness
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Speech problems
- Difficulty sleeping
- Dizziness
- Loss of balance
- Feeling dazed, disoriented, and confused
- Blurred vision
- Ringing in the ears
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Changes in the ability to smell
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Memory and concentration problems
- Mood changes
- Mood swings
- Feeling depressed or anxious
Moderate-to-severe TBIs can also result in more serious symptoms:
- Longer losses of consciousness
- Persistent and worsening headaches
- Convulsions
- Seizures
- Fluids draining from the nose and ears
- Numbness in fingers and toes
- Loss of coordination
- Confusion
- Agitation
- Slurred speech
- Other disorders of consciousness
When a child has a brain injury, symptoms could include:
- Changes in eating or nursing habits
- Irritability
- Persistent crying
- Inability to be consoled
- Inability to pay attention
- Changes in sleep habits
- Seizures
- Depression
- Drowsiness
Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury
In cases of mild brain injuries, a person may only use over-the-counter pain relievers to deal with headaches and be ordered to rest. Patients will be monitored to address any new or worsening symptoms and should wait until a doctor clears them before returning to work or school.
When a person suffers a moderate-to-severe brain injury, treatment will focus on ensuring that the victim’s brain has enough oxygen and adequate blood supply. Numerous medications could be administered immediately after a TBI, such as diuretics to reduce pressure inside the brain, anti-seizure drugs to avoid additional brain damage, and coma-inducing drugs when blood vessels are not supplying brain cells with enough oxygen.
Surgery can also be required to treat certain brain injuries, such as the removal of hematomas, or the clotted blood that puts pressure on the brain. Surgery can also be required for skull fractures, to stop bleeding in the brain, or to create an opening in the skull for swollen tissue.
Rehabilitation following a brain injury could involve working with a number of different experts. Some of the specialists a brain injury victim may work with include a psychiatrist, speech-language pathologist, vocational counselor, occupational therapist, recreational therapist, physical therapist, or neuropsychologist. Many patients face a lifetime of treatment and rehabilitation.
How a Brain Injury Can Change Your Life
A brain injury can often result in permanent changes to a person’s daily life. Victims may have to overcome a number of challenges in their relationships and actions that can make many things more difficult.
TBI victims may have difficulty maintaining their personal or professional relationships because of their injuries, and they can also experience difficulty taking part in leisure activities. Brain injury victims often struggle to obtain and maintain employment.
Some victims will need assistive devices in order to get around because of a simple inability to move on their own after their injuries. Some will deal with continuing degradation of sensory abilities that impact vision, smell, hearing, and taste.
Talk to a Nova Scotia Brain Injury Lawyer Now
Did you or your loved one suffer a brain injury as the result of someone else’s negligence in the greater Halifax area? The compassionate and experienced TBI lawyers of Valent Legal are ready to help you during this difficult time. We understand the far-reaching impact that an injury like this can have on victims and their families, which is why we will do everything in our power to get you the compensation you need and deserve.
While no amount of money can undo the accident that resulted in a TBI, we’ve seen how compensation can help victims get the treatment, assistance, and care they desperately need, both now and in the future. We’ve also seen how a settlement or award can take some of the pressure and financial strain off of the family members who will be there to help and support the victim moving forward.
The Halifax brain injury lawyers of Valent Legal are ready to speak with you when you call us or reach out to us online. Sit down with a caring, compassionate member of our team and let us help you understand your rights and how we can help you during a free, no-obligation consultation.
