Traumatic brain injuries are common in nearly every type of accident. This type of injury is defined as a disruption in brain function caused by external trauma. Closed brain injuries, common in things such as motor vehicle accidents, occur when the head is impacted violently, but the skull is not penetrated. Open brain injuries occur when the skull is pierced, and brain tissue is penetrated and are common in things such as construction accidents. If a loved one has experienced an open or closed brain injury, then you need help from our Bakersfield brain injury lawyers.
Both open and closed head injuries can cause significant brain damage. Even when a brain injury is classified as mild, the long-term consequences can have a major impact on your cognitive and physical abilities and the lives of you and your family members. This type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) often results in ongoing medical intervention, but full recovery may be impossible.
If you or a loved one has sustained a brain injury in an accident, please contact the Law Offices of Mickey Fine online or by calling (661) 333-3333 to schedule a free consultation today. We maintain offices in Bakersfield to better serve brain injury victims throughout California.
Common Causes of Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries can occur in a variety of circumstances, such as car accidents, workplace injuries, or even a gunshot wound. The following are some of the most common reasons why we serve victims of such injuries.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car, truck, and motorcycle accidents can all cause their victims brain injuries. The force in which a human body is jostled around in a high-speed accident is often enough to cause brain injuries like minor concussions to severe injuries like brain bleeds and skull fractures. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 20% of brain injuries reported across the United States each year are caused by motor vehicle accidents.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents are the most common cause of TBI in the United States. In fact, these accidents account for 28% of traumatic brain injuries throughout the United States each year, according to the CDC. Slip and fall accidents are most common among people aged up to age 4 and people over the age of 75 years of age.
Construction Accidents
The construction industry poses many scenarios in which people can injure themselves. Brain injuries caused by slip-and-fall, scaffolding collapses, falling debris, and others can all cause serious injury to a construction worker. It is important for workers to wear all proper safety equipment while on the job to protect themselves as best they can to prevent a traumatic brain injury from happening.
Common Symptoms of Brain Injuries
Brain injury symptoms can vary drastically depending on the type of injury and extent of damage that has been done. In mild cases, brain injury symptoms may include temporary confusion, headache, or even a short loss of consciousness. However, if you acquired brain injuries for any reason, even these mild symptoms should be brought to the attention of a medical professional as soon as possible. Left untreated, brain injury can result in permanent disability or damage.
Immediate Symptoms of a Brain Injury
Loss of consciousness or inability to respond to others
Uneven pupil dilation
Vision issues, including blindness
Headaches and nausea
Ear ringing or hearing loss
Inability to speak
Loss of bowel or bladder control
Difficulties breathing
Loss of sensation in body parts
These symptoms of brain injury are often noticed on the scene of an accident, but brain injury is not always diagnosed quickly.
Long-Term Symptoms of a Brain Injury
Vertigo or problems balancing
Sluggishness
Feeling sleepy or constantly fatigued
Problems with concentration and memory
Inability to process new information
Lapses in good judgment
Loss of attention span
Emotional changes, including irritation and anxiety
Laughing, crying, or yelling at inappropriate times
Each person experiences brain injury differently, but all brain injuries can result in a permanent loss of function and may require extensive medical treatment to help overcome. Additionally, if your head injury was the result of an event that involved extensive bodily trauma, such as a car accident, you may need physical therapy or additional medical care to treat other serious injuries. In many cases, the injured person’s life is also deeply affected by the emotional trauma of the incident.
When your brain injury is the result of someone else’s negligence, you need an experienced brain injury attorney on your side to help ensure you are provided the compensation you will require to make the best recovery possible.
How Are Brain Injuries Diagnosed?
There are many ways that brain injuries are diagnosed in Bakersfield. Certain tests can be performed by medical professionals to diagnose concussions, and if the head injury is thought to be serious, imaging tests can be used to diagnose further what is wrong.
CT scans (Computed Tomography)
Also known as CAT scans, these image tests use tomography. A CT scan generates two-dimensional images of “slices” using x-rays to reveal damaged areas of the brain.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) scan
MRI tests use magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the brain. MRI scans are typically best for revealing brain stem and deep brain structural issues. Often, a medical professional will inject a dye to differentiate healthy tissue from unhealthy tissue.
Angiography
This imaging technique is used to visualize the inside of blood vessels and organs in the body. It can be used to detect blood vessel pathology when a penetrating head trauma occurs.
Intracranial Pressure Monitor
This device is placed inside the head and measures the pressure that is present inside the skull. When brain injuries result in brain swelling, this test can be very effective in revealing what can be done to stop the problem and stop additional damage from occurring.
The tests above are very important in diagnosing and treating head trauma. Please note that you should seek medical attention immediately if you believe you are suffering from a head injury to avoid further life-altering consequences.
How Do You Prove a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Brain injuries range in severity and type. Even mild brain trauma could leave you with long-term side effects that disrupt your daily life and require sustained treatment and medical expenses in order to recover. Traumatic brain injury symptoms that persist after expected recovery periods are sometimes categorized as “post-concussion syndrome.” Brain trauma victims can sometimes spend months or even years with compromised brain function, even if their traumatic brain injuries were deemed “mild.” Victims of traumatic brain injury claims sometimes worry that their symptoms won’t be taken seriously or that there isn’t enough substantial proof to support their right to recover compensation.
Our law firm is adept in personal injury law and experienced in handling all kinds of head injury cases. Our brain injury attorneys know exactly what steps are required to pursue your claim and hold the at-fault party responsible for your injuries. Many brain injuries are able to be proven through the above diagnostic techniques. However, if necessary, we are able to consult with outside medical and forensic experts who can help substantiate the effects of your physical injuries and provide additional documentation for your case.
Recovering From a Brain Injury After a Bakersfield Accident
Recovery from brain injury or severe head trauma is a long and often difficult process – and there is no guarantee that all function and ability will be restored. Costs associated with brain injury recovery typically reach hundreds of thousands of dollars and can even extend into the millions for severe cases. These costs are seldom fully covered by insurance companies. Those associated with non-economic damages – such as pain and suffering – will not be covered at all. This is why you need an experienced Bakersfield brain injury attorney on your side as soon as possible following your accident.
Tips that can aid in your recovery from a brain injury after an accident in Bakersfield include:
Stay away from activities that could be a threat to re-injuring your head
Follow the exact instructions your doctor gives you, and do not take any drugs that haven’t been prescribed to you
Rest up
If you encounter problems remembering things, write them down
Do not drive until your doctor clears you to do so
Contact a brain injury association or support group
Compensation for Brain Injuries
Your brain injury may be mild or very serious, but regardless of how “serious” it may appear, all brain injuries come with a price. You may suffer memory loss, headaches, behavioral changes, and struggle with living a normal life after a brain injury. Luckily, you don’t have to go about your struggle alone. If you have suffered a brain injury due to the negligence of someone else, you are entitled to pursue compensation for your injuries.
Hiring an experienced Bakersfield brain injury lawyer like Mickey Fine will help you recover the compensation that you need to move on with your life. Determining the amount of compensation you may be entitled to can be difficult and is dependent on certain circumstances of your case. Below, we will examine the types of damages you may be able to receive compensation for a brain injury case in Bakersfield.
Damages in Brain Injury Cases
In brain injury cases, there are two types of damages you can be compensated for.
Special Damages
Also known as economic losses, special damages have to do with the money that you may lose in the process of your brain injury. These are also known as “out-of-pocket” expenses, which include:
Lost wages
Loss of earning capacity
Medical bills
Funeral and burial expenses
Property damage
General Damages
General damages are non-economic losses that you may suffer in your brain injury case. This could include:
Pain and suffering
PTSD
Embarrassment
Shock
Loss of companionship
The best way to learn what compensation you may be entitled to in your brain injury case is through a free one-on-one consultation with Mickey Fine. Mickey will listen to the facts of your case, conduct a thorough investigation, and pursue compensation from the at-fault party on your behalf.
Do I Need A California Brain Injury Attorney?
If you or a loved one’s brain injury has disrupted your life, you’ll no doubt look first to your insurance company for financial compensation. However, costs associated with these brain injuries can quickly exceed insurance settlements. When this happens, and no legal action has been taken, victims and their families may find themselves without many options. To avoid this, it is best to have an experienced brain injury lawyer on your side before you even consider an insurance settlement.
Bakersfield personal injury attorney Mickey Fine has decades of experience helping families get proper compensation following brain injury. Taking all of your damages into account, Attorney Fine will build a strong case on your behalf and take it as far as necessary to help see that you are provided compensation for all current and future expenses.
Commonly Asked Questions About Brain Injuries in Bakersfield
How do I file a brain injury claim in Bakersfield, CA?
The first thing you need to do is get the medical attention that you need. Brain injuries are very serious in their nature and must be treated as such. They can cause long-term damage if they are not diagnosed and treated right away. After you have been diagnosed and treated, it is important to contact Mickey Fine and ask about your legal options. If your brain injury was caused by the negligence of another party, you have the right to seek compensation for your brain injury with the help of brain injury lawyer, Mickey Fine.
Who will pay my compensation in a brain injury claim in Bakersfield, CA?
In a brain injury case in Bakersfield, the at-fault party’s insurance company is responsible for paying the damages you incur in an accident. Whether you are injured in a car, truck, motorcycle, slip and fall or any other accident caused by negligence, you have the right to sue the at-fault party’s insurance company for compensation for your brain injury.
How much compensation can I receive for my brain injury?
The exact dollar figure that you will receive in a brain injury case in Bakersfield is hard to determine before legal proceedings are carried out. The severity of your injury, the party at fault, and the amount of medical bills you incur will all have an affect on the amount of compensation that you receive in your case. To get a better idea of what your case could be worth, contact Mickey Fine. He will be able to give you a better idea of what your legal options are and what the next steps in your case should be.
How long will my brain injury claim take to complete?
There are many factors that go into a brain injury claim that could prolong or shorten the length of your case. Gathering evidence, speaking with witnesses and insurance companies, as well as litigating a case all take time. Mickey Fine will do the best he can to get you the compensation you deserve, but it is important that you try and stay patient throughout the process. Sometimes, time can be your friend.
Should I accept an insurance settlement for my brain injury claim?
You should first speak to brain injury lawyer, Mickey Fine before accepting any insurance settlement offers. Mickey Fine will know whether or not your offer is fair for your injuries or not. If the offer is too low, Mickey will be able to fight for you and work to get you the compensation that you deserve.
