Orlando Brain Injury Lawyers - Paul Knopf Bigger
Getting into an accident that causes a brain injury can cause devastating lifelong complications. Severe traumatic brain injuries often require expensive medical care and leave victims unable to return to work. If another person’s negligence caused your injury, you shouldn’t have to bear the financial burden. An Orlando brain injury attorney from Paul Knopf Bigger can help you pursue the compensation and accountability you deserve.
We are committed to providing the personalized, compassionate service that accident and injury victims deserve. We have a reputation in the legal community as a trustworthy partner. Our attorneys have earned awards and accolades from organizations and publications such as Super Lawyers®, Martindale-Hubbell, and The Best Lawyers in America.
If you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident caused by someone else, you may have the right to recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. Contact Paul Knopf Bigger today for a free consultation to learn your legal options.
What Are the Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by either a force or blow to the body or head or an object piercing the skull and causing an injury or trauma. There are various types of TBIs, including the following:
- Concussions – Also called a mild brain injury, a concussion involves a temporary change in brain function lasting for a few days to a few weeks. Concussion symptoms usually resolve on their own, although repeated concussions can increase the risk of more severe symptoms and brain damage.
- Contusions – Bruising of the brain caused by the brain striking the inside of the skull is called a contusion.
- Coup-Contrecoup – A coup-contrecoup is a type of brain bruise that occurs when the brain hits the inside of the skull with enough force to rebound and strike the other side, causing bruising on opposing sides of the brain.
- Hemorrhage – Bleeding inside or on the surface of the brain that occurs when blood vessels rupture is called hemorrhage. Uncontrolled bleeding can cause life-threatening brain damage due to increased pressure on the brain or lack of sufficient oxygen flow.
- Hematoma – A buildup or clotting of blood inside or on the brain’s surface is a hematoma. Hematomas come with an increased risk of stroke.
- Penetrating Brain Injury – A penetrating brain injury is a type of traumatic brain injury that occurs when an object breaks through the skull to penetrate the brain and damage brain tissue.
- Second Impact Syndrome – This is a traumatic brain injury that occurs while a person recovers from a prior brain injury. A second injury during recovery frequently causes more severe symptoms and complications.
- Diffuse Axonal Injury – The twisting or shaking of the brain inside the skull causes this injury. These forces can sever the connections between nerves called axons, potentially leading to life-threatening brain damage.
What Are Common Causes of Brain Injuries?
At Paul Knopf Bigger, our dedicated attorneys advocate for clients who have experienced brain injuries due to various accidents or harmful situations, including:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Defective product accidents
- Dangerous property/premises liability accidents
- Medical malpractice, including birth injuries
- Nursing home abuse
What Are Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A brain injury’s symptoms will depend on the type and severity of the injury. Symptoms may appear immediately following an accident or manifest in the days or weeks following the injury. Examples of symptoms of a mild brain injury or concussion include:
- Headaches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fatigue/drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Speech issues
- Blurred vision
- Ringing in the ears
- A bad taste in the mouth
- Changes to smell
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Loss of consciousness lasting a few seconds or minutes
- Feeling dazed or disoriented
- Memory or concentration problems
- Mood changes
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Sleeping more than normal
Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries tend to cause more serious symptoms or complications, such as:
- Loss of consciousness lasting several minutes to several hours
- Onset of consciousness disorders such as coma or vegetative state
- Persistent or worsening headaches or migraines
- Persistent nausea or repeated vomiting
- Dilated eye pupils
- Leaking clear fluids from the nose or ears
- Inability to awaken from sleep
- Loss of coordination
- Weakness or numbness in fingers and toes
- Severe confusion
- Slurred speech
- Agitation or other unusual behavior
What Are the Long-Term Impacts of a Brain Injury?
A mild brain injury, like a concussion, usually has no long-term impact. But multiple concussions may increase the risk of degenerative brain diseases like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Moderate to severe brain injuries frequently have long-term complications, including:
- Prolonged or permanent consciousness disorders, such as coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, or locked-in syndrome
- Repeated seizures/epilepsy
- Increased risk of brain infections
- Damaged blood vessels that increase blood clot and stroke risk
- Persistent headaches and migraines
- Vertigo
- Cranial nerve damage can cause facial paralysis or changes to vision, smell, hearing, and taste
- Impairments to memory, cognitive ability, and executive functioning
- Difficulty speaking or writing or understanding written or spoken language
- Loss of social skills or difficulties with social communication
- Behavioral changes, including reduced self-control, increased risk-taking, verbal or physical outbursts, depression, anxiety, mood swings, or irritability
- Increased risk for degenerative brain diseases
What Treatment Is There for a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Mild traumatic brain injuries will typically resolve on their own and require no treatment beyond rest, refraining from strenuous physical or mental activities, and over-the-counter pain relievers for headaches. However, healthcare providers, family, and friends should continue to monitor someone with a mild brain injury for persistent or worsening symptoms, which may indicate a more severe injury than initially diagnosed.
Moderate to severe brain injuries will require medical attention and treatment. Treatment immediately following an accident will focus on maintaining blood/oxygen flow to the brain and preventing further injury to the head or neck. Emergency treatment may also include reducing damaging or life-threatening swelling of the brain.
A TBI victim may receive anti-seizure drugs, diuretics to reduce swelling, or coma-inducing drugs to reduce the brain’s oxygen needs while it heals. A patient may undergo surgery for various reasons, such as repairing skull fractures, removing foreign objects, opening a window in the skull to relieve pressure on the brain, stopping bleeding, or removing blood clots.
Once a patient’s condition has stabilized, treatment shifts to rehabilitation to help them reestablish motor function and fine motor control, treat speech issues, and learn adaptations for permanent disabilities. Rehab may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, neuropsychological therapy, recreational therapy, and vocational therapy/counseling.
What Compensation Can I Pursue for a Traumatic Brain Injury?
If you suffered a traumatic brain injury, you could pursue compensation for financial and personal losses. You might be entitled to money for:
- Costs of treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care/support for your brain injury and any resulting disabilities
- Loss of wages or income if you need to take medical leave while recovering from your injuries or transfer to a lower-paying alternative position
- Loss of future earnings and job benefits
- Pain and suffering caused by your injuries and treatment
- Loss of quality of life due to long-term or permanent disabilities caused by your brain injury
How Long Do I Have to File a Traumatic Brain Injury Lawsuit in Florida?
Under the statute of limitations in Florida, you typically have two years from the date of a brain injury to file a lawsuit. Although two years may seem like a long time, immediately contacting a brain injury lawyer in Orlando is crucial after an accident. Your attorney will need time to collect evidence and build your case. If you wait too long to file your lawsuit, you may lose the opportunity to recover compensation in civil court.
What an Orlando Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney Can Do
Recovering from a traumatic brain injury can be a long process, but you don’t have to go through it alone. You deserve the time and space to heal and the financial resources to pay for your recovery.
While you focus on your treatment and rehabilitation, we at Paul Knopf Bigger can handle the details of preparing and pursuing your brain injury claim, including:
- Thoroughly investigating the circumstances that caused your brain injury, in order to gather evidence to build your case and identify the liable party
- Evaluating your options for financial relief, including potentially applicable insurance coverage
- Gathering medical records, bills, invoices, receipts, and income statements to document your injuries and calculate your ongoing and future losses
- Preparing and filing your insurance and legal claims and handling communications or negotiations with insurance adjusters and defense attorneys to keep the stress of your case off your shoulders
- Aggressively pursuing the maximum compensation you need and deserve through a full settlement or, if necessary, by taking your case to trial
Contact a Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney in Orlando Today
After a brain injury caused by someone else, you need a law firm to advocate for your rights and interests and demand accountability. Contact Paul Knopf Bigger today for a free no-obligation consultation on your legal rights and options.