Winter Park Brain Injury Lawyers - Paul Knopf Bigger

A brain injury often has devastating consequences for victims and their families. Following the accident, you or your loved one will most likely require intensive medical care and rehabilitation to cope with lifelong physical or cognitive difficulties. If someone else is responsible for your injury, you could be entitled to seek compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

At Paul Knopf Bigger, our attorneys can help you pursue financial relief and accountability for the harm you suffered. We are dedicated to advocating for the rights of accident victims and treat every client with the compassion and respect they deserve. With a proven track record of winning cases at the negotiating table and in the courtroom, we have the experience, resources, and skills to get you the best possible outcome.

Contact Paul Knopf Bigger today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Winter Park brain injury attorney.

What Are the Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is brain damage caused by a force or blow to the head or body or by an object piercing the skull. Some of the most common types of traumatic brain injuries include:

  • Concussion – A mild brain injury characterized by temporary changes to brain function. It usually resolves in a few days to a few weeks. However, suffering multiple concussions in a short period can cause severe or life-altering complications.
  • Contusion – A brain bruise caused by the brain hitting the inside of the skull.
  • Coup-Contrecoup – This occurs when the brain hits the inside of the skull with enough force to ricochet and strike the opposite side of the skull, causing bruises on both sides of the brain.
  • Hemorrhage – This is bleeding inside or on the brain’s surface. It can become life-threatening without immediate treatment.
  • Hematoma – Pooling or clotting of the blood on the surface of or inside the brain, which can increase the risk of complications, such as stroke.
  • Penetrating Brain Injury – A TBI that occurs when a foreign object penetrates the skull and damages brain tissues.
  • Second Impact Injury – This occurs while a person is recovering from a previous brain injury. The second injury usually causes far more severe symptoms than the first.
  • Diffuse Axonal Injury – This stems from twisting forces on the brain that shear the connections between nerve cells called axons. When those connections are severed, life-threatening complications can arise.

What Are Common Causes of Brain Injuries in Florida?

Some of the most common causes of brain injuries include:

What Are Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic brain injuries can cause various physical and psychological symptoms. The most common symptoms of mild brain injuries include:

  • Headaches
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Fatigue or drowsiness
  • Difficulty with speech
  • Dizziness or problems maintaining balance
  • Blurred vision
  • Ringing in the ears
  • A bad taste in the mouth
  • Sensitivity to light or sound
  • Brief loss of consciousness
  • Feeling confused or disoriented
  • Memory and concentration problems
  • Mood changes
  • Onset of feelings of depression or anxiety
  • Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
  • Sleeping more than usual

Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries often have much more noticeable and dangerous symptoms, such as:

  • Loss of consciousness for several minutes to several hours, or onset of coma or other consciousness disorders
  • Persistent or worsening headaches
  • Persistent nausea and vomiting
  • Convulsions or seizures
  • Dilated pupils
  • Clear fluids draining from the ears or nose
  • Weakness or numbness in fingers and toes
  • Loss of coordination
  • Severe confusion
  • Agitation or combativeness
  • Slurred speed
  • Inability to awaken from sleep

What Are the Long-Term Impacts of a Brain Injury

Depending on the severity of a brain injury, a person can experience various long-term complications. Some of the long-term impacts of moderate to severe brain injuries include:

  • Prolonged or permanent changes to consciousness, including coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, or brain death
  • Seizures or epilepsy
  • Increased risk of brain infections
  • Blood vessel damage that increases the risk of blood clots and stroke
  • Vertigo
  • Recurring headaches or migraines
  • Paralysis of facial muscles
  • Lost or altered senses of taste or smell
  • Altered vision
  • Dizziness
  • Hearing loss
  • Persistent ringing in the ears/tinnitus
  • Cognitive or executive functioning problems
  • Difficulty with speech or writing or understanding spoken or written language
  • Trouble organizing thoughts
  • Problems with social skills
  • Behavioral changes
  • Emotional issues, including depression, anxiety, mood swings, irritability, or loss of empathy
  • Increased risk for degenerative brain diseases

What Treatment Is There for a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Treatment for a TBI depends on the severity of the injury. Mild brain injuries, such as concussions, typically require no treatment beyond rest and over-the-counter pain relievers for headaches.

However, moderate to severe brain injuries require prompt medical treatment. Emergency care for a brain injury focuses on ensuring adequate blood and oxygen flow to the brain and preventing further injury to the head or neck. Patients may receive medications to prevent seizures, decrease brain swelling, or induce a temporary coma to reduce the brain’s need for oxygen as it heals. Some patients may undergo surgery to repair skull fractures, remove fragments or foreign debris, stop persistent bleeding, remove blood clots, or relieve pressure on the brain.

After a moderate to severe TBI stabilizes, treatment shifts to rehabilitation to help a patient reestablish motor, speech, and cognitive skills or learn adaptations to cope with permanent disabilities caused by the injury. Rehab services may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, neuropsychological treatment, recreational therapy, and vocational counseling.

What Compensation Can I Pursue for a Traumatic Brain Injury?

If you suffer a TBI caused by someone else, you could pursue compensation for financial and personal losses you incur due to the injury. You might be eligible for money for the following:

  • Medical treatment and rehab, including hospitalizations, surgeries, medication, and physical, occupational, or speech therapy
  • Costs of care and support services you need to help cope with long-term or permanent disabilities caused by your injury
  • Lost wages and income if you cannot work while healing from injuries
  • Loss of future earning capacity if you cannot return to work
  • Physical pain and emotional distress from your injury, subsequent treatment, or resulting physical or cognitive disabilities
  • Lost quality of life or reduced life expectancy

How Long Do I Have to File a Traumatic Brain Injury Lawsuit in Florida?

The Florida statute of limitations typically gives plaintiffs two years from the injury date to file a brain injury lawsuit. Two years might sound like plenty of time, but you should consult Paul Knopf Bigger immediately after an accident. Our attorneys will need months to build a solid case.

Further, if you file a lawsuit after the statutory deadline, the court will likely dismiss your case, and you will lose your chance to seek compensation in civil court. For this reason, contact our law firm as soon as possible after an accident to ensure your brain injury claim gets filed on time.

What a Winter Park, FL, Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney Can Do

After suffering a TBI, you deserve to concentrate your time and energy on healing. A Winter Park brain injury lawyer from Paul Knopf Bigger can handle all the details in preparing and pursuing your legal case, allowing you to focus on a full recovery.

When you hire our firm, we can build a solid case for you by:

  • Gathering evidence for your case by conducting a thorough investigation of the accident or incident that caused your injury
  • Determining who is liable for your injury and related losses
  • Documenting the extent of your injuries and calculating your past, ongoing, and future expenses to help you pursue the total compensation you need
  • Communicating and negotiating with insurance adjusters, corporate representatives, and defense attorneys on your behalf to take the stress of your case off your shoulders
  • Aggressively pursuing maximum compensation for you through a settlement or, if necessary, by going to trial to advocate for you

Contact a Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney in Winter Park, FL, Today

If you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury due to someone’s negligence or recklessness, you deserve accountability and compensation from at-fault parties. At Paul Knopf Bigger, we can help you pursue financial relief for medical bills, lost wages, and other losses. Our legal team understands the challenges you face, and we will give your case the utmost care and attention.

Contact our law firm today for a free initial consultation to discuss your brain injury case and learn more about your legal options for obtaining compensation.