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Brain Injury

Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most catastrophic injuries you can receive after an accident. When your accident is caused by the recklessness of another person, according to the law, the negligent party should have to pay for any treatment you may require. To ensure that you’re covered for all the damage caused by the accident, you need the best brain injury lawyer in New Jersey to represent your interests. Call a brain injury attorney at RAM Law as soon as possible following the accident to make sure all the necessary evidence is collected to prove negligence and to record the associated costs.

Why Do I Need a New Jersey Brain Injury Lawyer?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a life-changing event for many families and an early consultation with a brain injury attorney provides the relief you’re going to need to pay for all the treatment and follow-up after an accident. Many people who experience TBIs develop social, physical and emotional issues brought on by the injury. It’s especially frustrating when the accident was someone else’s fault. You and your family can benefit from a knowledgeable brain injury lawyer in New Jersey who advocates for you during recovery and rehabilitation.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, nearly 1.7 million people experience head trauma in this country every year. It’s one of the major causes of death or disability in the U.S. Traumatic brain injuries cause both short-term and long-term medical concerns that impact all facets of life. With special treatment, many of these issues can improve or be resolved, but some conditions are permanent.

Whether your TBI is due to a slip and fall, an accident at work or a rear-end collision, you want to work with an experienced brain injuries attorney who can successfully navigate the complexities of TBI lawsuits. In the New Jersey area, RAM Law is a proven ally for personal injury cases, from catastrophic injuries like TBIs and spinal cord injuries to accidents at amusement parks.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury occurs after a hard blow to the head and the brain is shaken inside the skull. When this happens, the brain is often damaged, including injury to the blood vessels. This type of impact alters the chemicals in your brain so that it doesn’t function as it should.

Often, the medical complications arising from the injury appear later and change over time. People with mild TBIs typically recover in a brief period of time, while people with more severe brain injuries often develop a permanent disability. Any TBI is a significant medical concern that impacts how your brain operates. You may need treatments or other accommodations to function normally.

A TBI is usually caused by an accident for which you need the assistance of New Jersey brain injury attorneys. Accidents that very often involve a severe blow to the head include:

  • Car accidents in personal vehicles, taxis, Ubers and Lyfts
  • Accidents with trucks
  • Bus accidents
  • Motorcycle, scooter and bicycle accidents

What Other Times Do I Need a New Jersey Brain Injury Attorney?

While vehicular accidents may be more common and easier to prove, especially when drivers are charged with speeding or distracted driving, individuals and businesses often play a role in accidents that lead to traumatic brain injuries. Each year, nearly half of the hospitalizations from TBI are due to some kind of fall.

Falls and other common accidents that cause TBI occur as people of all ages move through their daily routine, work or leisure activities. Common accidents that lead to TBIs caused by others’ negligence include falls that are due to conditions such as:

  • Poorly maintained roads or sidewalks
  • Lack of sufficient lighting
  • Improper use of scaffolding
  • Insufficient crane operator training
  • Construction site negligence
  • Swimming pools with no signage or lifeguards

What Types of Negligent Behaviors Cause TBI Injuries?

Most types of TBI injuries occur through negligence without purpose. In other words, the person or business owner was inconsiderate, thoughtless, reckless or careless and your brain injury lawyer in New Jersey proves they should have foreseen the problems and taken care to avoid accidents with guests and visitors. Knowing local laws and authorities ensures an NJ personal injury attorney takes advantage of all known resources to make your case for negligence.

On the other hand, some people willfully harm others and cause injuries that could include traumatic brain injuries. Intentional actions or violent criminal behaviors that could result in a TBI include:

  • Gunshot wounds
  • Domestic violence
  • Sexual abuse
  • Child abuse
  • Shaken baby syndrome
  • Explosive blasts

Whether the TBI is caused by an unfortunate accident or a willful act of violence, it can be life-altering. Some effects are short lived, and some are more long term, but they can all disrupt your lifestyle. Your TBI attorney aims to settle your case to help you manage the costs of recovery.

What Can I Expect after a Traumatic Brain Injury?

What happens after a TBI varies depending on your health and the severity of the injury. People with mild TBIs can expect the after-effects to last anywhere from several hours to three months before recovering. Injuries that are moderate to severe may have long-lasting or permanent impacts on your health. These can include one or more areas that involve:

  • Medical concerns that require treatment
  • Physical issues that require physical, occupational and speech therapy
  • Adaptive equipment and home health aids
  • Cognitive problems associated with learning, memory and personality

The good news is that with proper treatment, most people can expect continued improvement even years after the injury. An experienced brain injury lawyer in New Jersey, like those at RAM law, helps you navigate the costs of treatment during recovery and rehabilitation.

What Are the Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury?

The symptoms of TBI differ from person to person. Sometimes, the symptoms appear immediately and sometimes they take a week or more to develop. You may not connect a symptom to the bump on your head. In addition, the symptoms tend to alter during the time your brain recovers from a traumatic brain injury.

Symptoms of most TBIs that are mild, rather than moderate or severe still require treatment for which your personal injury claim covers and typically include:

  • Headaches
  • Dizziness and balance issues
  • Blurred vision and light sensitivity
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Confusion and memory loss
  • Sense of moving in slow motion
  • Anxiety, irritability and nervousness
  • Trouble falling asleep, sleeping more hours than before or sleeping fewer hours than before

You may experience any number of issues, from just a few to a great many. And whatever your circumstance, it’s common to have the symptoms change or disappear over time. No two head traumas are alike. The symptoms of a moderate or severe TBI are much more serious and longer lasting than those of a mild brain injury. In addition to the milder symptoms listed above, you may also notice:

  • Loss of consciousness or coma
  • Weakness in the legs and arms
  • Change in sense of touch or taste
  • Problems communicating
  • Depression or sadness
  • Anger or aggressiveness
  • Problems managing behavior
  • Excessive sleepiness during the day
  • Sleepwalking
  • Sleep apnea

Many health issues that result from more severe TBIs cause long-lasting or even permanent disability. With treatment, however, it’s often possible to lessen the severity of the symptoms. TBI doctors can assist with the appropriate treatment. In the case of accidents caused by negligence, your TBI attorney assists with getting appropriate compensation to cover the costs for as long as you need the services.

How Does a TBI Get in the Way of Everyday Tasks or Interactions?

When symptoms of a TBI continue for extended periods of time, sometimes years and often for the rest of your life, you may require ongoing care that your brain injury lawyer in New Jersey aims to get compensated in your final settlement. A severe blow to the head, for example, often leads to cognitive problems that include issues with:

  • Judgment
  • Reasoning
  • Memory
  • Concentration
  • Learning
  • Multi-tasking
  • Critical thinking

Quite often these issues make it difficult to complete or begin even the simplest tasks. In addition, your brain injury often impacts skills associated with communication and social interaction, such as:

  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Engaging in and following conversations
  • Understanding non-verbal signals
  • Expressing meaning through changes in tone or emphasis

These issues are likely to cause a variety of problems in your personal and work relationships. With any traumatic brain disorder, you’re at risk for developing a variety of complications, including:

  • Seizures
  • Brain bleeds
  • Movement disorders
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
  • Coma or state of minimal consciousness

Get medical treatment immediately following an accident in which you banged your head. Without treatment, TBIs can lead to:

  • Stroke
  • Increased risk of second-impact syndrome
  • Infections
  • Post-traumatic epilepsy

In addition to these complications, some research suggests that head and brain injuries can lead to degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Your risk of developing these complications depends on anything from the location of the blow to a lack of proper treatment.

Who’s Most Likely to Need a Brain Injury Attorney in New Jersey?

According to 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, groups of people in the United States that are more at risk for experiencing a traumatic brain injury include:

  • People over 75. This age group accounts for more TBI related hospitalizations than any other group. In addition, the numbers may be even higher because so many TBIs go undetected in this category, as the symptoms of aging are similar to those of TBI in many cases.
  • Children and young adults. Most vulnerable are those under age four and those between the ages of 15 and 24.
  • Men are twice as likely to suffer a TBI than females, due to the nature of the sports they participate in, risks they take and the jobs they tend to favor.

Other groups of people in the U.S. that are more vulnerable for an occurrence of TBI include:

  • Service members and veterans
  • Racial and ethnic minorities
  • People experiencing homelessness
  • People in correctional facilities
  • People who live in rural areas

What Treatments Aid Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Once the most immediate medical issues are resolved, patients are prescribed a variety of treatments to assist in brain injury rehabilitation. With mild TBIs, such as a concussion, the treatment may simply be a period of rest. With moderate to severe injuries, recovery is more involved. This typically includes the following short- or long-term therapies to regain physical, mental, emotional and social abilities. Your rehabilitation process typically begins during the initial hospitalization. After a period of time, the treatments typically continue at outpatient programs or with home healthcare workers.

Since falls are the cause of more hospitalizations with TBI than any other kind of accident, prevent negligent accidents in your home or business by taking precautions to prevent guests and visitors from experiencing the devastating effects of this injury. Safety measures around your home and business you need to take to avoid accidents, particularly if you serve older adults, include:

  • Installing handrails on staircases
  • Installing handrails in bathrooms
  • Removing area rugs
  • Installing nonslip measures in in tubs and showers
  • Keeping stairs and sidewalks clutter-free
  • Improving lighting around steps and stairs
  • Installing safety gates in homes with small children
  • Following the local laws regarding warning signage

Why Should I Contact a Brain Injury Attorney in New Jersey after a Head Trauma Accident?

If the fall was due to negligence that was out of your control, consult a TBI attorney for help with compensation. Quite often the costs that result from a TBI are staggering — physically, emotionally and financially. For many people, the expenses creep into millions of dollars for a lifetime of support and rehabilitation. When due to negligence of another party, it’s only fair that they bear the costs of the accident. In cases like these, a brain injuries attorney is best equipped to recover your losses.

Complex Brain Injuries Require Representation – Contact Our Injury Lawyers at Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo, L.L.P. Today

Accidents can result in catastrophic injuries, staggering medical expenses, and life-altering disabilities or death. You need an experienced accident lawyer with exceptional experience. Call Rebenack, Aronow & Mascolo, L.L.P. today at 732-247-3600 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Located in New Brunswick, Somerville, and Freehold, New Jersey, we serve clients in Middlesex County, Monmouth County, and Somerset County.

 

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20378557

https://ramlawnj.com

https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/data/index.html

https://brain-amn.org/how-does-tbi-affect-sleep/

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8874-traumatic-brain-injury

https://www.shepherd.org/programs/brain-injury/about/causes

https://www.gairgair.com/traumatic-brain-injury-lawyer-nyc.html

https://ramlawnj.com/truck-accidents/common-injuries-in-truck-accidents/spinal-cord-injuries/

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/head-injury

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To schedule a confidential consultation, contact us online or call our offices, in New Brunswick at (732) 247-3600, in Somerville at (908) 448-2560, or in Manalapan at (732) 828-2234.

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