Brain injuries often result in some of the larger car accident settlements. Accident victims are being paid for the injuries that they have suffered and how their condition may dictate the rest of their lives.
If you suffered a head or brain injury in a crash, it is essential that you seek prompt medical treatment. How soon you see a doctor can determine the course of the rest of your life because a doctor may be able to help you recover. If you have suffered a head injury in a collision, the Columbia brain injury attorneys at Rikard & Protopapas can fight for you to receive full compensation for your injuries.
When to Seek Medical Treatment for a Brain Injury
Any type of injury to the head requires immediate medical attention. Brain injuries can grow worse over time without medical treatment.
Your chances of making a recovery from the brain injury improve somewhat when you see a doctor to get your injury diagnosed and treated. Either you or a loved one must take the initiative to ensure that you get immediate medical treatment.
Some brain injuries after a car accident are immediately apparent. Symptoms can be apparent at the scene of the accident. However, other injuries take some time to become noticeable. You may begin to notice symptoms of a brain injury in the days after the accident.
Signs that you may need medical attention include if you:
- Have a headache that will not go away and may be worsening.
- Feel listless and tired.
- Have a sensitivity to light.
- Become confused and cannot focus or think like you did before the accident.
- Experienced weakness or seizures.
The Importance of Seeking Treatment for a Car Accident Head Injury
Some brain injuries may present symptoms that are similar to other types of injuries. You need to be vigilant to seek treatment. If you wait too long to see a doctor, your symptoms can grow worse.
There may be a point where your injuries can become permanent, and medical treatment cannot make as much of a difference. In addition, the insurance company may challenge you, arguing that you could have made a difference in your condition by seeking medical treatment earlier. Always be vigilant whenever your health is concerned.
Brain Injuries That Can Cause You Permanent Damage
Brain injuries have varying symptoms and severity. There is no such thing as a minor brain injury, although some are far more serious.
In a collision, you may suffer a concussion, which is caused by a bump to the head or some other kind of trauma. Here, the brain may slam against the base of the skull, which can lead to a stretching of the brain tissue. A concussion may also cause chemical changes to the brain. In most cases, you would eventually heal from a concussion, but there could be some permanent effects.
Other types of injuries can put a patient’s life in danger and have a far higher chance of causing you long-term effects. When brain tissue dies, it does not regenerate itself. It is not difficult for brain tissue to become permanently damaged or die. For example, if there is bleeding or swelling on the brain, it could cause damage to the brain tissue.
Trauma to the brain can cause injury, both to the point of impact and the opposite side of the brain from where the impact occurred. In a car accident, the head could slam against a fixed object, such as a steering wheel.
One of the most serious types of brain trauma is called a diffuse axonal injury. The brain is shaken or twisted inside the skull, shearing the connecting fibers in the brain. The messages that the neurons send to the rest of the body can no longer be sent, causing permanent damage to the brain.
What Determines the Size of a Car Accident Brain Injury Settlement
The settlement amounts for a TBI can vary widely. Everything depends on how seriously you or your loved one have been injured. Car accident settlements depend on both the severity of your injury and how much insurance coverage the other driver and you had.
The Glasgow Coma Scale measures the severity of a brain injury. The scale assigns a numerical rating for a brain injury based on the alertness and responsiveness of the patient following the brain injury. Any type of brain injury is considered severe, although there are different degrees of severity. The Glasgow Coma Scale gives points for the following:
- Eye opening
- Verbal response
- Motor response
There are three types of brain injury on the Glasgow Scale:
- A score from 13 to 15 denotes a concussion, and it is the most mild type of brain injury, and you would largely recover from this injury, albeit with some possible long-term effects.
- Moderate brain injuries result in a score between 9-12. The patient would be left with some long-term effects of the brain injury and the potential loss of cognitive function.
- A score of eight or below is considered a severe brain injury, and the patient would likely have significant long-term effects and the permanent loss of critical functions.
Your brain injury settlement would be determined by the following factors:
- The extent of the future medical expenses and care that you need
- How much money you were earning before the injury
- The pain and suffering that you are enduring and will go through the future
- How much of your previous life you are no longer able to enjoy
Contact a Columbia Car Accident Attorney Today
The attorneys at Rikard & Protopapas represent car accident victims in the legal process. We can file a claim or lawsuit on your behalf, taking on the insurance company when they try to shortchange you on your brain injury claim. We protect your legal rights, doing battle with anyone who tries to stand between you and a full and fair settlement. You can speak with one of our auto accident attorneys during a free consultation. Call us today at 803-978-6111 or send us a message online to discuss your case.