1. It’s estimated that 8
million people sustain brain injuries each year in the
United States. At least 2 million of those injured will
be permanently impaired.
Many head injuries could have been prevented, but
because of the negligence of someone else, a personal
injury results. A head injury, or traumatic brain
injury, can be defined as a trauma to the head that
results in an injury to the skull, brain, or scalp. The
head injury can range from mild to severe.
2. While many accidents do not result in death or
serious injury, other accidents dramatically affect
victims for the rest of their lives.
The long term effects of a traumatic brain or head
injury can include cognitive deficits, reduction in
physical deficits which can include walking, balance and
coordination, fine motor skills and strength and major
lifestyle changes. Other symptoms that affect a head
injury victim might include: emotional problems, speech
complications, loss of sensations, seizures, paralysis,
coma or even death.
3. Brain injuries can result from a variety of
accidents including those listed below.
At Brown and Crouppen, we have experience in all of
these areas and can help you determine what is the best
course of action for you to take.
- Automobiles
- Construction Sites
- Slip and falls
- Bikes, Scooters and
Motorcycles
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
Situation
- Violent Acts
- Sports and
Recreational events
- Plane crashes
- Railroad accidents
- Defective products
4. A brief period of unconsciousness, or just feeling
sick and dizzy, may result from a simple bang to the
head (i.e. hitting your head on a doorway) and it is
estimated that 75% of all head injuries fall into this
category.
The injury may seem minor, but the effects can be quite
troublesome. Symptoms experienced may include nausea,
headaches, dizziness, difficulty in concentrating,
lapses of memory, fatigue, intolerance to light and
noise, and even anxiety or depression.
5. If you are faced with someone who has suffered a
head injury, you should dial 911 immediately if victim
is: unconscious, seizing, unable to move body parts, or
has blood or fluid coming from the nose or ears.
If the above symptoms are not present, you should still
seek medical attention if victim is under 12 months of
age, complaining of severe or persistent headache,
drowsy, vomiting, slurring their speech, experiencing
difficulty in walking or experiencing vision problems.
If none of these symptoms are present, you should still
wake the victim every one or two hours that evening and
make sure the victim is aware of what is happening
around them.
6. You can try to fight your case without hiring an
attorney, but why?
Getting a competent legal opinion regarding your case
assures that your legal rights are protected. It is in
your best interest to at least have an attorney review
your case before you decide what course of action to
pursue. Insurance companies hire lawyers to protect
their interests. If you choose not to be represented by
a lawyer, know that you are on your own. Since insurance
company’s main goal is to make money, it is clear that
keeping injured people and lawyers apart makes good
business sense for them- but not for you.
7. Determining negligence can be a tricky matter.
Negligence is the failure to act reasonably in any given
situation. Negligence does not simply mean doing
something wrong. All of the following elements must
exist for an act to be considered negligent:
- Lack of reasonable
care
- Breach of duty
- Injury to the victim
- Forseeability (knowing
an act would occur based on the circumstances)
8. Hiring a lawyer
does not mean that your case will take years to settle
or that you will always have to go to court
At Brown and Crouppen, most of our personal injury cases
are finished in one year or less. As far as your fear of
having to go to court, don’t worry because it is rare
that any Brown and Crouppen client will ever have to go
to court. Through a lot of hard work, we have developed
a reputation in the legal community that allows us to
fairly settle most of our cases without the need to ever
step foot in a courtroom. The majority of our personal
injury cases are favorably settled in months- not years.
9. There are time limits in which you have to file
your claim. If you miss these deadlines, you will be
forever barred from bringing a claim against the
responsible party.
These time limits are called statutes of limitations and
vary by state. If you fail to file a claim within the
statute of limitations, your case is over, regardless of
whether or not you have received any money. Don’t let
this happen to you. Call Brown and Crouppen now.
10. It does not cost you any money in advanced to get
a lawyer for your head injury claim.
At Brown and Crouppen, we do not charge any up front
fees to take on your case. Legal fees and expenses are
paid at the conclusion of your case and only if we are
successful in getting you a settlement. If we are
unsuccessful, you owe us nothing. We believe that we
should make money only after you make money.
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