Table of Contents

• What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
• Types of Accidents That Cause TBIs
• Common Types of TBIs
• Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury
• Traumatic Brain Injury Statistics
• Factors That Can Influence a TBI Settlement
• North Port Slip and Fall FAQs
• Reach out to a North Port Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer Today!

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic brain injuries are one of the most devastating yet common types of injuries you can suffer in almost any kind of accident. These types of injuries can occur any time your head hits against something or violently jolts or shakes. A brain injury’s physical and psychological burdens can be long-term and put you on a difficult road to recovery – not to mention the financial difficulties and costs of regular medical treatment and extensive rehabilitation for TBIs can become overwhelming.

There are several types of traumatic brain injuries, but concussions are the most common. Once considered a minor injury, research on the long-term effects and potentially severe consequences of concussions are alarming.

You should take any degree of brain injury seriously, which is why you should seek the advice of a medical professional even if you suspect you’ve only suffered a mild brain injury. If your injuries result in a permanent disability or require you to re-learn routine tasks or enjoy your previous standard of living, consider how having a North Port traumatic brain injury lawyer can assist you through this ordeal.

Types of Accidents That Cause TBIs

Any impact that comes into contact with the head or violent force that jars the brain can cause a traumatic brain injury. A substantial force that penetrates the skull may also result in severe damage to the brain. Accidents often cause traumatic brain injuries.

Some common types of accident that lead to life-changing head injuries include:

• Car accidents on Price Boulevard
• Bicycle accidents on the Boca Grande Bike Path
• Motorcycle accidents on Toledo Blade Boulevard
• Truck accidents on I-75
• Pedestrian accidents walking to Port Charlotte Beach
• Sports injury accidents, especially for students at North Port High School
• Slip and fall accidents at Winn-Dixie or Walmart

Victims of traumatic brain injuries may suffer permanent damage such as personality changes, problems with their movement, senses, emotions, or cognitive abilities. Our North Port traumatic brain injury lawyers have experience representing clients who have suffered brain injuries due to a variety of different accident types.

Common Types of TBIs

A traumatic brain injury can result from many different situations and have lasting effects. TBIs disrupt normal brain functions due to a violent blow to the head, jolt to the body, or penetrating brain injury. A traumatic brain injury may occur when the brain collides with the inside of the skull after a violent impact, like a motor vehicle accident. Brain tissue may bruise, bleed, or become torn in severe cases. A skull fracture can pierce the brain and cause devastating consequences.

TBIs can fall into three categories:

• Crushing injuries – The skull may suffer damage if someone’s head gets compressed between two objects, resulting in brain damage.
• Penetrating brain injuries – The brain may suffer a puncture wound due to penetrating objects or if a person’s skull cracks or fractures in an accident.
• Closed head injuries – When a direct force causes the brain to bounce off against the skull, it can trigger significant cell damage. Injuries of this nature often go unrecognized yet are the most common.

Victims of traumatic brain injuries may never fully recover from their injuries because, unlike most body tissue, the brain cannot regenerate its cells. Brain functions diminish once cells suffer damage and their connections break. A North Port brain injury lawyer can help you pursue compensation for your losses if your TBI was the result of a person or business entity’s negligence.

Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury

The effects of a serious brain injury can take days or weeks to become evident, which is why seeking an early diagnosis and swift medical action after an accident is crucial. A common type of TBI is a concussion, and although some typically consider it a minor injury, it is still serious.

Even if symptoms of a brain injury seem minor, you should get an evaluation and treatment from your primary care physician.

Common signs of a severe brain injury include:

• Persistent headaches
• Memory problems
• Dizziness
• Slurred speech
• Nausea and vomiting
• Disorientation
• Difficulty concentrating
• Problems with vision
• Emotional problems
• Seizures
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Mood swings
• Loss of consciousness
• Lack of balance
• Changes in personality

If you suffer a brain injury, it can change various aspects of your life and cause you to lose essential physical or mental abilities. Victims who suffer traumatic brain injuries may need to give up part of their independence due to a permanent disability or experience a devastating effect on the quality and way they enjoy their lives.

While every TBI case is unique, time is typically the best indicator of whether the injured party will have a chance to improve. However, many victims of traumatic brain injuries experience long-term risks such as significant memory loss, and these effects are not reversible.

Treating a severe brain injury can become costly and require ongoing therapy or even round-the-clock care. The physical impact of these brain injuries is readily apparent, but the emotional effects an injured person may experience can be harder to see. For example, a sudden personality change that results from a TBI can cause the victim to become moody or even aggressive. When accident victims suffer TBIs because of someone’s negligent behavior, they have a right to hold them accountable for their losses.

Traumatic Brain Injury Statistics

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that as of 2014 the last year for which the organization has published statistics 2.87 million people went to the hospital for TBIs. Of those, 837,000 were children. Breaking that statistic down, the CDC found that 2.53 million people, including 812,000 children, went to the emergency room; 288,000 people, including 23,000 children, were admitted to the hospital; and 56,800 people, including 2,529 children, died as a result of TBIs.

Retaining Boohoff Law’s Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys

When you are in an accident, you might have the right to financial compensation for your injuries. Many people believe that it’s easy enough to settle with an insurance company, whether it’s your vehicle insurance, a business’s insurance company, or someone’s homeowner’s insurance company. However, insurance companies are in business to make money. Paying out on a claim for long-term injuries such as TBIs diminishes their bottom lines. Most insurance companies will offer the smallest settlement possible, just to get you to go away. If you deserve to recover damages, you deserve more than token compensation. The insurance companies not only have to reimburse you for medical care for your injuries, lost wages, and more, but they also have to pay their attorneys to prepare a case if you decide to litigate. They would much rather you not retain an attorney and take the token offer. Even if you retain an attorney and settle with the insurance company, you are likely going to get a better offer the insurance company knows that if the offer is not fair enough that the attorney will recommend litigation. If you have an attorney, the insurance company will almost always make a better offer in the hopes of avoiding court. However, that better offer is not always enough.

No amount of money can ever make you whole again after a catastrophic accident, but seeking financial restitution if you suffered injuries due to another party’s negligence can help you move forward with greater peace of mind. Don’t sacrifice your financial stability attempting to cover the cost of all the losses you’ve suffered as a result of a TBI.

If a negligent person, business, or defective product caused your injury, consider speaking to an experienced North Port traumatic brain injury lawyer to learn how to receive compensation for your current and future losses. Financial settlements awarded in personal injury claims typically involve two types of compensatory damages, including economic damages, also known as special damages, and non-economic damages, also known as general damages.

Economic damages may include:

• Compensation for lost medical bills, income, and capacity to earn
• The cost of medications, rehabilitation, damages property, and treatment.
• Disability costs, including home modifications
• Other out-of-pocket expenses (including legal fees)

Non-economic damages reimburse victims for losses related to:

• Pain and suffering
• Changes in quality of life
• Emotional trauma
• Loss of companionship
• General loss of enjoyment of life

Awarding compensation to a victim for their losses aims to make up for some of the negative consequences that result from a traumatic brain injury. Punitive damages are an added amount of compensation available in rare cases when the defendant’s behavior is especially negligent or reckless. A judge awards these types of damages to make an example of the defendant’s wanton recklessness and deter others from doing the same.

The specifics of your traumatic brain injury, as well as the severity of the losses you’ve suffered, will be used to determine the types of financial damages that may be available in your case. Calculating losses in TBI cases isn’t easy; our North Port traumatic brain injury lawyers possess a thorough understanding of the long-term impacts your injury can have on your life.

We will help you create a comprehensive list of your past and future losses to ensure that you do not miss an opportunity for financial recovery. Our lawyers have an in-depth knowledge of the law and experience working alongside trusted medical and economic experts to assist you in recovering the full and fair amount of compensation you deserve.​

Factors That Can Influence a TBI Settlement

After an accident, you’re likely struggling with medical bills and other debts related to your injuries which is why it is normal to be curious about how much you can recover from a brain injury case.

The type of recoverable damages in your case will depend on several factors, including:

• Level of impairment
• Liability
• Multiple defendants
• Recovery time
• Where the case goes to trial
• Victim’s characteristics (including age, medical history, and income)
• Future medical needs and treatments
• Emotional anguish related to the brain injury
• Amount of insurance available
• Mitigating damages
• Financial difficulties due to medical costs or lost wages
• Funeral or burial expenses

If you’re considering filing an insurance claim or lawsuit after a traumatic brain injury, working with a North Port TBI lawyer is the best way to properly prepare your claim and retrieve total compensation for your losses. Our attorneys at Boohoff Law will evaluate the total value of your claim and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf.