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Brain Injuries in Charlotte

Every year, thousands of individuals in the U.S. suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI). More than 150 of these individuals pass away each day, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While TBIs can occur in faultless accidents, such as slipping at home or becoming over-zealous during football practice, they are often the result of negligence. One person’s careless or reckless behavior can cause an accident that changes your life forever.

Following an accident that causes you or a loved one to suffer a TBI, your focus should be on recovery. To ensure you can continue to focus on your or your relative’s health and well-being, you should contact a brain injury lawyer to handle the legal and administrative aspects of your case. Let a catastrophic injury lawyer at Randall & Stump, Criminal Defense Attorneys fight with insurance companies or in court for you to receive compensation.

Contact us online or call (980) 237-4579 to schedule a free consultation.

Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries

Not all head traumas lead to TBIs. There are many types of brain injuries you or a loved one may suffer in an accident. That being said, minor, moderate, and serious TBIs are common injuries suffered in accidents, including car crashes and slip and falls. Our brain injury lawyers consistently handle cases involving car accident brain injuries.

A TBI is an acquired brain injury, meaning you were not born with it. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, these injuries occur when there is a sudden trauma to the body that causes damage to the brain. The trauma often directly affects the head and skull, though not always. An extreme force to the body can also cause the head to move suddenly and at harmful angles, which can lead to a brain injury.

There is another way to understand a TBI. The CDC defines a TBI as an injury that disrupts the normal functioning of your brain. This dysfunction, depending on the extent of the injury, may be temporary or permanent.

The best way to reduce the long-term consequences of a TBI is to have it treated and diagnosed as quickly as possible. Depending upon your symptoms after an accident, physicians may diagnose you with a mild (concussion), moderate, or severe TBI. No matter the level of your injury, you should speak with a brain injury attorney about your rights and compensation.

When You May Suffer a TBI

You or a loved one could suffer a brain injury following:

  • Car accidents/0ther vehicle accidents
  • Slip and falls
  • Being struck by an object
  • Explosions
  • Violence
  • Sports
  • Combat

Our traumatic brain injury lawyers at Randall & Stump, Criminal Defense Attorneys have years of experience handling brain injury cases. We have worked on cases involving TBIs of all levels and derived from a wide range of circumstances. No matter your situation, we are here to help. Please do not hesitate to call us to talk about your legal options.

It is Essential for a TBI to Be Properly Diagnosed

Following an accident in which you believe you or a loved one suffered a head injury, it is essential that you obtain a proper diagnosis from a physician. Many local hospitals and clinics have limited experience with TBIs, which creates a risk that a concussion or serious TBI will not be properly diagnosed. Do not be afraid to advocate for yourself or your loved one and ask to be seen by a head trauma specialist.

One way in which physicians diagnose a TBI is based on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS). This scale has three categories, each of which are scored when evaluating a potential brain injury:

  • Visual Response/Eye Opening – None (one), To Pressure (two), To Sound (three), Spontaneous (four)
  • Verbal Response – None (one), Sounds Without Words (two), Incoherent Words (three), Confused (four), Oriented (five)
  • Motor Response – None (one), Extension (two), Abnormal Flexion (three), Normal Flexion (four), Localizing (five), Obeys Commands (six)

You or your loved one can score as low as three, and as high as 15. A score of 13 or higher is a mild TBI, also known as a concussion. A score between nine and 12 is a moderate TBI. A score below eight is a severe TBI.

Physicians also consider whether you lost consciousness, and if so, for how long. Concussions are typically associated with a loss of consciousness for less than 30 minutes or none at all. Moderate TBIs are associated with a loss of consciousness between 30 minutes and 24 hours. If you or a relative were unconscious for more than 24 hours, this is a sign of a severe TBI.

Depending on your situation, physicians may use various imaging tests to look for brain damage. You or your loved one may go through CT scans, MRIs, or diffusion MRIs, also known as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

If you or a relative are diagnosed with a TBI and you believe it was another person’s fault, do not hesitate to call a traumatic brain injury attorney to discuss filing a brain injury lawsuit and pursuing compensation.

Symptoms of Mild TBIs (Concussions)

At Randall & Stump, Criminal Defense Attorneys, our brain injury lawyers have seen many clients who experience symptoms that lead them to believe they’re suffering from a TBI. When you or a loved one has a concussion, you may suffer from:

  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Confusion
  • Delayed responses
  • Sensitivity to light and sound
  • Irritability
  • Depression
  • Mood swings
  • Sleep difficulties

The signs of a concussion can vary greatly from one person to another. This is one of the reasons it can be difficult to diagnose right away. If you or your relative were originally not diagnosed with a concussion, yet symptoms begin to appear in the days following the accident, go to the emergency room or see your physician as soon as possible. Following a diagnosis, contact a brain injury lawyer to discuss your right to file a claim and seek compensation.

Signs of a Moderate TBI

Following a moderate TBI, you can experience a wide range of symptoms, including all of those associated with a concussion. You may also have:

  • More painful recurring headaches
  • Severe nausea and vomiting
  • Memory loss
  • Severe confusion
  • One or both dilated pupils
  • Slurred speech
  • Lack of coordination
  • Numbness or weakness in your hands and/or feet
  • Fluid draining from the ears and nose
  • Seizures
  • Inability to wake from sleep
  • Aggressive, agitated, and unusual behavior

Moderate TBIs must be taken seriously. The impact of a moderate TBI can last for months, years, or the rest of your life. Following such an injury, you may never quite be the same. Even with proper medical care and rehabilitation, you could have physical, cognitive, and psychological limitations or side effects. You might suffer from memory issues. Cognitive tasks may take you longer ore. You may never be able to take on the sports and physical activities you used to enjoy. Your mental health could also suffer if the TBI increased your risk of suffering from depression and anxiety. For all of these reasons and more, you should speak with an attorney about filing a traumatic brain injury claim.

Signs of a Severe TBI

A severe TBI is much more likely to result in permanent deficits, changes, or death. If you or a relative suffered a significant head injury in an accident, the symptoms might include:

  • Motor impairment
  • Difficulty with balance
  • Difficulty swallowing and speaking
  • Trouble communicating
  • Challenges forming sentences
  • Difficulties with logic and reasoning
  • Memory issues and forgetfulness
  • Poor concentration
  • Disorientation
  • Blurred vision or other vision issues
  • Alterations in sensory perception
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Loss of bladder and bowel control
  • Changes in sexual function
  • Acting inappropriately

When you or a loved one are diagnosed with a severe TBI, you need to speak with one of our brain injury lawyers at Randall & Stump, Criminal Defense Attorneys. We are highly experienced in brain injury claims, including those involving severe TBIs. We are prepared to work with your family, your physicians, and medical professionals to determine the true economic and non-economic costs of this injury. We know that you may be looking at an entirely different future than what you expected a few weeks ago. We are here to fight for the compensation you deserve.

The Long-Term Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Even concussions and moderate TBIs can have long-term repercussions. Researchers have found that suffering one serious TBI or multiple concussions throughout your life can increase the risk of degenerative brain diseases, including:

  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Dementia Pugilistica

When we are fighting for fair brain injury settlements for our clients, we consider the fact that your risk of dementia or a brain-related disease is higher. This risk places a burden on you and your family’s shoulders. If you were to suffer from one of these diagnoses, you would have increased medical and care expenses. We will fight for the compensation you receive to include an amount related to this risk.

Let us Help You Seek Brain Injury Compensation

It is challenging to calculate the amount of compensation you deserve following a TBI. That is why we recommend working with an experienced brain injury lawyer to calculate your economic losses and to place an appropriate value on your non-economic damages. At Randall & Stump, Criminal Defense Attorneys, we have years of experience helping individuals and families receive appropriate compensation after suffering catastrophic injuries. We will fight for you to receive compensation for your:

  • Past, current, and future medical expenses
  • Lost wages
  • Disability
  • Modifications to your home, vehicle, or workplace
  • Physical rehabilitation
  • Vocational training
  • Lost earning potential
  • Loss of consortium for an affected spouse

If your loved one passed away due to a severe TBI, do not hesitate to call us to discuss a wrongful death claim and the financial recovery you may pursue.