When you or your loved one suffers a brain injury, it can seem like the whole world stops. Depending on your symptoms, you may have difficulty working, communicating, and engaging in activities you once loved. Whether your brain injury was caused by a car accident, medical malpractice, or another type of accident, it’s worth discussing your case with an attorney.
You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries if another negligent or reckless party caused your brain injury. Under New York personal injury laws, victims can pursue damages from the at-fault party or parties who caused their injuries. The Long Island brain injury attorneys at Dell & Dean, PLLC are prepared to help you understand your rights and help you pursue the full compensation you deserve.
Brain Injuries Caused By Negligence
Brain injuries can substantially impair a person’s daily life, including disruption of brain function. When another party’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional behavior causes a victim’s brain injury, the victim can pursue compensation through an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. The following types of preventable accidents can cause brain injuries;
- Auto accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Construction site accidents and other workplace accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Injuries caused by contact sports
Open Head Injuries
Every year, approximately 2.5 million people are diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). There are two main types of severe brain injuries: open and closed. Open head injuries occur when a foreign object fractures a person’s skull and pierces his or her brain. Gunshots are a common cause of open head injuries. However, they can also happen in auto accidents. For example, a piece of glass or metal from the collision could penetrate the victim’s skull. Many open-head injuries are fatal, and those who survive often have permanent traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
Closed Head Injuries
Closed head injuries occur when an external force impacts a person’s head, causing the brain to collide with the skull. The brain’s soft tissue is suspended within a person’s skull and surrounded by hard bone designed to protect the brain’s soft tissue. When the soft tissue impacts the hard layer of the bone, bleeding and swelling can occur.
Closed head injuries do not involve a foreign object fracturing a person’s skull and penetrating his or her brain. Closed head injuries can result from violent shaking of the head due to external trauma, such as domestic violence. Blunt force trauma caused by slip and fall accidents, or a person hitting his or her head against the car window can also cause closed head injuries. Finally, whiplash from rear-end car accidents can cause closed-head injuries. The following types of closed-head injuries can cause ongoing, debilitating symptoms:
- Hematomas
- Hemorrhages
- Diffuse axonal injuries
- Coup-contrecoup injuries
- Contusions
- Concussions
Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms
No two cases of traumatic brain injuries are alike. Each patient’s symptoms will be unique because no two people experience a disruption to brain functioning in the same exact way. The effects of a brain injury may be invisible to the patient or to others immediately after the accident causing the injuries. If you suspect you’ve suffered a brain injury, it’s crucial to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Typical indications that a person has suffered a brain injury include the following:
- Headache
- Blurry vision
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Memory loss
- Balance problems
- Irritability
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Difficulty processing information
- Difficulty learning new information
- Balance problems
- Light and sound sensitivity
- Paralysis
- Personality changes
- Speech impairments
- Developmental delays in children
What Compensation Is Available in a Brain Injury Claim?
Victims of personal injury accidents are entitled to compensation for their economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include easily quantifiable damages, including medical expenses. Depending on the severity of your brain injury, you may incur hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars of medical expenses over your lifetime.
Dell & Dean, PLLC works with medical and financial experts to carefully determine all of the expenses you will likely incur in the future, such as rehabilitation, in-home therapy, durable medical equipment, transportation to and from medical appointments, and more.
Personal injury victims can also seek compensation for lost wages, including salary differences. Victims of traumatic brain injuries may not be able to continue working due to debilitating symptoms. Limitations imposed by the brain injury may require a transition to a lower-paying job. Additionally, non-economic damages cover expenses related to the victim’s pain and suffering. When the victim of an accident dies due to a fatal brain injury, his or her surviving family members can pursue funeral and burial costs.
How Our Attorneys Help Brain Injury Victims
At Dell & Dean, PLLC, our Long Island brain injury attorneys are aggressive negotiators and skilled trial attorneys with extensive experience handling brain injury cases. When you work with Dell & Dean, PLLC, we will carefully investigate the circumstances of your case and gather evidence about the accident or incident that caused your brain injury. If you were injured in a car accident, we will work with accident reconstruction specialists to determine what caused the accident and who is at fault.
We work with financial experts to carefully evaluate your medical and financial expenses, including property damage, lost income, and other damages. Our team will carefully determine your anticipated future needs due to long-term disability and aggressively pursue your claim for compensation with all at-fault parties. You can rest assured we will demand full and fair compensation with the goal of leaving you with no financial burdens due to your brain injury.
Request a Free Case Evaluation from a Brain Injury Attorney in Long Island
After suffering a brain injury due to another party’s negligence, you shouldn’t have to worry about how you’ll pay your bills. The attorneys at Dell & Dean, PLLC are prepared to help you navigate the process of pursuing damages for your brain injury. We will carefully review the circumstances of your case, answer any questions you have, and develop a strategy for pursuing the full compensation you need and deserve. We will also ensure you submit a claim before the statute of limitations expires. Don’t hesitate to contact Dell & Dean, PLLC to schedule a complimentary case evaluation and learn more about your legal rights.
Dell & Dean, PLLC handles claims throughout Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island, the boroughs of New York City, and the surrounding areas.
