In a moment, a traffic accident, fall, or on-the-job accident can result in a brain injury that may affect you for the rest of your life. A brain injury in Palm Bay, FL, may leave you with overwhelming costs and extensive medical needs while you are unable to work.
An experienced Palm Bay brain injury attorney can help you fight for the full compensation you deserve from the negligent party who caused your accident.
Since 2020, Norden Leacox Car Accident And Personal Injury Lawyers has helped survivors of serious injuries recover the compensation they deserve in Palm Bay, Florida. Contact our law firm at (321) 334-3819 to set up a free consultation with a Palm Bay brain injury lawyer to discuss what we can do to help.
How Our Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After a Brain Injury In Palm Bay, Florida
Norden Leacox Car Accident And Personal Injury Lawyers represents accident victims in Palm Bay, Florida, who have suffered all types of serious injuries. We have recovered tens of millions in awards and settlements on behalf of our clients. We will put our 75 years of combined experience to work for you and fight for the compensation you deserve.
When you hire our Palm Bay brain injury attorneys to represent you, you benefit from a legal team who will:
- Perform our own investigation into your accident
- Identify who may be liable for your losses
- Gather evidence and work with experts to prove liability and your damages
- Handle the paperwork and communications with the insurance company
- Negotiate for a fair settlement agreement
- Aggressively defend you against blame-shifting tactics
- Take your case to trial if necessary
Our law firm is prepared to give you the tireless representation you deserve in the face of a life-changing injury. Contact our law firm today to get started with a free consultation with a Palm Bay personal injury lawyer to discuss your case.
Brain Injury Overview
Every year, nearly 2.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI). About 230,000 TBI victims are hospitalized, while 50,000 people suffer fatal brain injuries each year. Nearly 85,000 people are left disabled by a TBI.
Brain injuries come in many forms. They may be categorized by the severity, wound type, and underlying cause.
- Open or closed head injury. Brain injuries can involve an open head injury that penetrates the skull or a closed injury without penetration of the skull.
- Traumatic brain injury. A TBI is caused by some type of trauma, such as a blow to the head.
- Acquired brain injury (ABI). This is a brain injury caused by internal events. Stroke, infection, lack of oxygen, and disease may cause ABIs.
- Primary brain injury. This means the brain injury happened at the time of the accident or impact.
- Secondary brain injury. This is a brain injury occurring hours or days after the first injury. These injuries are the result of chemical, cellular, and blood supply changes that cause damage.
The severity of the brain injury, the areas of the brain that are damaged, and how quickly medical care is provided may determine the long-term effects.
What Are Common Types of Brain Injuries?
There are many types of traumatic brain injuries, but the following are the most common.
- Concussion or mild TBI
- Hematoma, or blood collecting inside the skull
- Brain contusion or bruising
- Hypoxic and anoxic brain injuries caused by inadequate or no oxygen supply to the brain
- Diffuse axonal injury (DAI), one of the most serious types of brain injuries in which the connecting fibers or axons in the brain are shared when the brain rotates and shifts
- Coup injury under the site of an impact
- Contrecoup injury to the area opposite the site of an impact
- Coup-contrecoup injury, which means there is both a coup and contrecoup brain injury
Some people experience more than one type of brain injury from a single accident. Particularly with more serious injuries, secondary brain damage can occur.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Brain Injury?
The symptoms and signs of a brain injury may depend on the area of the brain that’s injured and the injury severity. However, symptoms can range significantly from one person to the next.
A mild traumatic brain injury may cause symptoms such as:
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Blurry vision
- Memory loss, especially around the time of the accident
- Light and sound sensitivity
- Tinnitus or ringing in the ears
- Vomiting or nausea
- Sleep changes
- Loss of consciousness of just seconds
These symptoms may also occur with a moderate to severe brain injury along with other, more serious symptoms and side effects.
A serious brain injury may cause any of the following:
- Loss of consciousness for hours or days
- Seizures
- Headache that doesn’t go away or worsens
- Uneven pupils
- Difficulty speaking
- Affected motor function and coordination
- Changes to mood, personality, behavior, and emotions
- Coma
- Death
In the immediate aftermath of an accident, symptoms of a brain injury may not be obvious. It may take hours or days to develop or notice symptoms due to the shock of the accident or more painful, obvious injuries.
What Are the Long-Term Consequences of a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Some brain injury survivors recover fully, especially after a mild injury. For many, a brain injury causes extensive long-term consequences. Neuroplasticity allows the brain to adapt and recover from even serious injuries, but there are limitations and this effect reduces with age.
The most common type of traumatic brain injury is a concussion, also known as a mild TBI. About 90% of people have their symptoms resolved within a few weeks, but some go on to experience lingering concussion symptoms. Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) can last a year or longer.
Brain injuries can cause long-term or permanent impairment and disability.
Potential consequences can include:
- Difficulty speaking or understanding speech
- Visual processing issues
- Problems with impulse control, problem-solving, and regulating emotions
- Changes to personality and mood, including depression
- Sleep disorders
- Cognitive impairment
- Reduced motor function, balance problems, and paralysis
- Locked-in syndrome (LiS)
About one in 60 Americans currently lives with disability related to a brain injury.
What Causes Brain Injuries In Palm Bay, Florida?
A traumatic brain injury may be caused by rapid acceleration and deceleration. This causes the brain to move and forcefully strike the inside of the skull. A blow to the head or a penetrating injury can also cause brain damage.
Most TBIs happen in one of five ways:
- Motor vehicle accidents, including car accidents and motorcycle accidents
- Falls, including slip and fall accidents on the same level and falls from heights
- Sports injuries
- Violence involving firearms or assault
- Being struck by an object, such as falling merchandise in a workplace accident
Falls alone cause 48% of brain injury-related visits to an emergency room. Motor vehicle accidents cause 20% of brain injury-related hospitalizations. Nearly 17% of TBI-related hospitalizations happen after someone is struck by an object.
Nearly 81% of TBI in seniors happens in a fall. Among children, sports alone cause 20% of brain injuries.
What Is My Brain Injury Case Worth?
There is no way to estimate how much your case may be worth without a careful analysis. All personal injury cases are unique and there are dozens of factors that influence what your case is worth.
Major factors a personal injury lawyer will consider include:
- The severity of your brain injury
- How your injury affects your independence, daily life, and quality of life
- Your total financial damages
- Whether you can return to work and your lost or reduced earning capacity
- The circumstances of your accident and the defendant’s behavior
- Whether you share blame for the accident
The best way to understand what your case may be worth is by speaking with an experienced brain injury lawyer. Contact Norden Leacox Car Accident And Personal Injury Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation to review your case.
What if I’m Being Blamed for My Brain Injury Accident?
Florida is a modified comparative negligence state. You can still recover compensation if you’re less than 51% to blame for your injury. However, your damages will be reduced in proportion to your amount of fault.
What Damages Can Brain Injury Victims Recover In Palm Bay, FL?
Accident victims are entitled to compensatory damages from the at-fault party. These damages include financial or economic damages and non-economic damages. You are entitled to compensation for the current and future financial expenses associated with your accident and personal or emotional losses without financial value.
Common damages you may recover in a personal injury lawsuit include:
- Medical bills, including future anticipated medical expenses, prescriptions, doctor’s visits, hospitalization, and surgery
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses like home health care, home modifications, and travel expenses to receive treatment
- Property damage
- Reduce or lost earning potential
- Lost wages while you are recovering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Disfigurement or scarring
If your case goes to court, a jury may award punitive damages in rare cases. These damages punish a defendant for their behavior, but they can only be awarded with evidence of gross negligence or intentional behavior.
How Long Do I Have To File a Brain Injury Lawsuit In Florida?
You typically have only two years to file a personal injury lawsuit in Florida. If your brain injury was caused by intentional misconduct like assault or abuse, there is a four-year statute of limitations.
Do not delay pursuing your claim. Two to four years may seem like a long time, but the longer you wait, the harder it becomes to document damages and secure evidence.
Contact Our Palm Bay Brain Injury Lawyers To Schedule A Free Consultation
Have you suffered a serious brain injury in Palm Bay, FL? You may be entitled to compensation if someone else’s negligence caused your injury. Our personal injury attorneys can help.
At Norden Leacox Car Accident And Personal Injury Lawyers, we have over 75 years of combined experience representing accident victims like you. We have recovered tens of millions in life-changing settlements and jury verdicts.
Contact our law office at (321) 334-3819 to schedule a free case review with a Palm Bay brain injury lawyer to discuss your accident and how we can help.