Knowing when to get in touch with a brain injury lawyer can be intimidating.
Head injuries can have lifelong effects on your wellbeing – and need to be addressed immediately. The signs of a serious head injury aren’t always apparent immediately after a fall. Many of the symptoms occur almost immediately after a blow to the head or a severe jolt – but other brain damage symptoms can take time to reveal themselves.
Studies show that about 2.8 million people sustain traumatic brain injuries(TBIs) every year.
If you or a loved one is facing a traumatic brain injury after a fall, you may be entitled to compensation with a TBI claim.
Knowing what to do after a dangerous fall can be tough. As a brain injury law firm, we want to explain the first steps in your path to earning justice. Let’s dive in.
A. When Should I Seek Medical Attention for a TBI?
First and foremost, you need to take care of yourself after a fall.
You’re probably asking; how do I know if I have a brain injury?
To reiterate, brain injury symptoms aren’t always immediate – but there are several signs it’s time to seek out medical assistance. Many people do not seek medical care unless the symptoms become unbearable. You’re busy, we get it. Unless there is an open wound or blood, you may be tempted to just go about your day. But you only get one brain, and these injuries are not something to take lightly.
Do your best to keep tabs on your symptoms in the days (or weeks) after the fall. Some of the common brain injury symptoms include, (but are not limited to):
- Bad, persistent headaches
- Numbness, lack of coordination
- Vomiting, nausea
- Slurred speech
- Extreme drowsiness
- Enlarged pupils
- Seizures
- Confusion
- Restlessness
- Agitation
- Strange, unusual behavior
If you’re facing any of these brain damage symptoms, get in touch with your doctor immediately.
A professional will conduct a post-fall assessment based on your symptoms. Keep in mind, medical personnel will often focus on the visible signs – wounds, bruises, etc. It’s up to you to describe your internal symptoms in detail to help them provide an accurate diagnosis.
Even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms after a rough fall, it never hurts to get checked out. If you pursue a TBI claim, your brain injury lawyer will take the doctor’s assessment into account.
B. What Are the Key Warning Signs of a Serious Head Injury?
As noted above, brain injury symptoms aren’t always black and white. In addition to common symptoms, there are several warning signs you’re facing a TBI. These signs are generally grouped into four categories:
1. Thinking/Remembering
These warning signs pertain to your thought process – cloudiness, memory loss, difficulty remembering common information, slowness, etc.
2. Physical
Physical warning signs of a TBI are characterized by headaches, blurred vision, drowsiness, vomiting, exhaustion, balance, extra sensitivity to light, noises, and so on.
3. Emotional
Emotional warning signs can be difficult to spot. You may notice a change in how you manage certain thoughts. For instance, if you notice you are getting irritable more easily, experiencing random bouts of crying, dealing with added anxiety, etc., you may be experiencing the early signs of a TBI.
4. Sleep
Changes in sleep pattern after a fall are one of the clearest warning signs of a serious head injury. If you are having difficulty falling asleep – or are sleeping more than usual – you’re likely experiencing a brain injury.
Spotting the signs and symptoms of a brain injury is not easy. You need to be vigilant in noting any changes to your physical or mental wellbeing. The more detailed you are in your notes, the better equipped your brain injury lawyer will be down the road.
C. Gathering Evidence: Make Notes of Your Fall
To shift gears a bit, the next step in taking care of yourself after a brain injury is attributing liability.
This is by far the most crucial – and commonly missed – part of the process. Falls are embarrassing, especially in public. Your first instinct after a fall may be to run away from the accident.
Falls can occur for many different reasons. Many of these reasons may not be your fault. To have a strong TBI claim, you need to examine the situation and make note of what happened.
Note factors like:
- Poorly maintained staircases
- Flooring issues
- Lack of lighting
- Unsafe elevators
- Crumbling walkways
The evidence you collect at the scene of your fall will be crucial in your TBI claim. Take as many pictures as you can and provide a detailed recap of the incident to your brain injury lawyer.
When documenting the evidence, there are a few key points to discuss in your notes, including:
- How you landed
- Any defects in the surrounding area that contributed to the fall
- The area around where you landed (with photos)
- Your shoes (with photos)
- The property owner’s name
If you fell in a place surrounded by other people, try to get the names and contact information of witnesses. These will be instrumental in building your case.
D. Contacting a Brain Injury Lawyer
No brain injury is insignificant. This is especially true if the accident was not your fault. If you are struggling to pick up the pieces after a brain injury, the law may be on your side.
Don’t waste any time in reaching out to a professional brain injury lawyer. Your attorney will work closely with you to understand the liability and damages that factor into your brain injury case.
They will help you recover:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages
Earning compensation for your damages after a brain injury is not a simple process. A brain injury case involves a great deal of negotiation with responsible parties, lawyers, insurance companies, and more.
Another factor to consider is timeliness. The longer you wait to begin the process after your fall, the harder it will be to justify your TBI claim.
Many people are deterred from reaching out to personal injury lawyers thinking it will be too expensive.
We want to debunk this.
The best personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee agreement. This means they will take a percentage of the total brain injury lawsuit settlement after they win the case. They won’t charge you a penny out-of-pocket to take your claim. Moreover, they won’t take your claim unless they think they can win.
In other words, ANYONE can afford to hire a personal injury attorney to manage a TBI claim. As soon as you notice signs of a serious head injury, get in touch with an attorney who specializes in brain injuries.
Let’s Get in Touch
There are many, many factors that play into TBI claims. Managing a claim without an attorney – and earning full compensation for damages – will be extremely difficult (if not impossible).
At Midwest Injury Lawyers, we specialize in helping victims of traumatic brain injuries earn justice after a fall, blow to the head, whiplash, etc. If you or a loved one is facing damages after a TBI, we’re here for you.
Contact our office by calling 312-786-5881, send an email to info@midwestinjurylawyers.com, or request a consultation online.
Even if you do not have a personal injury claim, we’re happy to answer any questions you might have.