Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney in Brooksville, FL
When someone suffers a brain injury, it can permanently affect the lives of the victim and his or her family. Treating brain injuries can also lead to steep costs and significant losses that may last a lifetime. If you or a loved one sustains a brain injury, you may be able to recover compensation from the parties responsible for the injury.
The experienced attorneys at Holliday Karatinos Law Firm have handled many types of personal injury cases, including those involving mild to traumatic brain injuries. In the process, we have helped our clients recover full compensation for the damages they sustained. For more information, reach out to a Brooksville traumatic brain injury lawyer.
Why Choose Holliday Karatinos Law Firm?
After an accident leading to a brain injury, our Brooksville brain injury lawyers may be able to help you seek compensation for the injury and subsequent damage. We’ll help identify and go after any liable parties responsible for the injury.
Our lawyers have more than half a decade of collective experience behind us and have worked with many clients in many personal injury cases over the years.
If you need a reliable brain injury attorney to help you get the compensation you deserve, turn to the legal team at Holliday Karatinos Law Firm today.
Compensation You May Recover in Brain Injury Cases
There are several types of damages that you may be able to recover in a brain injury case in Brooksville. The main types of damages include economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. Some are compensatory, while punitive damages aim to punish defendants for unusual acts of negligence or wrongdoing.
Before determining which damages play into your case, it’s important to understand each type of damage and what it involves.
Economic Damages
These damages are also called special damages and pertain to the quantifiable financial losses sustained because of a brain injury.
In these cases, victims and their families may be able to recover economic damages such as:
- Medical expenses for treating the brain injury
- Long-term care resulting from a disability
- Property damage, such as vehicle damage resulting from an accident
- Lost income and earning capacity
- Rehabilitation and therapy
These damages are often easy to calculate as long as people keep track of them through receipts, medical records, and other documentation.
Non-Economic Damages
In addition to economic damages, you may qualify for certain non-economic or general damages. Although these aren’t as easy to calculate because of their less tangible nature, you may be able to calculate them with the help of an attorney.
Some examples of non-economic damages in brain injury cases could include:
- Physical pain
- Psychological distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium or relationship
- Wrongful death
To help calculate non-economic damages, lawyers and courts use formulas that determine how much these damages are worth in a settlement.
Punitive Damages
In addition to compensatory economic and non-economic damages, you may be able to recover punitive damages in a brain injury case. These differ from compensatory damages because their intent is to punish the defendant. If someone is responsible for a brain injury and other damages because of a car accident or another type of incident, you may be able to recover punitive damages.
The courts rarely award these damages, and cases must meet strict criteria to qualify for them. If a defendant acted with gross negligence or maliciousness, the court may award punitive damages to deter the defendant and others from engaging in similar behavior.
Accidents That Can Cause Brain Injuries in Brooksville
Many types of accidents can cause minor to severe brain injuries. Some of the most common causes of brain injuries include:
Car Accidents
Many traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) result from motor vehicle accidents, with this particular cause accounting for a large number of TBI hospitalizations. During a car accident or another type of vehicle collision, victims may move unnaturally because of the momentum of the accident, causing the brain to make contact with the skull. Objects striking victims could also contribute to TBIs and lead to extensive injuries and death.
Car accidents are also commonplace in Brooksville, with Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) finding that over 2,000 traffic accidents occur yearly in the Brooksville area.
Falls
Many TBIs also result from falls. The impact of a fall from even lower heights can lead to significant injuries, including brain injuries. Falls also lead to the highest number of deaths attributed to TBIs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Work-Related Accidents
Certain types of work-related incidents could also result in brain injuries of varying degrees. Workers may fall, come into contact with heavy machinery, get into vehicle accidents, or experience other types of trauma.
Assault
Another common cause of TBIs is assault. Victims of assault could suffer significant head injuries that lead to brain injuries.
How TBIs Could Affect Victims’ Lives
The degree of brain injury will determine how it impacts the victim’s life. Some may sustain mild TBIs in the form of concussions that lead to symptoms lasting for no more than a few days, weeks, or months. Meanwhile, someone with a more extensive TBI could wind up with long-term symptoms or symptoms lasting for the rest of their lives.
If you believe you or a loved one has sustained a brain injury of any kind, it’s important to seek care from a healthcare provider as soon as possible. A medical professional will be able to assess the victim and determine which type of treatment will work best.
Often, people who suffer a concussion or mild TBI can recover at home under their doctor’s advice. However, many others with moderate to severe TBIs will require ongoing care.
It’s also important to consider how a brain injury in a child could permanently affect his or her development. TBIs impact children differently, potentially leading to developmental disruption and a limited ability to engage in certain activities such as school and sports.
Additionally, TBIs may not be immediately noticeable in older adults. The reason for this is often due to medical professionals mistaking certain symptoms of TBIs for those of other conditions, including dementia. This potential risk of misdiagnosis or missing TBIs makes it important for medical professionals to closely examine older patients who have been in a car accident or a fall. Certain blood thinners could also worsen the effects of TBIs, including anticoagulants and antiplatelet medications.
Ultimately, any type of accident leading to a potential brain injury will warrant a visit to a medical professional for an examination. A qualified professional can diagnose a brain injury and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Trying to Negotiate Claims with Insurance Companies
Following an incident resulting in a brain injury, you may want to begin negotiating a potential settlement with insurance companies. However, certain types of issues can complicate these cases and compromise your ability to recover the compensation you deserve.
Depending on the severity of the brain injury, victims and their families could qualify for millions of dollars in compensation. This high valuation is largely because of the lifelong costs of treating and coping with these injuries.
Many factors can influence your settlement when negotiating with insurers, including:
- The victim’s medical and care needs
- The overall severity of the injury
- The victim’s ability to return to work
- Pain and suffering resulting from the brain injury
- The degree of liability and the specific parties responsible
- The role of gross negligence
- The limits of the insurance policy
Because of the complex nature of brain injury cases, it’s important to avoid accepting the first settlement from insurers. While adjusters may appear to be on your side, they’re always working for the insurance company and want to minimize the amount of money the company pays out. Your case may be worth much more than an adjuster offers.
There are several key reasons you shouldn’t settle too early after sustaining a brain injury. These include:
Brain injuries Aren’t Always Easy to Diagnose
The nature of brain injuries can make them difficult to diagnose properly. Victims may experience certain symptoms that medical tests and diagnostics can’t confirm. It can be difficult to determine how symptoms will develop in the future and what kind of treatment the victim will need.
Victims Don’t Always Understand Their Injuries
During recovery, injury victims may believe they won’t need long-term care or pay costly medical bills in the future, particularly if they seem to be doing well. Unfortunately, many complications can develop during recovery that require additional treatment and ongoing care.
The potential risks involved with brain injuries make it important to speak with doctors and other medical professionals to assess the injury and prospective care plans properly. You won’t experience this when only negotiating with insurers.
These issues make it important to avoid accepting the first settlement that an insurance company offers. You’ll want to consult with medical professionals and a brain injury lawyer in Brooksville who can discuss your case in greater depth and help calculate all damages. Your lawyer may then be able to negotiate a fair settlement with insurers or even take your case to court if necessary.
What to Do After Sustaining a Brain Injury
If you are in any accident and believe that a brain injury may have developed, there are some steps to take to begin the recovery process and build a potential case against liable parties.
Seek Immediate Treatment
In the event of an accident involving head trauma, it’s necessary to seek treatment as soon as possible. Don’t wait for symptoms to develop; they may start out mild and develop into more serious symptoms later.
A medical professional can assess you properly and diagnose a brain injury. Your doctor will also be able to discuss future treatment, including the potential for long-term care that may affect your settlement.
You must know what symptoms to look for after an accident.
For instance, some of the symptoms of a TBI could include:
- Loss of consciousness
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Feeling dazed, disoriented, or confused
- Mood changes or swings
- Dizziness or loss of balance
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sleep changes and difficulties
- Blurred vision and other changes in sensory perception
Each brain injury symptom that you develop can constitute a non-economic damage—a form of pain and suffering—for which the at-fault party must pay compensation.
Keep an Eye out for Developing Symptoms
As you begin the recovery process, keep an eye out for developing symptoms. If you notice any changes, you should consult your doctor to discuss them and possible treatment.
You may notice more serious symptoms if the TBI is moderate or severe, including persistent headaches, seizures and convulsions, repeated nausea, confusion, or loss of coordination.
Consult Our Brooksville Brain Injury Attorneys
If you believe someone else is liable for your brain injury, you may seek compensation with a settlement. While you might first want to go through an insurance company, insurers could greatly reduce the compensation you deserve.
Our experienced attorneys can assess your case, determine liability, and calculate the damages in a brain injury case. Our lawyers can also handle negotiations with insurance companies and inform you of your rights. In the process, you may increase your chances of getting full compensation if another party caused your brain injury.
Reach out to Our Brooksville Brain Injury Attorneys
If you or a loved one sustained a brain injury and believe you deserve compensation, consult a lawyer with experience in this area. At Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, we know how to help brain injury victims and their families get the compensation they deserve if a negligent party caused the accident. Reach out to a Brooksville personal injury lawyer.
To find out whether you have a case that our attorneys can help with, contact Holliday Karatinos Today for your free consultation. You can contact us online or call our Brooksville office at (352) 597-0009.
Client Testimonial
"Attorney James Holliday is the best attorney I have ever worked with. I went to him after an auto accident and I was impressed with his knowledge of the situation and judgement on how to proceed. In the end, Mr. Holliday was able to obtain full compensation. He was also a pleasure to work with."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Barb C.
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