Brain Injury Attorneys in San Diego
A brain injury tends to be one of the most serious and complex matters handled by personal injury attorneys, due to the likelihood of long-lasting and severe symptoms. The term “brain injury” encompasses a wide range of possibilities, from a minor brain injury sustained during a fall (which may be so mild it is never noticed by the victim) to a severe traumatic brain injury resulting in permanent disability and lifelong additional support needs. A brain injury can be sustained even where there is no loss of consciousness, potentially inflicting issues such as headaches, confusion, memory loss and other long-term conditions.
When you, or a loved one, has sustained any type of brain injury, our experienced brain injury attorneys are ready and willing to handle your case, ensuring that you receive a fair settlement in respect of your brain injury, loss of earnings, medical expenses and other associated financial losses.
There Are Many Types of Brain Injuries. Most Are Life-Altering.
While practicing as San Diego brain injury attorneys, our lawyers have encountered a wide range of brain injuries. Potentially arising from car accidents, sports injuries, work accidents, falling objects and a variety of other scenarios, brain injuries will normally fall into one of the following categories:
- Concussion – It is caused by a blow to the head. Concussions can result in brain damage and loss of brain function. Concussions are often caused by sports injuries, falls, or auto accidents, and can have varying levels of severity.
- Contusions – This refers to bruising of the brain, caused by a direct impact to the victim’s head.
- Penetration injuries – These are caused by an object piercing the skull and brain.
- Coup-contrecoup – This type of brain injury involves a contusion, but develops on the opposite side of the brain.
- Traumatic brain injury – A TBI results from trauma to the brain. These injuries commonly occur during auto accidents, assaults and falls.
- Hypoxic/anoxic brain injury – Rather than being caused by trauma, these types of brain injuries occur when the brain does not receive enough oxygen. Some of the scenarios in which this can happen include near drowning, choking, smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide inhalation.
The brain is a remarkable machine – it’s the source of everything that makes us who we are, but it is also remarkably fragile. When a person’s brain suffers a severe trauma, the person who once was may be no more.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can take away or change a person’s personality and diminish his or her capacity to communicate, process information or remember things. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can make loved ones seem like strangers and steal a person’s ability to work or earn a living. Sadly, however, at work is where traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) often happen.
Thousands of Americans Suffer On-The-Job Brain Injuries Every Year
An estimated 2.8 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) annually, and it is a contributing factor to 30 percent of all injury-related deaths in the United States. Work-related traumatic brain injuries make up a significant portion of these often-catastrophic events:
- It is estimated that up to 14 percent of traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases every year arise from work-related accidents.
- Concussions, a form of traumatic brain injury (TBI), account for approximately 90 percent of nonfatal work-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the U.S.
- Of all work-related injury fatalities in the U.S., 60 percent involve traumatic brain injury (TBI).
How Do Work-Related Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) Happen?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) typically results from an external force that strikes the head, from either the skull making impact with the ground or an object piercing the cranial plate to penetrate the brain. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can also result from prolonged oxygen deprivation, poisoning or choking.
Work-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can happen in any number of ways and can occur in any type of work setting, from construction sites and warehouses to offices or restaurants. The most common on-the-job accidents that cause a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are slips and falls and trips and falls. According to a 2013 study, falls account for almost half of all work-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). This could be a three-story fall from an I-beam or due to a slip on spilled coffee in an office lunchroom.
Other common causes of work-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) include:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Falling objects
- Defective or dangerous machinery and equipment
- Exposure to toxic chemicals
- Falling off of scaffolding or ladders
- Slip, trip or falling on the job
A historic settlement of $13.2 million raises the bar for catastrophically injured workers in California. Negotiated by Michael Rott, Esq.
Getting Needed Resources After a Work-Related Traumatic Brain Injury
The road to recovery after a work-related brain injury can be long and never-ending. It may mean that the victim will never be able to go back to the career in which they worked for years, or they may not be able to go back to any kind of work at all. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can take a dramatic toll financially, physically, practically and emotionally. Years of surgeries, treatments, rehabilitation and physical therapy can be accompanied by logistical or lifestyle disruptions, which further strain the resources of families living in the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
These workers and families need support and resources to navigate the challenges of life after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). At Hiden, Rott & Oertle, LLP, our San Diego workers’ compensation attorneys use their experience, tenacity and fierce dedication to the well-being of our clients to obtain the maximum amount of benefits available. If a third party’s negligence contributed to a work-related brain injury, our experienced personal injury lawyers will aggressively pursue compensation and hold them accountable for the damage they have left in their wake.
If you or a loved one has suffered a work-related traumatic brain injury, please call us in San Diego at 619-369-3323 or use the form on our contact page to set up your free consultation.
You should never underestimate the value of a legal education, and resulting experience, when it comes to seeking compensation for any form of brain injury. As these injuries can be incredibly complex, it can be difficult to prove that your injury resulted from a specific incident, or the extent to which it is expected to affect you in future. Through reviewing all available evidence, including your medical records, your San Diego brain injury attorney will work tirelessly to hold the responsible party accountable for the consequences of their actions or negligence.
To learn more about how we could help in your specific case, call Hiden, Rott & Oertle, LLP, at 619-369-3323today to schedule your free initial consultation.
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