Claiming Traumatic Brain Injury Benefits
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, the personal injury lawyers at AccidentAdvocates.ca can help you receive financial compensation in a court of law.
Compensation today and tomorrow
Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, can be among the most devastating kinds of injuries, with an enormous range of symptoms and severity. They are a leading cause of permanent disability in North America. TBIs are often difficult to diagnose, require prolonged recovery and may result in long-term impacts on a victim. We will work tirelessly to make sure your compensation includes not only today’s damages, but those of the future.
We understand the importance of early treatment in maximizing recovery from TBIs, and make every effort to ensure you receive compensation quickly in order to receive the care you need, when you need it most.
We consult with medical professionals
Our Toronto brain injury lawyers will consult directly with your health care practitioners, including neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, family physicians, trauma specialists, physiotherapists and other rehabilitation specialists to identify the degree and severity of your injuries and their future impact.
Where traumatic brain injuries occur
Traumatic brain injuries can occur in almost any setting or context. Car accidents, slip and fall injuries, assaults and sport injuries are the most common causes of TBIs. They can also occur from workplace injuries, alcohol consumption, loss of oxygen to the brain or exposure to toxic substances. No matter how or where you or your loved one suffered a TBI, our personal injury attorneys can help you gather the necessary evidence to bring a lawsuit against the responsible party/parties.
Identifying traumatic brain injuries
It is especially important to seek medical assistance immediately following a head trauma, even in the absence of worrisome symptoms. In a shocking headline case last year, actress Natasha Richardson died the day after hitting her head on the ski slopes of Mont Tremblant, Quebec. She had walked away from the fall without any apparent injury, and succumbed within 24 hours.
This underscores the importance of seeking medical care, as well the importance of correct diagnoses in head and brain trauma causes.
Not all brain traumas occur from an impact, such as hitting your head on a hard surface. Because the brain rests in fluid inside the skull, a rapid acceleration or deceleration can cause the brain to strike the inside of the skull. This can occur in a car crash, when passengers come to a violent halt. This ‘internal impact’ can cause bleeding and swelling of the brain, which can be catastrophic or even fatal. In some cases, severe whiplash can stretch the brain tissues to the point of damage.
While there are many sophisticated diagnostic tools available to identify severe brain injuries, including CT scans, EEGs, MRIs and fMRIs, not all mild brain injuries are readily apparent on the images. As such, neuropsychological testing remains the gold standard for identifying mild TBIs (or ‘concussions’), though advances in imaging may soon change this. Neuropsychological testing includes a wide range of cognitive and behavioural tests linked to specific parts of the brain.
Symptoms of traumatic brain injuries
Because the brain plays the central role in the body’s functions, symptoms of brain injury can involve almost any aspect of normal function. In more severe cases, loss of consciousness, seizures, slurred speech or vision, fractures to the skull and loss of motor skills can be indicators of brain trauma. However, milder common symptoms to be on the lookout for include:
- Amnesia
- Severe headache
- Extreme fatigue
- Numbness or weakness on one side of the body
- Disorientation
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Visual disturbances
- Auditory disturbances
- Loss of hearing
- Loss of vision
- Loss of sense of smell
- Loss of libido
- Heightened aggression or irritability
- Depression
Some of these symptoms can occur in the weeks and months following the injury. Often they will go unrecognized, being attributed to the personality of the victim, rather than seen as signs of brain injury. In a telling study of Toronto’s homeless population, researchers from St Michael’s hospital found that more than half had suffered severe brain injuries, and some 70% of these occurred prior to their winding up on the streets. TBIs can often affect a victim’s personality, cognitive function and perceptions.
Recovering from traumatic brain injury
While TBIs can often result in permanent injuries or death, there are a wide range of rehabilitative tools available to improve a victim’s function and quality of life. A multi-disciplinary approach to rehabilitation is usually favoured, involving specialists from neurology, psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, physiatry, psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and cognitive therapy. Rehabilitation may take years or even a lifetime.
At AccidentAdvocates.ca, we are only too aware of the heavy emotional and financial burden brain injuries can cause to an individual and their families. With our extensive neurolegal experience, we will ensure you and your family are fairly and adequately compensated for your pain and suffering, and are able to receive the necessary care to maximize your recovery.
