Mesa Brain Injury Attorneys

What Are Catastrophic Injuries?

While some injuries, like whiplash, cuts, and abrasions, are temporary and allow victims to recover and go back to work in a matter of days or weeks, catastrophic injuries can put people out of work entirely. A catastrophic injury is an injury so severe that it leaves victims with permanent damage. Catastrophic injuries can cause victims to lose a vital part of themselves, whether it’s a physical limb or the ability to walk. Brain injuries fall under the category of catastrophic injuries in that they can impact a person’s cognitive abilities and are usually among the most expensive to treat, both financially and emotionally. Catastrophic injuries can result from any kind of accident, though they’re a common consequence of car accidents. Car accidents involving speeding or heavier vehicles like trucks are more likely to cause catastrophic injuries such as brain damage.

Types of Brain Injuries

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2.8 million Americans suffer from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) each year, and TBIs comprise a third of all injury-related deaths. Most brain injuries can be categorized as open head injuries, which occur when the skull is penetrated or broken, or closed head injuries, which are caused by an impact to the head but doesn’t involve penetration. Common types of brain injuries include:

• Anoxic brain injuries, which is a type of TBI that causes brain cells to die from a lack of oxygen
• Skull fractures, which are breaks or cracks in the skull bone that can result in neurological and cranial defects
• Contusions, which occur in 20-30% of serious head injuries and involve bruising to the brain
• Concussions, one of the most common head injuries that leads to a temporary loss of brain function
• Hematomas, which develop when blood gathers on the surface of the brain

Symptoms of Brain Injuries to Be Aware Of

What can make TBI cases so challenging is that injuries may not be obvious right away after an accident. A person may not have immediate symptoms of a brain injury and assume they don’t need medical treatment. This is why it’s important to recognize the signs of a brain injury, especially if you experienced a blow or jolt to your head in your accident. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you may have a TBI and should seek medical treatment as soon as possible:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Confusion or disorientation
• Trouble concentrating
• Sensitivity to lights and sounds
• Difficulty sleeping
• Unusual tiredness

What Damages Can I Recover?

Individuals with serious brain injuries may be unable to do things like form coherent thoughts, communicate, and perform basic daily functions, all of which force them to change how they live their lives. Some people who can no longer perform their work tasks must quit their jobs or change careers, and many require at-home medical care. Our attorneys take these expenses into consideration when calculating how much you deserve in compensation. Brain injuries can be expensive because they include not just emergency costs like hospital stays and surgeries, but long-term costs too, such as physical therapy. We’ve recovered millions for clients in damages that have included the following: We can handle the details of your case while you focus all your attention on getting better. You can trust our caring attorneys to achieve the most optimal outcome out of a horrific situation.