Unlike some wounds, the damage caused by a traumatic brain injury (TBI) cannot be reversed. In severe cases, the victim may be left with permanent cognitive impairments that can make everyday life very difficult.
When these injuries are the result of another’s negligence, there may be grounds for a personal injury claim. The Charleston traumatic brain injury lawyers at Roden Law are available to discuss whether you may be eligible to seek compensation. The consultation is free and there is no obligation to take legal action.
We have recovered millions in compensation on behalf of our clients, including victims of traumatic brain injuries.
Do you have legal questions? Call Roden Law: 1-844-RESULTS.
Defining a Traumatic Brain Injury
If you sustained a severe head injury, such as being hit hard, impaled by an object or shaken violently in an accident, you may have suffered a TBI. The damage caused by this type of injury may lead to a disruption in the normal functioning of your brain.
One way to categorize the severity of a head trauma is to determine whether it is an open or closed head injury.
Closed Head Injury
Closed head injuries may result from a violent blow to the head or an impact that causes the head to shake violently and injure the brain. The impact could also happen during a traumatic incident, like a car crash, particularly a high-speed collision. Closed head injuries can also occur in contact sports, like football.
A fall, particularly from a significant height, can also cause a TBI. Even a slip and fall while walking could result in a brain injury. Nursing home residents with disabilities or other age-related mobility impairments are especially at risk for head traumas from falling.
Examples of closed head injuries include:
- Concussion
- Cerebral contusion
- Intracranial hematoma
- Diffuse axonal injury
Open Head Injury
These injuries may occur when the skull is penetrated by something, such as a bullet, knife or other sharp object. When the skull is cracked, pieces of the skull can get lodged in the brain and cause further injury. Safely removing the object, along with fractured pieces of the skull may be difficult and even lead to further injury.
Examples of open head injuries include:
- Depressed skull fracture
- Diastatic skull fracture
- Linear skull fracture
- Hemorrhage
If you or a loved one suffered any type of brain injury resulting from another’s negligence, contact our Charleston traumatic brain injury lawyers for a free consultation.
Call 1-844-RESULTS anytime, 24/7.
Symptoms That May Indicate a Brain Injury
There are many symptoms that may indicate you are suffering from a traumatic brain injury. If you experience any of them, it is important to seek emergency medical care as soon as possible. Getting immediate treatment may improve a doctors’ ability to limit the damage and prevent the injury from getting worse or becoming life-threatening.
- Headaches
- Mood changes
- Personality changes
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Unexplained sleepiness or drowsiness
- Trouble remembering what happened right before the injury
- Nausea
- Hallucinations
- Slurred speech and other difficulties talking
- Seizures
- Trouble staying awake
- Swelling in the head
Is There a Case?
Our Charleston traumatic brain injury lawyers must prove your brain injury was caused by another’s negligence. This process involves a legal theory with four parts:
Duty of Care
The at-fault individual owed you a duty to take reasonable action to help prevent causing you harm, such as a brain injury. This may mean driving defensively to prevent a car accident or taking the proper precautions to prevent a slip and fall in a nursing home or a retail store.
Breach of Duty of Care
The at-fault party did not take reasonable care to prevent you from getting injured. This may mean that the at-fault party took no steps to try to prevent an accident. In other situations, an at-fault party’s actions may be described as careless or reckless.
Causation
You must provide evidence that your injury was the direct result of a breach of another’s duty of care. The other party may try to say your TBI resulted from something else. You or your attorney must prove there was no other way it could have happened.
Existence of Damages
Injuries caused by negligence may result in economic and non-economic damages, such as:
- The cost of treating your injury
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Long-term medical care
- Lost earning capacity
- Loss of companionship
If you are unsure if you may have a case, contact Roden Law.
Discuss your situation for free. Call 1-844-RESULTS.
What is a Brain Injury Case Worth?
The answer is unique to each case. Our Charleston traumatic brain injury lawyers are prepared to discuss this with you in a free consultation. There are many factors to consider in the value of a case, such as the severity of the injury and how long doctors expect treatment to last.
Our lawyers may also consider how the injury affects other aspects of your life, such as your career earnings and the ability to enjoy leisure activities. Brain injuries may also damage your relationships, such as with your spouse and children.
We know how important it is for victims of severe injuries to obtain maximum compensation for their damages. While compensation can never erase what occurred, we know it can help victims support themselves and their families. It can also help them to obtain the necessary treatment to help them manage symptoms and begin to move forward with their lives.
We are here to answer your questions about the legal process.
What is the Deadline for Filing a Case?
You may have just three years from the date of the accident to file a claim. This is the deadline stated in South Carolina’s personal injury statute of limitations. Injured victims must file a claim before their deadline passes, or they may lose the right to pursue compensation.
There are additional factors that may modify the deadline for your claim. For example, if were the victim of medical malpractice, you may not discover the injury right when it happens. In this scenario, the three-year clock on your claim would not begin until the date you discover the injury.
When a minor suffers a TBI caused by another’s negligence, the deadline for filing a claim is one year after his or her 18th birthday.
There may be other exceptions, so it is important to contact a licensed attorney to help determine your filing deadline.
Call Roden Law to schedule your free legal consultation. 1-844-RESULTS
Should I Hire a Lawyer?
The damages from these cases are often quite significant. It is very important to recover the maximum compensation available so you can obtain the medical treatment you need. Compensation can also help manage other damages you suffered.
Hiring a licensed attorney often results in victims obtaining more compensation than they would otherwise. The experienced lawyers at Roden Law have a proven track record of recovering compensation for numerous injury victims.
We manage the legal process on behalf of our clients so they can focus on their medical treatment. Steps we take on your behalf may include:
- Investigating the accident
- Consulting medical experts
- Evaluating the extent of your damages
- Negotiating for fair compensation
- Preparing for trial – as needed
Call an Experienced Charleston Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer
Your TBI could affect you financially, physically and emotionally. You may even struggle to continue working in the same job as you did before the injury.
The attorneys at our firm have many years of combined experience representing victims who suffered severe injuries. We have recovered millions in compensation for these clients.
The consultation is free of charge, and there is no obligation to take legal action after meeting with us. We do not get paid unless our clients receive compensation.