According to national statistics, more than 175 people die from brain-trauma-related injuries each day. That’s almost 65,000 people each year. One year-long study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that almost three million people in this country have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
The medical definition of a traumatic brain injury is any injury to the head that disrupts or interferes with the victim’s normal brain function. Many of these types of injuries are sustained in accidents that were caused by another party’s negligence or recklessness. While MRI studies of the brain can sometimes reveal objective evidence of a TBI, many brain injury victims will not have an MRI showing clear signs, and many times a diagnosis must be established from the complete clinical situation, sometimes assisted by medical testing or neuropsychological testing. In addition, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and PET scans can offer further diagnostic evidence of brain injury.
If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury in an accident caused by the negligence of another party, a Hampton and Virginia Beach brain injury lawyer from Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp can help you recover the financial compensation for any losses your injuries have caused.
Most Common Causes of Brain Injury Cases
For many victims, an injury results in permanent life changes. Many suffer from memory loss, chronic headaches, and permanent brain damage. Some of the most common causes of brain injury cases our personal injury law firm has successfully resolved include vehicle accidents and slip and fall incidents. One important role of a skilled Hampton traumatic brain injury lawyer is to organize medical and psychological professional experts who can testify in support of a TBI victim, a role our attorneys have undertaken in many prior major TBI cases.
Vehicle Accidents
With millions of people injured in vehicle accidents each year, it is no surprise that some of the most severe injuries involve brain injuries. When the impact of the crash occurred, many brain injury victims had their heads slammed into the steering wheel or sides of the vehicle. Brain injury can also occur if loose objects inside the vehicle are flung around or during a rear-end crash when the victim’s head is flung back and forth.
If you have been involved in a car crash, you should seek medical attention to determine if you have been injured. It can sometimes take hours or even days for symptoms of some injuries to appear. That delay can not only affect your health, but it can also have a negative impact on any car accident injury claim or lawsuit you may file.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Although many people tend to think of the injuries suffered from slip, trip or fall accidents as back injuries, broken bones, or sprains, these accidents are the number one causes of traumatic brain injuries. When a person falls, their head smashing against the ground or floor can cause serious to severe injury to the brain.
When a victim suffers a slip, trip, or fall injury at a business or location owned by someone else, such as an apartment complex, they may be able to pursue damages for their injuries if the fall was the result of negligence on the part of the property or business owner. Our Hampton, VA brain injury attorneys can evaluate your case to determine if you have a valid business premises liability case.
Dangers of Brain Injuries
Every brain injury has the potential to turn into a serious and debilitating condition. Even symptoms of a minor concussion, such as blurred vision or headaches, can suddenly and without warning escalate into catastrophic symptoms later on if they are not addressed right away. Once you have been treated by a medical professional, there are still symptoms to watch out for that would indicate your brain or head injury is worsening.
Why Choose Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp for a Brain Injury Case?
At Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp, our team only takes personal injury law cases, and we have a track record in complex brain injury claims going back twenty years. With more than 75 years of combined legal experience, our attorneys have gained the respect of peers, rivals, and the judiciary.
Our attorneys are licensed in both Virginia and North Carolina, have been published in the field of injury law, and regularly lecture to peers about injury and evidence law.
Our team has secured record-setting case results for traumatic brain injury victims, including the following examples:
Brain-Injured Client Receives $60M Following Train Derailment
Our client, a gas station employee, suffered traumatic brain injuries when a Norfolk Southern train derailed and crashed into the building where he was working. The man was pinned inside his collapsed cashier’s shelter, leaving him with internal injuries and multiple broken bones and spent weeks in the hospital, but was left with lifelong disabilities. The jury award with interest totaled $60 million, and the case was settled confidentially during the appeal phase.
Truck Accident Brain Injury Case Results in $5.5 Million Settlement
Our clients were four members of a family who suffered severe physical and brain injuries when a commercial truck driver rear-ended their car at a red light. The parents suffered back and neck injuries, and both of their young daughters experienced traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). One of the girls suffered extensive injuries, including swelling, bruising, and bleeding in both of her frontal lobes. She also fractured several skull bones. After months of intensive treatments and therapy, doctors diagnosed her with permanent intellectual impairment due to the severe brain injury she sustained. The insurers agreed to pay part of the multimillion-dollar settlement upfront and to deposit the rest into an annuity fund designed by a financial consultant hired by our firm. Due to interest and the schedule of disbursements from the annuity, the total received by the most severely injured child was projected to total $21 million.
$600,000 TBI Settlement for Norfolk, VA Woman After Crash with Car and Truck
Another vehicle slammed into the back of our client’s vehicle, causing it to spin and move into the path of an oncoming 18-wheeler, resulting in a head-on collision. Our client was severely injured, remaining in a coma for three weeks with no movement on her left side. When she finally regained consciousness, she could only speak with difficulty. She endured multiple surgeries but was left with permanent partial memory loss and an irreversible traumatic brain injury, as well as permanent paralysis of her left arm. Our Hampton personal injury law firm was able to obtain a $600,000 brain injury insurance settlement for our client, which represented the large majority of available insurance coverage.
Call Our Hampton, VA Personal Injury Law Firm for a Free Case Evaluation
If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury, contact one of our Hampton, Virginia brain injury lawyers to find out what legal options you may have. At Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp, we are dedicated to helping injured clients obtain the compensation they deserve for their medical bills, lost income, and other associated losses.
Call our office today at (833) 997-1774 or click here to schedule a free and confidential consultation.
Our firm published an in-depth legal guide discussing the options available to someone who suffered a traumatic brain injury or head wound as a result of a preventable accident. Download the free guide here.
For more information about traumatic brain injuries, read these articles: