A bump on the head may lead to an ice pack and some pain medication, but more significant brain injuries can create long-lasting damage that impacts every facet of a person’s life. Serious head injuries can cause brain damage, including traumatic brain injury. Not everyone will fully recover from such injuries, and the financial costs associated with treatment are often devastating. At Blackburn Romey, our highly experienced Fort Wayne, IN, brain injury lawyers are available to talk to you, support you, and aggressively fight to protect your rights to compensation.
The brain is a delicate mass of tissue. The skull protects it, one of the hardest bones in the body. Yet, a car accident, a fall, or even a strong punch from someone can cause damage to your skull and your brain. No matter the cause, the damage from any type of injury to the brain can be long-lasting.
The International Brain Injury Association shares that over 1 million Americans are treated in hospital emergency rooms yearly due to a traumatic brain injury, one of the most serious forms. About 230,000 of those individuals will require hospitalization, and about 80,000 of them receive care and are then discharged to some level of disability. An astonishing 50,000 people die every year from these types of injuries.
The organization also estimates that about 5.3 million people in the country are living with lasting results, including significant disabilities, from these types of brain injuries.
If you suffered a traumatic brain injury in Fort Wayne, we highly encourage you to reach out to Blackburn Romey now. Allow our legal team to represent you in obtaining compensation for the losses you’ve incurred.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) share that a traumatic brain injury is any injury to the tissues of the brain or that otherwise impacts how the brain works. This may include a jolt, blow, or bump to the head. Other times, the injury is a penetrating form, like a sharp piece of metal entering the brain through the skull.
There are three levels of TBIs:
The level is dependent on the amount of damage done to the brain, with severe forms often leading to disability and difficult recovery or even death. The CDC shares that, in 2021, about 190-related TBI deaths occurred every day in the U.S., showcasing that many of these more severe injuries are life-threatening.
A brain injury may be caused by a variety of factors. The most common causes, according to the CDC, include:
In some situations, another person is responsible for the injuries you’ve experienced. For example, another person may have caused the car accident that put you at risk for the TBI. Someone may have hurt you in a fight, causing injury. You may have fallen due to poor safety precautions in place. In situations like these, you should contact an attorney to discuss your case with you confidentially.
At Blackburn Romey, our brain injury attorneys understand how TBIs can occur and the long-term damage they can often create. We are compassionate professionals who understand what you’re facing while we’re also aggressive attorneys who will fight to get you fair compensation after such an incident.
Before you file a claim or settle your case with an insurance company, it’s critical to fully understand what your potential losses are. Unfortunately, that is very difficult to do with a TBI. That’s because these types of injuries often take months to recover from, and there are many instances in which you may not fully recover. There’s no real way to know how much you’ll suffer during that time and rushing to settle a claim may leave you without compensation you deserve
Yet, consider a few of the most common implications of a brain injury and what that could mean for your future.
Some people suffer short-term injury to their brains. This type of injury may be significant in terms of its impact, but it may also be one that can be recovered from over time. Most people who have a mild TBI, including a concussion, may expect to recover fully from the incident. That doesn’t mean you won’t suffer losses, though, especially if you warrant treatment in an ER, hospitalization, or ongoing therapy.
Other people, especially those with moderate to severe injuries, can suffer significant damage that may not improve or may require a long period of recovery and healing. In some situations, this type of care results in the need for long-term rehab and, in some cases, ongoing care.
After a brain injury, you may need short-term or long-term support and care. This is dependent on the severity of the injury and the implications of it. Some of the most common treatment options for a TBI may include the following steps and processes.
Then, the care you need will ultimately be dependent on the symptoms you have. Some people with severe conditions may need one-on-one care to meet their daily needs, or they may need help re-learning how to talk, walk, write, and otherwise engage with life. Your brain may need to slowly be worked to teach skills again that were damaged due to the TBI.
Some people also develop mental health disorders or complications from their injuries. This may involve behavioral or mental disorders like anxiety, depression, mood swings, and, in some situations, aggression. There may be the need to receive therapy and ongoing support for these types of injuries as well. That could include years of therapy and, in some cases, medication.
One of the steps our team at Blackburn Romey aims to provide help for is estimating your losses. That initially may seem simple. It may seem like you should just hand the medical bills over to the insurance company and expect them to pay for it. Yet, when someone else is responsible for your losses, the process is more extensive, and that often means proving what you’ve suffered.
Consider some of the types of compensation that you may be owed if someone else is negligent in your situation. Remember, each case is very different, but our brain injury attorneys in Fort Wayne can guide and support you every step of the way.
All people who have a brain injury need to be seen by a doctor in an emergency room. Many people need extensive support, which may include:
Because the brain is such a delicate part of the body, many people with moderate to severe TBIs will require some type of rehabilitation. The goal of this care is to help teach the brain how to perform tasks as it should. That may include fine and major motor skills, communication skills, and any other deficiency you’ve suffered. Rehabilitation may include:
The level, frequency, and type of rehabilitation you need are always dependent on the severity of your injury.
Some people are unable to return to work for a period of time due to their injuries. This could be a few days to months. Others have long-lasting injuries that make it impossible for them to return to work at all. In these situations, it becomes critical to document the losses you’ve incurred and what that means financially for your future.
As noted, traumatic brain injuries cause substantial damage to a person’s life, but not just physically and mentally. It can also create long-term pain, emotional distress, and mental health complications that don’t just go away. You may find that you’re suffering from pain on a chronic basis, or it may take months for you to feel better.
Did you suffer a brain injury that someone else caused? Some common examples of this include a car accident, assault, or a fall due to unsafe conditions. If you’ve suffered an injury related to someone else’s negligence, hiring an attorney to help you file your claim is critical.
Even if you believe the other person’s insurance will pay for your medical bills, you need an aggressive, dedicated attorney to help you receive fair compensation for all of your losses. At Blackburn Romey, we provide comprehensive, aggressive legal representation. We can help you with the following:
As a compassionate legal team, we understand what you’re going through right now because we’ve helped many of our clients with brain injuries obtain fair financial compensation they are owed. Let us work hard to pursue compensation for you and help you have the financial means to focus heavily on your recovery and not on the bills.
Blackburn Romey is an experienced, aggressive law firm providing legal representation to victims, including those suffering from brain injuries through no fault of their own. Our combined experience enables us to work closely with our clients to provide them with peace of mind and ongoing support. We provide the highest standards of legal representation in everything we do.
For a free consultation to discuss your case, contact our aggressive trial lawyers. We’re here to guide you and fight for you, working to eliminate the risks you face on an ongoing basis. Contact our Fort Wayne, IN, brain injury lawyer now for a consultation to discuss your case confidentiality. Don’t wait to get the legal support you need.
Blackburn Romey founding partner Tom Blackburn graduated with honors receiving a degree from Indiana University at the Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Initiating his legal career in 1977, he has been active in practicing law and currently serves as a member of the Indiana State Bar Association on the Ethics and Advertising Committees, the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, as a board member at the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, and as an appointed member of the Executive Committee for the State of Indiana for the National Trial Lawyers Association.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Tom Blackburn, who has more than 47 years of legal experience, including over 39 years specializing as a personal injury attorney.
