Orlando Brain Injury Attorney

Approximately 1.5 million people in the United States suffer the effects of brain injuries each year. The injuries will vary from mild to severe but that doesn’t change the fact that these injuries disrupt daily life, cause the victim to have to depend upon others for daily care and cause an increase in emotional distress for both the victim and his or her family. The medical professionals place brain injuries into two classifications: “Acquired brain injuries” refer to specific medical reasons such as stroke, tumors, meningitis, heart disease or substance abuse. These injuries are in the minority with most brain injuries falling into the “traumatic brain injury” category. These injuries can result from many different causes including a blow to the head, head penetration when one is physically assaulted, because of a fall or a motor vehicle or sports-related injury. Most traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs for short, are the result of a quick acceleration or deceleration of the head, violent shaking (as in shaken baby syndrome) or a blow with enough force to damage the brain.

The statistics on TBI occurrences are staggering—in the United States alone someone suffers from a TBI every fifteen seconds while 100,000 children succumb to brain injuries on an annual basis. Not only that but approximately 270,000 people suffer a moderate to severe TBI annually and is the leading cause of death for those under 45 years old. Fifty per cent of all TBI are caused by some kind of roadway accident whether it’s between motor vehicles or motor vehicle and pedestrian or cyclist (bicycle or motorcycle). They are the biggest cause of TBIs for those under age 75. For those over 75 slips and falls cause the majority of TBIs.

Although it is not always the case, many brain injury and TBI cases are the result of others exercising careless or negligent behavior. If the court is able to prove negligence caused the TBI, the victim may be entitled to payment for all cull present and future medical expenses, loss of earnings, loss of enjoyment, pain and suffering, and cost of property damage. Some judges may even award punitive damages if the injury is severe enough. The family of the victim may also be awarded compensation if there have been major changes in their lifestyle because of the injury.

Laws are going to vary from state to stay and may even be different within jurisdictions in the same state, so to say that a person will receive an award or not is something only a personal injury can tell you. By their very nature brain injuries are very complex issues and make proving negligence something that is sometimes difficult to prove except in cases of trauma. For that reason it is advisable to consult an Orlando brain injury lawyer who will take the facts you provide on the TBI and help you make a decision concerning liability and the feasibility of a potential personal injury case based on the evidence you supply.