The amount of compensation you can get for a head injury depends on factors like the seriousness of the injury, the possible long-term prognosis, and current and future costs. A brain injury can profoundly affect your life, impacting your physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being. If you sustain a brain injury due to another party’s negligence, you may be eligible for compensation for all resulting losses. There are various kinds of brain injuries in Des Moines and several factors impact your brain injury claim. You can learn more about your legal options when you speak with a personal injury attorney.
Kinds of Brain and Head Injuries
Head injuries can be mild or serious, and affect the brain differently. But even mild brain injuries must be taken seriously. Head injuries, regardless of their severity, can impair your perception and judgment. Without proper diagnosis, some of these injuries can get worse without medical attention, resulting in severe health problems. Below are common kinds of head injuries:
- Concussions. Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries that result from a jolt or blow to the head. Their symptoms include headache, confusion, dizziness, and memory issues.
- Contusions. These brain tissue bruises usually result from a direct hit to the head. They can result in swelling and brain bleeding.
- Diffuse axonal injury. This injury takes place when your braid forcefully shifts inside your skull, leading to widespread axonal damage. This can cause coma, death, or brain damage.
- Traumatic brain injury. This injury includes different kinds of brain injuries that happen because of external force.
- Skull fracture. This occurs when your cranial bone breaks. Skull fractures can be linear, basilar, or depressed. They can result in brain damage, particularly if some bone fragments the tissue of the brain.
Brain Injury Consequences
Brain injuries can have long-term consequences on your life. They can affect you physically, emotionally, cognitively, and behaviorally. Thus, your ability to concentrate, complete everyday tasks, and work are affected.
Depending on which part of your brain is affected, physical consequences can include headaches, motor coordination issues, seizures, fatigue, dizziness, problem-solving issues, and difficulty focusing. Behavioral and emotional changes can become known through symptoms like irritability, depression, anxiety, personality changes, and impulsivity.
Brain injuries can affect your ability to carry out everyday tasks, go to work, and maintain relationships, usually resulting in financial difficulties. If you have suffered a brain injury, a personal injury claim can offer compensation for your injuries and losses, alleviating some of the financial effects. To increase your chances of success, hire a brain injury attorney to represent you.
What Affects Brain Injury Compensation?
How much compensation you may secure for a brain injury depends on the factors below:
- The seriousness of your injury. A more serious brain injury often leads to higher compensation because of increased medical expenses, greater effects on your life, and longer recovery times.
- Long-term prognosis. Your possible compensation may be higher if the effects of your injury are expected to be long-term or permanent.
- Medical expenses. Compensation for a brain injury must cover past and future medical expenses.
- Lost wages or lost earning capacity. If you cannot work because of your brain injury, you may be able to seek compensation for lost wages. Also, if this injury reduces your earning capacity, seek compensation for future loss of earning capacity.
- Pain and suffering. Your compensation can also include non-economic damages such as emotional distress, pain and suffering, and loss of life enjoyment.
- Fault percentage. Your possible compensation will depend on your share of fault for the accident. While you can still get compensation for your injuries and damages even if you share responsibility for the accident, your compensation amount will be reduced by your fault percentage. Also, your percentage of fault must not be more than 50% to seek compensation.
