Accidents can happen quickly, resulting in severe, catastrophic injuries—including traumatic brain injuries. If you sustain a brain injury due to another person’s actions, you could file a personal injury lawsuit or insurance claim against him or her. However, insurance companies often place brain injury victims under unfair scrutiny, using tactics to reduce or deny compensation.
In these situations, you need an advocate on your side—and the Kansas City brain injury lawyers at Goza & Honnold, LLC can help. We will leverage the full power of our firm’s resources to craft a compelling case in your favor, helping you secure the compensation you deserve.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when you sustain any type of damage to the brain, including bleeding, swelling, and nerve death. These injuries often occur when you sustain a blow to the head or when something penetrates your skull. Certain illnesses and oxygen deprivation may also contribute to a TBI.
Many types of accidents can result in traumatic brain damage, including car accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice, and bicycle collisions. TBIs can lead to serious complications, including the following.
- Prolonged loss of consciousness or permanent changes to a person’s state of consciousness, such as coma, brain death, or the onset of a vegetative state.
- Physical complications, such as seizures, hydrocephalus, brain infections, vertigo, and frequent headaches.
- Changes to cognitive thinking skills, such as difficulty with memory, problem-solving, attention, or judgment.
- Communication problems, such as difficulty speaking, writing, organizing thoughts, and understanding non-verbal cues.
- Behavioral changes, such as mood swings, risky behaviors, sudden outbursts, and difficulty maintaining self-control.
Common Types of Brain Injuries and Their Impact
Brain injuries vary widely in severity and type, often requiring different approaches to treatment and rehabilitation. Common types include coup contrecoup injuries, diffuse axonal injuries, and closed head injuries. Coup contrecoup injuries occur when the brain impacts opposite sides of the skull due to forceful motion. Diffuse axonal injuries, often seen in car accidents or sports injuries, involve widespread damage to brain tissues and can cause long-term cognitive or physical challenges. Understanding the type of injury is vital in a brain injury case, as it affects the medical care required and the compensation sought in brain injury litigation.
The Long-Term Costs Associated with Traumatic Brain Injuries
Brain injury victims often face extensive long-term costs, including medical expenses, physical therapy, and lost wages due to an inability to work. For many, the expenses extend beyond immediate treatment, as ongoing care for brain injury symptoms such as memory loss, mood swings, or vertigo can be necessary. Emotional distress and financial strain are common as families grapple with these lasting impacts. An experienced brain injury attorney can help calculate these damages for brain injury claims, ensuring that all costs—current and future—are considered.
How Emotional Distress Impacts a Brain Injury Case
Emotional distress is a significant but often overlooked component of a brain injury lawsuit. Brain injuries frequently lead to behavioral changes such as mood swings, anxiety, or depression, which can affect relationships and quality of life. Kansas City brain injury lawyers understand that these non-economic damages are critical to presenting a complete picture of how the injury occurred and its effects. Including emotional distress in a personal injury claim can help ensure fair compensation for brain injury victims.
The Role of Expert Witnesses in Brain Injury Litigation
In complex brain injury litigation, expert witnesses play a key role in strengthening your case. Neurologists, neuropsychologists, and other specialists can provide testimony about brain injury symptoms, the extent of damage, and the likely prognosis. In Kansas City brain injury cases, we work with trusted medical professionals to demonstrate the impact of injuries such as penetrating injuries or traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Their insights can be pivotal in helping juries or insurance companies understand the full scope of your losses.
How to Prove a Missouri Brain Injury Lawsuit
A TBI can greatly affect your quality of life. You may need to receive lifelong therapy and treatments to regain movement and build function. You may lose months of wages or be unable to return to work at all. The physical and emotional trauma may be difficult to bear.
If you developed a brain injury due to someone else’s negligence, you may be eligible for a Kansas City personal injury lawsuit. Through these claims, you can recover compensation for your medical expenses, wage loss, property damage, and pain and suffering related to your accident.
However, you can only recover this compensation if you can prove the at-fault party’s negligence. You will need to prove four key elements to establish your right to damages.
- The at-fault party owed you a duty of care.
- The at-fault party breached his or her duty of care.
- The breach of duty directly caused your accident.
- You suffered damages in the accident that you can recover.
Understanding whether you are eligible for a personal injury claim can be difficult without a brain injury attorney on your side. To determine if you have grounds for a lawsuit, speak to a brain injury lawyer at Goza & Honnold, LLC in Kansas City as soon as possible.
Why Choose Us
- At Goza & Honnold, LLC we believe effective representation requires integrity and professionalism. Our traumatic brain injury lawyers in Kansas City have earned the respect of opposing counsel and have won multiple awards recognizing our work.
- There is a human story behind all brain injuries. Our Kansas City TBI lawyers will take the time to learn your story and craft a compelling case on your behalf.
- We have helped thousands of clients achieve the compensation they need to recover. Our Kansas City brain injury attorneys will not hesitate to take your case to trial to achieve maximum recovery
Brain Injury Lawyer Resources
Q&A about Kansas City Brain Injury Accidents
What are the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury?
Symptoms of traumatic brain injury vary but often include headaches, memory loss, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and behavioral changes. Severe cases may involve prolonged unconsciousness, seizures, or difficulty with speech and coordination.
Can a brain injury case include compensation for emotional distress?
Yes, emotional distress is often part of brain injury claims. Behavioral and psychological changes resulting from the injury, such as depression or mood swings, can be included in your claim for damages.
How can a brain injury attorney help with my case?
A brain injury lawyer can gather evidence, consult medical experts, and build a compelling argument to support your claim. They help ensure fair compensation for medical care, lost wages, and other damages.
What is the difference between an open and closed head injury?
A closed head injury occurs without penetration of the skull, often from impacts or falls. An open head injury, or penetrating injury, involves an object breaking through the skull, causing direct damage to brain tissue.
Why is it important to hire an experienced brain injury attorney for a TBI case?
Brain injury cases can be complex, requiring in-depth knowledge of medical issues, legal standards, and the ability to calculate long-term damages. An experienced attorney can navigate these challenges effectively to support your case.
Contact a Kansas City Brain Injury Lawyer
Brain injuries can be severe, resulting in thousands of dollars worth of medical expenses, property repairs, lost wages, and more. If someone else is responsible for your traumatic brain damage, you may be eligible for a lawsuit or insurance claim.
Contact our Kansas City brain injury attorneytoday by calling 913-600-2849 or schedule a free consultation and discuss your legal options.