Binghamton Brain Injury Lawyer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1.7 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury each year. These injuries can cause severe physical and emotional pain and leave many victims unable to care for themselves. Fortunately, traumatic brain injury sufferers and their families may be eligible for compensation if the injury was the result of another person’s negligence. A Binghamton traumatic brain injury lawyer at Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP can help.

What are the common causes of brain injuries?

Brain injuries can be a result of any accident that involves trauma to the head. Motor vehicle accidents, slip-and-falls, workplace accidents, and sports injuries commonly result in brain injuries.

As a result of these accidents, the patient may experience an open or closed brain injury:

• Open: An open brain injury occurs when the skull fractures, breaks, or suffers a penetrating blow.
• Closed: Closed brain injuries occur when a blow causes the brain to move inside the skull.

These accidents can cause bruising, bleeding, and tearing in the brain and result in numerous physical and psychological issues.

Symptoms and Treatment Options

After an accident involving the head, patients may experience serious symptoms including:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Memory loss
• Seizures
• Loss of consciousness or disorientation
• Slurred speech
• Cognitive deficits
• Drowsiness

Prompt diagnosis is imperative when it comes to brain injuries. People experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention. They will likely undergo diagnostic tests such as MRIs and x-rays. In some cases, patients will require a full neurological examination to follow-up on the injury.

Treatment

The treatment of a brain injury will depend on the severity of the injury. Doctors can usually treat mild traumatic brain injuries with standard pain relievers. However, not all brain injury symptoms appear right away. If any new or worsening symptoms appear, victims should go to the ER immediately.

Doctors may treat injuries that are more serious with coma-inducing and anti-seizure medication. Emergency surgery to remove clotted blood and repair skull fractures may also be necessary to limit further brain damage. Many patients will then have to undergo months of rehabilitation and therapy to regain basic skills and re-learn how to walk and talk.

Experienced Binghamton Brain Injury Attorney

The Costly Effects of a Brain Injury

In addition to the physical, mental, and emotional damage, brain injury victims also suffer financially.

Recovering from a brain injury can be a long and difficult process. Some patients will never be able to live independently, even after therapy. Many patients are unable to go to work due to the pain and time-consuming treatments.

As a result, they are not able to earn money to pay their mounting medical bills. Employees that are able to return to work may not be able to perform their jobs as well as they did before the injury, resulting in demotions or even firings.

Establishing Causation and Recovering Damages

Proving causation in court is necessary for people hoping to recover damages for their injuries. Victims can do this with medical expert testimony that discusses the dramatic mental and physical effects of a brain injury. The evidence must also show that the negligence of another is what caused the accident in the first place and that the brain injury was the result of the accident in question.

For some brain injury victims, treatment and rehabilitation costs are overwhelming. If you sustained a traumatic brain injury through the negligence of another person, you may be entitled to damages to help pay for your expenses. Contact a Binghamton TBI lawyer at Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP for assistance with your claim.