Las Vegas Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, is among the leading causes of death and disability in America. A TBI, also known as an intracranial injury, is caused by a significant blow, jolt, or penetrating injury to the head that injures the brain.  Most TBI’s result from a fall, a traffic accident, an assault, or a firearm-related injury.

With TBI’s affecting the brain and its functions, they are one of the most severe and life-changing types of injuries that can occur. Essentially, the injuries can affect significant functions, including a person’s thoughts and memory, ability to move, senses, emotions, and language. Besides the risk of physical incapacitation, a TBI can leave an individual with a radically different personality.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 61,000 Americans suffered TBI-related deaths in 2019. Traumatic brain injuries can range from mild to severe, with victims experiencing short-term or long-term health issues or even death. Most victims will require life-long and often expensive medical care. Typically, a TBI will likely leave you and your family in significant emotional, physical and financial distress.

However, if your injuries are due to someone else’s negligence, Nevada law entitles you to compensation. If you are in Las Vegas, NV, and you or a loved one has sustained a traumatic brain injury, we are here for you. Our skilled  Las Vegas traumatic brain injury attorneys at Heidari Law Group have broad experience dealing with cases like yours. We will help you get the compensation you and your family need and deserve.

Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Some common events can put you at an increased risk of a traumatic brain injury than others. Some common causes of traumatic brain injuries include:

• Car Accidents / Auto Accidents
• Motorcycle Accidents
• Bicycle Accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Slip and Fall Accidents
• Violent Crimes (Assault and Battery)
• Explosions
• Being shot with a gun
• Falling objects
• Falling down a flight of stairs
• Sports accidents

The Brain Injury Association of America classifies brain injuries into some distinct categories, including: 

1. Acquired traumatic brain injuries. They often occur due to various reasons, including impact to the head. However, while the impact to the head is a common cause of brain injuries, the brain can be severely injured even without any impact on the head. For instance, whiplash or sudden acceleration followed by deceleration can cause a traumatic brain injury without the need for impact. Since whiplash and related injuries frequently occur in motor vehicle accidents, TBI’s are common in different types of car crashes.
2. Inborn traumatic brain injuries. These are brain injuries that occur before birth and may be due to perinatal illness or hypoxia. They may also be due to parental drug abuse hence neurological damage in the fetus, fetal alcohol syndrome, or a genetic disorder.
3. Anoxic brain injuries. These occur when a prolonged lack of oxygen supply damages the brain. Even though closed head injuries do not require impact or penetration of the skull to occur, they often result in life-threatening complications or even death.

Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury

Regardless of your type of head injury, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Generally, brain injuries are easy to miss, and if not recognized early enough, they can easily worsen or develop into life-threatening complications. Some of the common symptoms that might indicate a TBI has occurred include:

• Intense headaches
• Loss of consciousness, even for brief periods
• Dizziness
• Coordination issues
• Trouble falling or staying asleep
• Blurred vision/Sensitivity to light
• Mood swings and problems controlling emotions
• Nausea and vomiting
• Personality changes, including extreme irritability
• Memory loss
• Anxiety
• Trouble concentrating

Additionally, traumatic brain injuries can result in long-term damage, including permanent cognitive defects, epilepsy, or death. For severe traumatic brain injuries, a victim may experience:

• Loss of muscle control
• Loss of vision or hearing
• Depression
• Severe and unrelenting pain in the head
• Paralysis
• Seizures
• Debilitating disorientation

What to Do After Sustaining a Head Injury

Since the full effect of a head-related injury often delays, it is critical to seek medical treatment immediately after a suspected traumatic brain injury. Essentially, symptoms of a head injury can take hours or even days before they appear. For many TBI victims, immediate medical treatment is often the difference between a mild injury and disability or even death.

Some of the immediate steps you or a loved one can take after sustaining a head-related injury include:

1. Examine the head for an open wound. If there is a wound, cover it and if it is bleeding, apply pressure using a cloth to stop the bleeding.
2. Hold something cold against the wound to slow inflammation 
3. Check for other common TBI symptoms, including dizziness, disorientation, confusion, nausea, and trouble concentrating.
4. If any of these symptoms are present or are worsening, seek immediate medical help.
5. In case of a neck injury, you (the victim) should not move as it can worsen your injuries.

Recovering Damages in a Traumatic Brain Injury Accident

The lengthy and often costly medical treatment for traumatic brain injuries is usually financially and emotionally overwhelming for most victims and families. If your TBI is due to another’s negligence, you can recover damages. However, you have to prove the at-fault party’s negligence beyond a reasonable doubt.

There are as many potentially liable parties as there are causes of traumatic brain injuries. For instance, while a driver may be liable to pay damages in a motor vehicle crash, a property owner may be liable in a slip and fall accident that occurs in their premises. A doctor or hospital management may be liable for damages in a medical malpractice case.

Some of the damages you can recover in a TBI personal injury case include medical and rehabilitation costs, property damage, lost wages and loss of earning capacity, physical pain, mental anguish, loss of affection. You might even be able to recover punitive damages in some cases.

Contact a Las Vegas Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

From the loss of primary functions, including the ability to move to the need for daily care, traumatic brain injuries can be life-changing for victims and their families. They may also require costly medical treatment that leaves victims in significant financial distress. While the law entitles victims to compensation for traumatic brain injuries due to another’s negligence, TBI claims can be complex.

Get a Free Consultation

If you need a personal injury attorney with a history of success, good communication at all stages of your case, and who will help you manage and settle your case call Abogados Con Experiencia. We will handle your case so that you can heal and put your life back together.