Filing an Injury Claim for Brain Injuries: What Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Victims Need to Know
Half of all traumatic brain injuries are the result of car accidents, according to the National Institutes of Health. That’s a staggering statistic, especially considering that of those people injured, some will require long-term hospital care and rehabilitation, and others still will suffer from permanent brain damage.
Paying for the medical costs associated with such an injury can be crippling, which is why Florida victims may consider filing an injury claim against the driver at fault. To help you and your family make sense of the personal injury process after an accident, an attorney in Fort Lauderdale can sit down with you to talk about some specifics of brain injury cases.
Treating and Diagnosing Brain Injuries in Florida Can Be Expensive
Even when a vehicle’s occupants wear their seat belts, the moment of impact during a car collision can prove especially dangerous. When the head sustains an impact – whether against the window, another object in the car or from the sheer momentum of the brain hitting the inside of skull, like when the head is thrown forward – swelling and bleeding in the brain can occur, and the oxygen supply to the brain can be cut off or limited.
With it come symptoms of brain injuries, including:
- drowsiness;
- vomiting;
- slurred speech;
- loss of consciousness;
- extreme headache and neck pain; and
- coma (common with severe brain injuries).
Treating a head injury often requires emergency care. Only when your condition has stabilized can doctors begin the full range of neurological testing, CT scans and MRIs to diagnose the condition. Your initial hospital stay could last days, weeks or even months, depending on if your brain injuries are mild, moderate or severe.
When you discuss your personal injury and accident with a personal injury accident attorney in Fort Lauderdale, he or she will want to know about the length of your hospital stay and will need your medical records and receipts to get a better idea of your current and estimated future health care costs to factor into your claim.
Factoring Long-Term Implications of Brain Injuries into a Florida Claim
Even though a car accident only takes a second to occur, the damage of resulting brain injuries can last a lifetime.
After your condition has been diagnosed, it may take months of physical, speech and occupational therapy to re-learn basic tasks like walking, talking and eating. Persistent headaches and limitations in social skills, memory, reasoning and attention span may be a permanent reality.
In the wake of such a life-altering injury, it’s important for victims and their families to know they have options. Filing an injury lawsuit or claim in Florida is one way to safeguard your future, and your accident attorney will be there every step of the way.
Contact a Personal Injury Accident Attorney in Fort Lauderdale
When a car accident in South Florida has left you with serious brain injuries, Falk & Falk Law Firm, an attorney team serving Fort Lauderdale and Miami, will handle your case from start to finish. We have represented injury victims for 45 years and value the relationship we have with each of them. To get a better feel for what to expect after a car crash causes brain injuries and whether filing an injury claim is an option for you, call 1-305-279-0999 or fill out our online contact form.