A head injury can lead to severe, long-lasting, or extensive damage, requiring costly treatments.
When serious brain damage results from another party’s negligence – such as in a car crash, a work site accident, or an unsafe condition in someone’s property – the injured person may be entitled to compensation.
However, it can be difficult for victims and their families to claim their rightful compensation, partly because brain damage cases are medically complex and partly because some such claims are easy to deny by insurance companies.
If you or a loved one has suffered serious brain damage in New Jersey, and another party is at fault, contact a New Jersey personal injury attorney at Grossman Law Firm to learn about your legal options.
With our successful track record handling complicated brain injury cases, our lawyers understand what it takes to get you properly compensated.
Types of Brain Injuries & Brain Damage
Brain damage may be congenital (occurring at birth) or acquired (developing over the course of one’s life).
Acquired brain damage caused by an external force is called a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Examples of TBIs include getting a blow to the head or hitting your head against an object.
Most TBI cases in the US are mild concussions that heal with simple treatments, but some cases are catastrophic, leading to permanent brain damage or death.
These are some of the traumatic brain injuries that occur in accidents:
- Concussion. Most concussions heal after some rest, but in severe cases, lasting effects can be significant, including sensitivity to light, memory loss, concentration issues, personality changes, and psychological problems.
- Coup-contrecoup contusions. A contusion is a bruising to the brain, and it usually occurs as a “coup-contrecoup” injury. This is when the brain is slammed on one side and then bounces to the opposite side of the skull, causing dual damage. Because the damage is substantial, a coup-contrecoup injury often leads to irreversible brain impairment.
- Diffuse axonal injury (DAI). Axons are connecting nerve fibers scattered throughout the brain. When they are stretched, twisted, or torn, the resulting damage is diffused, affecting multiple brain regions at once. Sadly, many DAI patients go to a coma, and among them, only few regain consciousness.
- Intracranial hematoma. A “hematoma” is a ruptured blood vessel. When this occurs inside the skull, whether on the brain itself or in the tissues around it, the ensuing bleeding or blood clots can be life-threatening.
- Open head injury. Also called a penetrating brain injury, this involves an object entering the skull, such as a bullet, a sharp stabbing object, or broken pieces of the skull itself. Apart from the direct damage to the brain, a major risk here is heavy blood loss.
Top Causes Of Brain Injuries in New Jersey
The CDC and the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) list the following as leading causes of brain injuries:
- Falls/Falling
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Being struck by or against an object
- Electric shock
- Oxygen deprivation
- Infectious disease
- Seizure
- Stroke
- Toxic exposure
- Substance abuse
- Tumor
It’s all too common for brain damage to result from the actions of a negligent party. Auto accidents are a top example – many irresponsible drivers cause collisions where innocent motorists commonly sustain head injuries.
Various other situations of negligence put innocent victims in harm’s way. For example:
- Getting hit on the head at an unsafe job site
- Slipping, tripping, or falling due to hazards on someone’s property
- Near-drowning at an unsafe swimming pool
- Getting an electric shock from an unsafe electrical system
- Workplace accidents due to defective equipment
- Sports or recreational accidents due to substandard safety gear
- Long-term toxic exposure allowed by negligent employers or property owners.
If you believe that another party’s carelessness ultimately led to a brain injury, you should consult with a personal injury lawyer. A competent attorney can help establish that someone else is liable for your accident, allowing you to claim the compensation you need and deserve.
Why A Lawyer May Be Crucial In Your NJ Brain Injury Claim
Brain injuries are extremely challenging to cope with financially and emotionally. Victims face a mountain of medical costs, rehabilitation expenses, and special long-term needs. This only adds to the initial trauma and stress from the accident itself.
But what makes all these more difficult is the vagueness of most brain injuries. Symptoms of brain damage are often subtle or confusing. For instance, headaches and memory lapses may be taken as simple, everyday occurrences instead of symptoms of actual brain damage. Sometimes, even MRI or CAT scans do not reveal any definitive signs of injury. A patient may not be able to receive a proper diagnosis unless they seek the help of several specialists.
Because brain damage is difficult to outline, insurance companies have an opportunity to undermine victims’ claims. Head injury claims are frequently denied because symptoms were too vague or easy to refute by insurance adjusters. Victims and their families end up settling for much less than they deserve.
Call The Grossman Law Firm
Having an experienced New Jersey brain injury lawyer could be indispensable in your brain damage claim. A specialized lawyer should help you establish your injury and fight for the appropriate compensation.
Choose a TBI lawyer who has a good track record in this legal area, as it takes real-world experience to effectively deal with insurance companies and their tactics. A case as complex and challenging as brain damage should be entrusted to an attorney who is proven competent.
Our lawyers have decades of experience handling brain damage cases like yours. Through our committed legal service, our New Jersey clients have received deca-millions worth of settlements.
Consult with us for free. Contact us by calling (732) 625-9494 today.