CONNECTICUTTraumatic Brain Injury Attorney

Any injury to the brain can be devastating. Because the brain is involved in nearly all human activity, brain trauma can completely disrupt your life. After an accident, brain injury victims often report mood changes, sleep disruption, and pain. Many are unable to move as well as they used to.

The good news is that many accident victims can receive compensation for their brain injuries. A settlement can cover the cost of medical treatment and lost wages, as well as provide some compensation for pain and suffering. 

Our firm has an office conveniently located in Glastonbury to ensure we are able to represent and work with brain injury clients in and around the Greater Hartford area including areas such as Manchester, East and West Hartford,  Newington, New Britain, Enfield, Avon, Colchester, Middletown, Bristol, Norwich, and more. If you find yourself in need of a knowledgeable Connecticut traumatic brain injury attorney to fight for your rights, contact Tehrani Law Group today.

What Are Common Causes of Brain Injuries in Connecticut?

Brain injuries can stem from a variety of accidents such as auto accidents, truck accidents, bus accidents, pedestrian injuries, bicycle accidents, scooter injuries, and rideshare accidents. Despite this variety of causes, we tend to see two major types of brain injuries stem from these incidents:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs): The brain gets injured due to trauma to the body or head. Common causes include car accidents, falls, sporting accidents, and violent attacks. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about half of TBI hospitalizations are caused by falls.
• Hypoxic Brain Injuries: Anything that restricts oxygen or blood to the brain can lead to brain injury. In fact, brain cells begin to die after a few minutes of oxygen deprivation, and they don’t regenerate. Many people suffer a hypoxic brain injury in a near-drowning accident or in a medical mishap.
• Anoxic Brain Injuries: An anoxic brain injury is when there is a complete lack of oxygen going to the brain.  This happens if the heart stops or blood cannot reach the brain due to arteries being damaged or otherwise restricted.
• Cerebral Aneurysm Brain Injuries:  Cerebral aneurysms or anything that causes the brain to bleed is a serious issue.  It can and often does cause permanent brain damage.  In some cases, ER doctors may not catch the symptoms of a cerebral aneurysm.  If a patient is sent home with an artery widening in their brain, and it ruptures it can cause catastrophic damage or death.

Symptoms will depend on the type of brain injury you suffered. Although most people will experience immediate symptoms, other victims might wait a day or two before they realize something is wrong. Someone with a traumatic brain injury might experience:

• Unconsciousness
• Headaches
• Impaired memory
• Stiff neck
• Dizziness
• Loss of coordination or balance
• Ringing in their ears
• Double vision

These symptoms can last for months, in what doctors call “post-concussion syndrome.” Some impairments might be very slow to improve.

Someone who suffers a hypoxic brain injury might be unconscious and unresponsive immediately following the incident. Even when they awaken, they might be unable to communicate with anyone.

Don’t Wait With A Traumatic Brain Injury 

Unlike a broken leg, it’s hard to see the damage done to our brains.  It can be hard to know if you have a TBI without seeing a doctor, and the longer they are left untreated the more severe the damage can become.  It’s best to get properly diagnosed by medical professionals and get treatment immediately to minimize deterioration.

Treatment for Your Brain Injury

Brain injuries are incredibly serious because there is no pill that can immediately improve the situation. At most, our clients must rest so the brain can repair itself. Brain injury victims often need long breaks from using electronic devices like a phone or computers. Someone who suffered a hypoxic brain injury should immediately receive supplemental oxygen.

A severe traumatic brain injury could send you to the intensive care unit for close monitoring of your vital signs. Many of those with severe TBIs are disabled and unable to take care of themselves for extended periods.

If your brain is bleeding, then you probably will need immediate surgery to relieve the pressure. Blood can pool in the brain and eventually cut off circulation, leading to death. If you experience a severe headache after an accident, go to the emergency room promptly.

Medication can help manage symptoms, like sleeplessness, depression, anxiety, or pain. Eventually, you might reintroduce movement. Rehabilitation is often essential for making a strong recovery. Many brain injury victims require physical therapy, speech therapy, or occupational therapy. Family members often benefit from group therapy, where they can meet with others who are struggling with brain injuries.

Compensation for Your Injuries

We excel at building personal injury claims for our clients, with the ultimate goal of suing whoever is responsible for your injuries. The goal of any personal injury claim is to obtain compensation for our clients to cover their expenses and hold negligent parties accountable for their actions. Our Connecticut brain injury lawyer helps clients recover compensation for:

• Medical bills
• Surgical costs
• Future medical expenses
• Lost income
• Loss of future income
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage

The amount you can receive varies by the severity of your injuries and other factors. Someone who is permanently disabled with a hypoxic brain injury might be confined to a long-term care facility for the remainder of their life. By contrast, a relatively mild concussion might keep you out of work for only a couple of months.

Any compensation is reduced by your contributory negligence. In Connecticut, you can be up to 50% at fault for an accident—but not over. Someone who bears the majority of blame will not receive anything.

The strength of your case resides in the facts. While you should record all of the facts surrounding the event that caused your TBI, the two that are most important are if you lost consciousness and have amnesia.  

Severity of Brain Injuries 

In 1993 the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine ruled that a mild brain injury is described as just being confused or dazed.  More severe brain injuries generally include losing consciousness and sometimes the comorbid presence of amnesia. 

Loss of consciousness

Depending on the type of accident a person may be unconscious for seconds, minutes, hours, months, or even longer.  If you are unconscious for 30 minutes or less, it is considered a mild traumatic brain injury.

Amnesia

Another hallmark of traumatic brain injuries is the inability to recall details about the event that caused the injury.  It is likely impossible for the victim to accurately discern if they lost consciousness or if they have amnesia blocking recall.  In the United States, amnesia is a symptom of traumatic brain injury, the standard includes gaps in memory. 

It’s possible for some victims of TBIs to be seen walking and talking just after the accident.  They may even remember some of the details about the events.  Only a medical professional is qualified to render judgment on if symptoms add up to a traumatic brain injury!  This is why it’s important to get medical care immediately and keep detailed records for use in any necessary litigation.

Brain injuries send victims reeling. Simple tasks like driving, cooking and cleaning become impossible. Those with children might be unable to take care of their families. And on top of everything else, medical and rehab bills put a strain on a family’s budget at a time when many victims cannot work.

We can help. Tehrani Law Group represents accident victims suffering the effects of brain injury. To learn more about how we can help, contact us today to schedule a free consultation.