Traumatic brain injury can take a long time to recover from. While you are healing and working to move past this tragic event, a brain injury lawyer in Houston can assist you in the legal process.
Major causes of brain injury include:
- Near drowning
- Auto accidents
- Truck accidents
- Construction accidents
You should seek medical help after receiving a head injury, as these can cause unnoticeable damage to your brain. Contact your lawyer as well, if you find yourself in any of the accidents listed above.
How to Identify a Brain Injury
There are two types of brain injuries- open and closed head injuries. Open head injuries can be obvious, but closed ones are not. These are internal wounds.
Here is what to look for to identify a closed head injury:
- Loss of consciousness
- Frequent headaches
- Forgetfulness
- Feeling confused frequently
- Vomiting or nausea
- Personality changes
- Slurred speech
- Memory loss
- Upset balance
Needed Testimony
For your case, you may need testimony from professionals to prove that you are suffering from a traumatic brain injury. You may also need testimony from those qualified to evaluate the following:
- Future medical expenses for the injury
- Finances for neurology specialists
- Accident reconstruction
- Other financial impact
A brain injury lawyer will consult with these experts to help show a court how much money you need to be compensated for. A specialist’s testimony can make your case much more solid.
What Compensation Can I Expect?
If you are suffering from a brain injury due to an accident, you can seek compensation for the following damages:
- Rehabilitation costs
- Medical costs
- Reduced ability to work
- Loss of income
- Emotional distress
- Remodeling your home to fit your new needs
Your damages will vary from others, so consulting a brain injury lawyer in Houston will be very helpful to you. They can let you know what damages you qualify for, as well as all the steps you need to take to have your case go smoothly.
How a Brain Injury is Diagnosed
The severity of your injury will also affect your compensation. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is a test used to determine functionality in:
- Speech
- Movement
- Eye mobility
The lower the score, the worse your injury. There are 3 types of brain injuries:
- Mild
- The victim did not lose consciousness
- Memory loss is less than a day
- GCS score 13-15
- Moderate
- The victim was unconscious for over 30 minutes
- Memory loss is over one day to a week
- GCS score 9-12
- Severe
- The victim was unconscious for over a day
- Memory loss is over a week
- GCS score 8 or less
This test will be important for your brain injury lawyer to gather compensation for you.