A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can change your life. Because severe injuries can cause long-lasting complications or disabilities, recovering from a TBI can be lengthy and expensive.

Did you or a loved one suffer a traumatic brain injury because of another party’s negligence or wrongdoing? You should not have to bear the financial burden of medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. You deserve to seek financial relief from those responsible for the harm you’ve suffered. Let a brain injury lawyer with Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC, advocate for your right to compensation and justice for your injury.

Our legal team is dedicated to serving injury victims. We stand up for your interests and help you face insurance companies to demand the financial resources and accountability you deserve. We understand that you need to focus on healing from your injury and moving forward. That’s why we handle all the details of your case while you rest and recover.

If you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident caused by someone else, our traumatic brain injury attorney can help you pursue compensation. Contact our office today for a free consultation.

Georgia Brain Injury Statistics

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgians suffered nearly 30,000 traumatic brain injuries in one recent year, which resulted in more than 20,000 visits to emergency rooms and over 8,000 hospital admissions. Traumatic brain injuries cost Georgia over $1.5 billion annually in medical expenses and lost worker productivity. Georgians aged 10 to 19 make up the largest age demographic of TBI victims, accounting for about one-quarter of all recorded TBIs and spinal cord injuries statewide. The Georgia Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission also notes that of the 1.7 million people in the United States who suffer from TBIs, around 275,000 become hospitalized, and approximately 52,000 die from brain injury.

Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries and Symptoms

Various accidents and harmful incidents can cause different kinds of traumatic brain injuries. Some of the most common types of TBI include:

  • Concussion – Also called a mild traumatic brain injury, a concussion occurs due to a traumatic force to the head or body, resulting in temporary changes to brain function. Concussion symptoms usually resolve within a few days or weeks, although multiple concussions can result in long-term complications.
  • Contusion – A contusion is an injury that involves bruising of brain tissues, usually caused by the brain impacting the inside of the skull.
  • Coup-contrecoup – This type of brain contusion involves the brain hitting the inside of the skull with enough force to ricochet and strike the opposite side of the skull, causing bruising on opposing sides of the brain.
  • Hematoma – Hematoma is a buildup of blood on the surface or inside the brain that can place dangerous pressure on brain tissues.
  • Hemorrhage – Hemorrhage is uncontrolled bleeding around or inside the brain that can cause swelling and put pressure on the brain.
  • Penetrating brain injury – A penetrating brain injury involves damage to brain tissues caused by an object penetrating through the skull and into the brain, such as a bullet.
  • Diffuse axonal injury – This injury is caused by rapid, violent twisting forces on the head or body that have a shearing effect on axons or the connections between nerve cells. This shearing effect can cause the connections between nerve cells to sever, potentially having severe or fatal consequences.
  • Second impact syndrome – This is a brain injury that occurs soon after an initial TBI before the first injury’s symptoms have resolved. Second-impact syndrome often causes more severe symptoms than the first TBI and often leads to brain swelling.

Symptoms of TBIs will vary depending on the type and severity of the injury. Common symptoms of mild traumatic brain injuries include:

  • Headaches
  • Nausea/vomiting
  • Fatigue/drowsiness
  • Problems with speaking
  • Dizziness/balance issues
  • Blurred vision
  • Ringing in the ears
  • A bad taste in the mouth
  • Altered sense of smell
  • Sensitivity to light or sound
  • Brief loss of consciousness
  • Feeling dizzy, confused, or disoriented
  • Memory or concentration problems
  • Mood changes or swings
  • New feelings of depression or anxiety
  • Difficulty falling asleep or sleeping more than usual

Traumatic brain injury symptoms for moderate to severe TBIs include:

  • Loss of consciousness for several minutes to several hours
  • Coma
  • Persistent or worsening headache
  • Persistent nausea and vomiting
  • Convulsions/seizures
  • Dilated pupils
  • Clear fluids draining from the ears or nose
  • Weakness or numbness in fingers or toes
  • Loss of coordination
  • Profound confusions
  • Agitation or combativeness
  • Slurred speech

Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries

According to the Mayo Clinic, falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. This includes falling from a bed or elevated area, falling down stairs, or a slip-and-fall accident. Brain injuries from falls are especially common among children and older adults.

Motor vehicle accidents, including car, truck, and motorcycle accidents, are another leading cause of traumatic brain injury. Sports injuries can also cause severe harm, especially when repeat head injuries occur before the brain recovers.

Other traumatic brain injury causes include:

If you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury in any kind of accident or harmful incident, contact our firm to see how we can help you pursue compensation and justice.

Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Repeated traumatic brain injuries or moderate to severe brain injuries can have long-term consequences and complications. Moderate to severe TBIs often require intensive medical care that may begin with medications like anti-seizure medication, coma-inducing drugs, or diuretics to reduce brain swelling. TBI victims may need surgery to repair damage from a penetrating brain injury, fix brain bleeding or blood clots, or relieve pressure on the brain from swelling. Some people who suffer from moderate to severe TBIs require rehabilitation that may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, recreational therapy, and vocational counseling.

In addition to extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation, a TBI victim can suffer complications such as:

  • Altered consciousness, such as coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, or brain death
  • Repeated seizures (epilepsy)
  • The buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the space around the brain (hydrocephalus)
  • Increased risk of infection, especially from penetrating brain injuries
  • Blood vessel damage, which increases the chances of a stroke
  • Recurring headaches or migraines
  • Vertigo
  • Impaired hand-eye coordination
  • Paralysis of facial muscles
  • Permanently altered sense of taste or smell
  • Altered vision or loss of vision
  • Problems with swallowing
  • Tinnitus (frequent or permanent ringing in the ears) or hearing loss
  • Cognitive problems, including memory issues, trouble concentrating, or difficulties with learning or reasoning
  • Communication issues, including difficulty speaking or writing or understanding spoken or written language, inability to organize thoughts, difficulty following conversations, and loss of social skills
  • Behavioral changes, including problems with impulse control, difficulty in social situations, or verbal/physical outbursts
  • Emotional changes, including the onset of depression/anxiety, mood swings, irritability, and insomnia
  • Potentially increased risk of degenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, dementia pugilistica, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

Compensation Available in a Georgia Traumatic Brain Injury Claim

If you’ve suffered a TBI caused by someone else, you deserve to pursue financial relief for your economic and personal losses. Our brain injury attorney advocates for your rights. You may be eligible to seek compensation for the following:

  • Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses, including hospitalizations, surgeries, doctor’s appointments, medications, and physical/occupational/speech therapy
  • Long-term care for permanent disabilities, including home health services, housekeeping, disability accommodations, or nursing home care
  • Loss of wages or income if you cannot work while healing from your injury or you can only work part-time or light-duty
  • Loss of future earning capacity and employment benefits if you develop a permanent disability resulting from your injury and cannot return to work
  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Emotional trauma and distress from your injury and subsequent disability or medical treatments
  • Loss of enjoyment and quality of life due to physical or cognitive limitations caused by your TBI that interfere with your daily living or ability to participate in activities you previously enjoyed
  • Reduced life expectancy due to complications from a traumatic brain injury

Our experienced attorney can evaluate your case and explain the types of traumatic brain injury compensation you might be able to receive.

Talk to a Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer in Lawrenceville, GA Today

A traumatic brain injury can have catastrophic consequences for victims and their families. If you or a loved one suffered a TBI, you deserve to seek financial relief and justice from those responsible for the injury. At Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC, we can handle all the details of your case so that you can focus on healing from your injury. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn how our firm can assist you with your brain injury claim. We can help you pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses.

Lawrenceville Brain Injury FAQ

A brain injury, including a traumatic brain injury, typically occurs when a substantial amount of force impacts an individual’s head. In some instances, these injuries occur when an individual is involved in a bicycle accident, motor vehicle accident, pedestrian accident, motorcycle accident, or slip and fall accident.

While head and brain injuries can be relatively mild in some instances, such as in the case of a mild concussion, in other cases, the accident victim may wind up in a coma and may be dependent upon others for care throughout the remainder of their life.

Another common characteristic of brain injuries is that in many instances, they are challenging to diagnose. Symptoms may not become readily apparent until several days or weeks after an individual is involved in an accident.

One of the essential things that accident victims should do after a serious accident is to seek medical treatment at a hospital emergency room or urgent care facility. The healthcare providers there will ensure that the proper diagnostic tests, including imaging studies of the skull, are done to assess whether or not a traumatic head or brain injury as taken place.

If you or a person you care about sustained an injury in an accident that may have resulted in a traumatic brain injury, the knowledgeable Lawrenceville brain injury attorneys at Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC can assist you with filing a claim or pursuing a lawsuit against the individual or entity who was at fault for the accident.

As previously mentioned, traumatic head and brain injuries can be difficult to diagnose. However, in many instances, these injuries are evident from specific symptoms. For example, the accident victim may have difficulty with their memory or reasoning abilities, where no similar problems existed in the past.

Moreover, the accident victim may have difficulty with their ability to smell, taste, see, hear, or feel physical sensations. Individuals, including family members and friends, who are close to the accident victim may notice significant changes in the accident victim’s personality and ability to process information. An accident victim may also exhibit signs of depression or anxiety when they had never experienced those issues in the past.

The most severe traumatic head and brain injuries can lead to an accident victim falling into a coma or a permanent vegetative state, which may later lead to the accident victim’s death.

If you or someone you love is experiencing any of these symptoms following a serious accident, seeking medical treatment and care as soon as possible is crucial. A healthcare provider can diagnose your medical condition and help you on the road to recovering from your injury or injuries.

The knowledgeable Lawrenceville brain injury lawyers at Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC can concentrate on handling all of the legal aspects of your brain injury case. At the same time, you can focus on recovering from your injuries and gaining back your losses.

Not all traumatic head and brain injuries are the same. These injuries vary in their severity and can produce both long-term symptoms and short-term symptoms.

Moreover, the severity of traumatic head and brain injuries range from relatively minor, to moderate, to severe. Your treating healthcare provider can diagnose the type of head injury from which you suffer and prescribe treatment to help you recover from your injury or injuries.

Some of the most common types of traumatic head and brain injuries that accident victims frequently sustain include:

  • Skull fractures – A number of bones make up the human skull. A skull fracture occurs when one or more of those bones break in an accident. Skull fractures are common in accidents where there is a sharp blow to the accident victim’s head, such as when the accident victim strikes the ground or strikes their head on something in a vehicle, such as a window.
  • Concussions – Some concussion injuries are relatively mild, while others are incredibly severe. A concussion typically occurs from an impact to the accident victim’s skull. This impact causes bruising on the brain and can result in severe symptoms, including vomiting, dizziness, headaches, and difficulty with memory functions.
  • Subdural hematoma – A subdural hematoma results from large amounts of blood building up between the upper lining of the accident victim’s brain and brain tissues. To correct this problem, the accident victim may require one or more surgeries.
  • Diffuse axonal injury – A diffuse axonal injury occurs when the damage sustained in an accident cuts nerve fibers in the brain. As a result, the accident victim may fall into a coma or suffer from a disability that lasts for the remainder of their lifetime.
  • Anoxic brain injury – Brain cells require oxygen so that they can survive. If an individual’s brain cells do not receive the necessary amount of oxygen, they will begin to die off very rapidly. An anoxic brain injury deprives an accident victim’s brain of needed oxygen for an extended period of time.
  • TBIs – TBIs are more formally known as traumatic brain injuries. These injuries typically occur when blunt force impacts an individual’s head. The individual may strike their head on the ground with a considerable amount of force, or an object may strike or penetrate the accident victim’s head, resulting in the traumatic brain injury. These injuries typically occur when the amount of force is so strong that the individual’s brain actually strikes the inside of the skull as it moves around. This back-and-forth movement can disrupt the neurons and axons that make up the brain’s internal wiring system, resulting in severe and sometimes permanent brain damage.

If you or someone you care about has sustained a traumatic brain or head injury in an accident that someone else caused, you may have several legal remedies available to you. The experienced team of Lawrenceville brain injury attorneys at Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC can explain all of your legal options in clear terms and help you decide on the best course of action for moving forward with your case.

Serious brain injuries can occur in any circumstances in which an accident victim sustains a traumatic impact or jolt of the head. In many accident cases, victims sustain their head injuries as a direct result of another person’s carelessness or negligence. When that happens, the accident victim may be in a position to file a claim or a lawsuit directly against the individual or entity who acted unreasonably under the circumstances.

It goes without saying that some accidents are more severe than others, and some accidents are more likely to lead to a traumatic head or brain injury than others.

Some of the most common types of negligence that can lead to traumatic brain or head injuries include:

  • Motor vehicle driver negligence – Operators of cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles are responsible for following the Georgia rules of the road and putting them into practice when they are operating their vehicles. When a motor vehicle operator fails to follow the rules of the road or engages in distracted driving that results in a collision with another vehicle (or a pedestrian), the accident victim may strike something inside the vehicle and sustain a serious head injury. In the case of a motor vehicle accident where the negligent driver causes their vehicle to collide with a bicycle or motorcycle, the collision’s force may cause the cyclist to fall off the bike, striking their head on the ground and sustaining a traumatic injury.
  • Premises accidents – The owners and operators of various premises, including restaurants and stores, owe their guests a duty. Specifically, these individuals must undertake reasonable efforts to ensure that their properties are free from dangerous defects and known hazardous conditions. If areas of the property are defective, property owners and operators have a duty to either repair the defects or to at least warn visitors of the defects on the premises. When property owners and operators fail to act with the necessary amount of reasonable care, surface defects can cause individuals to slip and fall on the premises. In a slip-and-fall accident, it is very easy for an individual to strike their head on the floor, resulting in a serious injury.
  • Product malfunctions – Just like premises owners are responsible for maintaining their properties in a safe condition at all times, product manufacturers have a duty to ensure that their products are adequately tested and are in a reasonably safe condition before being put up for sale on the market. If a product malfunctions in a way that results in an injury to the accident victim’s head, the manufacturer, or any other entity in the design or supply chain, may share in the liability. The same holds true if a motor vehicle, bicycle, or motorcycle part does not work correctly, leading to an accident that results in a severe head injury.
  • Healthcare malpractice – Doctors and other healthcare providers have a duty to act in a reasonable manner when treating their patients and to perform medical procedures within their designated specialty. In some cases, especially during the birth of a child, a patient might suffer a brain injury due to a doctor’s errors. If a doctor’s negligence caused a person’s head injury, then the injured patient may file a claim against the healthcare provider for medical negligence or malpractice.

If you or a person you love has sustained a head or brain injury due to one or more of these types of negligence, the skilled legal team at Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC is ready to help you. Our legal team can investigate the circumstances of your accident and determine if negligence occurred. If so, we can assist you with pursuing monetary compensation for a head or brain injury that you may have sustained in your accident.

To recover compensation for a brain injury sustained in an accident someone else caused, you will first need to file a personal injury insurance claim or lawsuit against the at-fault person or entity. That individual or entity’s insurance company will then become involved.

When it comes to proving fault (or liability) in a Lawrenceville head or brain injury case, the person who sustained the injury has the burden of proof. Specifically, the accident victim must show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the at-fault party owed a duty that they ultimately violated. The accident victim must also show that they sustained a brain injury and that the accident was a cause of the brain injury. Typically, an expert doctor or healthcare provider will need to testify that, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, the accident was a cause of the brain injury.

Assuming the accident victim can satisfy their legal burden of proof, the accident victim may pursue compensation for out-of-pocket expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering damages. The accident victim may also be eligible to recover compensation for a permanent disability or impairment, inconvenience, or loss of use of a body part that resulted from the brain injury. If you require lifetime care or ongoing medical treatment, those costs are compensable as well, assuming they are causally related to the at-fault person’s negligence and the accident.

If you or a person you love has sustained a head or brain injury because of another individual’s negligence, you have legal options available to you. The experienced team of Lawrenceville brain injury attorneys at Brauns Law Accident Injury Lawyers, PC are ready to assist you with pursuing the monetary compensation that you need for your head injury.

This article was previously published in April 2022 and updated for relevance in September 2023.