Oakland Brain Injury Attorneys
Suffering a brain injury in Oakland can be a life-changing experience. Our brains control our personalities, our cognitive abilities, and our social skills. In other words, a brain injury can affect who you are at your very core. Because of this, a brain injury can be more troubling and disabling than many other injuries. The effects of a head injury can be mental, physical, and emotional. A broken bone or a laceration can seem rather one-dimensional by comparison. Brain injuries can be even more troubling when they were caused by negligent individuals or entities.
The good news is that you do not have to accept your injury without taking legal action. Enlist the help of a qualified, experienced personal injury attorney, and you can gain meaningful compensation for your brain injury. You may be dealing with lost wages, expensive medical treatment, and a range of non-economic damages. Many individuals with brain injuries experience considerable pain and suffering, which means your settlement amount could be quite significant. Reach out to a skilled attorney as soon as possible and make sure you are getting the compensation you deserve.
When choosing an attorney, it is always best to work with a legal professional who is experienced with head injury cases. These situations often require a unique approach, and you can benefit from the assistance of a lawyer who has dealt with these cases in the past. If you want to give yourself the best possible chance of a positive legal outcome, book a consultation with Mary Alexander & Associates at your earliest convenience. Because of the statute of limitations, it is best not to wait.
Possible Consequences of Brain Injuries
The possible consequences of a brain injury can be extremely wide-ranging. On the low end of the spectrum, you might experience symptoms like headaches, nausea, or fatigue. These symptoms might arise from a relatively minor knock on the head. With that being said, even a slight impact can lead to significant health consequences in many years. Sometimes, brain injuries take many years to fully manifest, and they can get progressively worse over time. This is one of the main reasons why it is so important to consider legal action after suffering a head injury. Even though you might feel completely fine today, there is no telling how your brain injury might develop and worsen throughout the next few years.
For more serious brain injuries, the potential consequences can be tremendous, and these issues can impact virtually every aspect of your life. This includes your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Here is a rundown of the potential consequences you might be facing from a serious, traumatic brain injury:
- Behavioral Issues: Brain injuries can impact the way you behave on a day-to-day basis. You may experience greater levels of impulsiveness, and many of your inhibitions might completely fade away. You may develop obsessive tendencies that threaten to overwhelm your life. You could develop a sense of apathy towards your life, or you might become incredibly self-centered. Perhaps most seriously, your behavioral issues can cause harm to other people. Some people with brain injuries experience heightened levels of aggression.
- Cognitive Issues: You may also experience significant cognitive issues after suffering a brain injury. These include memory problems, reduced visual-perceptual skills, lack of concentration, an inability to process large amounts of information, faulty reasoning skills, and an overall lack of empathy towards other people.
- Communication Issues: A brain injury can affect the parietal lobe, which is responsible for spelling. It can also impact Wernicke’s area, which is responsible for understanding language. Broca’s area may be affected as well, and this area is responsible for expressing language. In addition, the temporal lobe may be affected by a brain injury, and this part of the brain is also involved with language.
- Emotional Issues: Perhaps the most disturbing potential consequences of a brain injury are the emotional issues that you might experience. These include personality changes, mood swings, depression, anxiety, and anger. You might also develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of your injury.
- Physical Issues: Because the brain is responsible for the function of your entire body, you may also experience a range of physical health issues after your injury. These include mobility problems, paralysis, sensory impairment, and epilepsy.
- Sexuality Issues: Finally, brain injuries can impact the way we behave in a sexual manner. After an injury, many patients no longer experience an interest in sex.
In addition to all of the problems listed above, brain injuries can also cause comas, concussions, and other instances of loss of consciousness. These are often some of the most serious effects of a brain injury.
What Kinds of Damages Can I Claim in a Brain Injury Lawsuit?
In all personal injury claims, damages are divided into two categories — economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages are easily quantified by a numerical, dollar amount. For example, you might have lost $10,000 in wages because your brain injury forced you to miss months of work. You might have racked up a number of expensive medical bills as well. Any other out-of-pocket expenses you might have incurred as a result of your injury can also be claimed.
On the other hand, non-economic damages are more difficult to quantify because they are not associated with a dollar amount. These are things like pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of consortium. Because brain injuries involve significant mental and emotional consequences, this could make up a significant part of your overall damages. In some instances, a person who has experienced a brain injury might appear to be completely normal on the outside, while suffering immensely on a mental and emotional level. This is why you need an attorney who can show the court the extent of these damages.
Why It is So Important to Get Medical Treatment after a Brain Injury
After suffering a brain injury, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Not only is this important for your own health and safety, but it is also important for your lawsuit or claim. If you never see a healthcare professional and seek treatment for your injury, then it becomes difficult to prove that you actually suffered any injury as a result of the accident.
When you get properly assessed, medical records are created that clearly state you suffered a brain injury. You can also collect receipts for your treatment costs so that you can claim these as economic damages. In addition, you can get diagnostic tests that help support your claim. An MRI or another kind of medical image of your brain can show the extent of your injury, even if this injury is not immediately obvious to the court. Establishing damages is a vital part of proving negligence. If you cannot prove that you actually suffered damages, it becomes impossible to recover compensation.
Reach Out Today – Brain Injury Attorneys Serving Oakland, CA
After suffering a brain injury, it is important to get both legal and medical assistance as soon as possible. While getting treatment is always the first priority, a consultation with a qualified attorney should be the next step. If you have been searching Oakland for a qualified, experienced personal injury attorney who can assist you with this matter, look no further than Mary Alexander & Associates. We will fight for your right to receive compensation for your injuries, and we will hold the at-fault party accountable. Book a consultation today, and we can develop a personalized action plan based on your specific needs, requirements, and circumstances.
