Omaha Brain Injury Attorney

Brain injuries have moved to the forefront of a national conversation regarding the seriousness of the mental disease and the impact small head traumas may have on this. Brain injuries are often difficult to receive accurate settlement offers since many small brain traumas will have a lasting impact in the years to come, which may be difficult to predict.  However, brain injuries are now recognized for the serious injury they are, and the party accountable for the accident leading to the injury should be held liable for the resulting injuries, including the future projected costs of treating the injury.

Causes of Brain Injury

Nebraska has founded several councils dedicated to raising awareness on the prevalence of brain injuries, many of which go undetected for years.  Brain injuries can be categorized into various levels of severity, including:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Acquired brain injury
• Mild brain injury

Traumatic brain injury refers to an injury caused by a direct blow to the head and can range from mild to extremely severe.  Acquired brain injury is an injury which is non-traumatic, such as brain injuries sustained from drowning, stroke, or lightning strike.  A mild brain injury does not refer to the scope of the injury itself, but to the physical trauma which caused the injury.

Brain injuries are often the result of a car accident, boat accident, or other unfortunate accident.  As a result, these injuries are often treated shortly after the accident but may be overlooked in terms of future recovery.  An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to assist you in better forecasting an appropriate level of damages.

Examples of Accidents That Can Cause Brain Injuries

A brain injury is, unfortunately, a common type of injury in Omaha. Dozens of different accidents, incidents and circumstances could cause traumatic or acquired brain injuries that affect you for life. Any accident that involves a bump or jolt to the head, or a lack of air or blood to the brain, could cause a brain injury. Children, the elderly, young adults, and males are most at risk of suffering brain injuries. At the Knowles Law Firm, we have the ability to help brain injury victims after any type of accident.

• Falling and hitting your head
• Tools or materials hitting you on the head at a construction site
• Items falling on you from a high shelf at a store
• A pedestrian, bicycle or motorcycle accident
• Player-to-player contact during football or another contact sport
• A baseball, hockey puck or another piece of sports equipment striking your head
• A brain puncture wound from a gunshot or stabbing
• Explosions, blasts, and injuries from shrapnel
• Unintentional drowning in a swimming pool accident
• Diving into a shallow pool and hitting your head
• A doctor making a mistake during labor or delivery
• Anesthesia mistakes during a surgery
• A nurse dropping an infant on his or her head

Whether you or a loved one suffered a brain injury at home, on someone else’s property, at work or on the road, we can help. We will investigate your specific accident, gather proof of negligence, and work with experts to build your injury claim. Then, we can help you demand a fair amount of compensation for the short- and/or long-term effects of your brain injury. You could be eligible for significant compensation, especially if a physician believes your brain injury will affect you for life.

Types of Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries occur more often than acquired brain injuries. Concussions are the most common type of traumatic brain injury. In an impact, the brain could suffer many different types of serious and potentially life-threatening injuries. Any blow to the head could shift the brain around and damage its tissues and the surrounding matter and fluids. Some brain injuries will cause minor, short-term problems while others can affect a patient for life.

• Concussion
• Skull fracture/open head injury
• Puncture wound
• Hematoma
• Hemorrhage
• Edema
• Diffuse axonal injury
• Coup-contrecoup brain injury
• Contusion
• Shaken Baby Syndrome

The most common type of acquired brain injury is hypoxia or lack of oxygen to the brain. Hypoxia can starve the brain’s cells of oxygen, causing them serious damage or cell death. The brain cannot regenerate dead cells, but it may be able to repair damaged cells. Hypoxia can arise from choking, suffocating, drowning, birth injuries and anesthesia mistakes.

Short and Long-Term Effects

One of the most frightening things about a brain injury is not knowing if or when you will recover. The brain is a highly complex organ and each person is unique. How the brain responds to an injury and the rate of recovery will differ for each patient. That being said, many patients with brain injuries report the same or similar short-term symptoms. Recognizing these symptoms could help you know when to see a doctor about a potential brain injury.

• Persistent or severe headaches
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness or disorientation
• Ringing in the ears
• Confusion
• Memory loss
• Dilated pupils
• Slurred speech
• Fatigue
• Seizures

Rest can help the brain heal itself from most minor injuries, including many concussions. If the brain sustained a greater amount of damage, however, the patient may never fully regain his or her pre-injury state. Long-term effects of a serious brain injury can include cognitive challenges, seizures, headaches, memory loss, social problems, behavioral changes, depression, anxiety, insomnia, sensory issues and an increased risk of degenerative brain diseases.

Brain Injury Recovery

Brain injuries often go undetected shortly after an accident, which only leads to further complications in terms of treating the injury as well as correctly projecting the correct amount of damages after an accident.  Personal injury claims are often brought after an accident and will include medical expenses, lost wages, and other items in the full claim.  However, in cases such as brain injuries, it may be difficult to fully project what type of expense an injured party will need in the future, especially when the full scope of the brain injury does not manifest itself until years, even decades later.

An experienced Omaha personal injury attorney can assist you in working through these issues and will take into account medical professional’s opinions, as well as your ongoing progress to recovery in calculating an appropriate claim amount.  Many brain injuries will lead to a full recovery while others may result in a slow deterioration of mental cognition.  The attorneys of the Knowles Firm will closely consult with many different medical professionals to ensure you receive the amount in damages you deserve for your injuries.

The Knowles Law Firm | Omaha, Nebraska

If you or a loved one have received a brain injury after an accident, do not hesitate to contact the attorneys of the Knowles Law Firm.  Our attorneys have years of experience in handling brain injury claims and we have many different experts we turn to in calculating the amount in damages related to brain injuries.  Contact our Omaha, Nebraska offices today for your initial free consultation.