March Is Brain Injury Awareness Month

An important month-long awareness campaign takes place every March:  Brain Injury Awareness Month.  This is a program designed to raise awareness among the public about the nature, prevalence, and impact of brain injuries.  Brain injury is one of the most misunderstood series injuries in our society and March is all about trying to help Americans better see and understand these “invisible injuries.”

Brain injuries — sometimes referred to as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) — are injury events in which physical force is applied to your brain. There are many causes and types of traumatic brain injuries, and Brain Injury Awareness Month is designed to help you and others better understand these complicated injuries.

Traumatic brain injuries can result from unintentional accidents as well as negligence-caused injury events. 

When your traumatic brain injury comes about because another person acted carelessly around you, you should be aware of your rights. An experienced brain injury lawyer can help you appreciate what rights you may have if you or a loved one suffer a brain injury.

How to Tell if You Have Suffered a Brain Injury

Despite medical advances and an increased understanding of the brain, much remains unknown. This includes knowing when the brain has been injured — part of Brain Injury Awareness Month’s educational outreach efforts are designed to help people know the symptoms to look for when evaluating whether they sustained a brain injury.

After being hit in the head or otherwise injured, be alert for the following signs of a brain injury. If you believe you are exhibiting symptoms, or if you have any doubt about whether you have suffered brain trauma, get to a doctor or emergency room as soon as possible.

• A headache that gets worse or that does not go away with time
• Loss of consciousness for any length of time, even for a few seconds
• Nausea and vomiting
• Seizures, convulsions, or muscle spasms
• Memory issues

These symptoms may resolve with rest and the passage of time in cases where the traumatic brain injury is mild. In more severe cases, these and other symptoms may persist or never fully resolve. In addition to the aforementioned symptoms, you might also experience:

• Sensitivities to light and sound
• Trouble concentrating or focusing on tasks
• Depression or anxiety
• Difficulty sleeping or trouble waking up 
• Unexplained and uncharacteristic anger or irritability

While not all brain injuries are fully treatable no matter how quickly medical attention is obtained, you are more likely to have a better outcome with your brain injury the sooner you get evaluated and treated by a doctor.

Be Aware of Your Legal Rights

Brain Injury Awareness Month is also an appropriate time to be reminded that you may have legal rights following a brain injury accident. 

Where you do have rights, they are most often asserted through a brain injury lawsuit with help from an attorney. These rights include the right to financial compensation, which your brain injury attorney can help you obtain when available.

Just as you would look for signs and symptoms following an accident to know if you have a brain injury, consider the following to determine whether you might have legal rights to compensation:

Did I Hurt My Head in an Accident Caused by Someone Else?

Some head injuries are no one’s fault except your own, such as hitting your head on your basement ceiling or an open kitchen cabinet door. But in many other situations, the reason you sustained a head injury is because another person caused an accident or event that led to you hitting your head.

Some common examples of events caused by others that can leave you with a head injury include car accidents, slips and falls at a store or a friend’s house, and a gunshot wound sustained in a hunting accident. 

If you are not certain who is at fault, your brain injury lawyer can investigate the cause of your head injury.

Was the Other Person Careless?

Carelessness means doing something in a way no reasonable person would under the same circumstances. Speeding in a car, not mopping up a spill on the sales floor, and not looking carefully before shooting toward an animal are all examples of careless actions. 

Your brain injury attorney is best suited to opine as to whether carelessness played a role in your accident.

Your brain injury lawyer can also pursue compensation for you in cases where the other person harmed you intentionally or acted in reckless disregard for your safety.

Did I or Will I Incur Expenses?

A brain injury of any severity will cost you money for medical care and evaluation. In cases of a moderate or severe TBI, your costs can be substantial as you will have immediate medical bills and might face expenses for months or years after the accident. 

You might also face a decrease in your income and earning potential, especially if a moderate or severe TBI results in functional limitations.

All of these and other losses, including any mental suffering you experience, can be compensated through your legal claim. Your brain injury attorney will thoroughly review your situation and circumstances to determine the nature and extent of your losses.

When to Call for Legal Assistance from a Brain Injury Lawyer

If you suffered a brain injury and you suspect you might have legal rights, then there is no time to waste. Contact a brain injury lawyer as soon as you can to take the next step toward receiving compensation for your past and future expenses. 

This compensation can be critical to your ability to recover with a minimal amount of distress and disruption to your life.

Wyoming gives injury victims four years from the date they sustain their injury to file a lawsuit, so it is crucial you connect with a knowledgeable brain injury law firm sooner rather than later. 

The Spence Law Firm has handled numerous brain injury cases and other cases involving catastrophic injuries. We have the resources and capacity to get to work quickly and will work on resolving your claim in a timely manner.