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A traumatic brain injury is one of the most heartbreaking medical conditions to endure. Even though a victim of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can often at first glance appear to be completely unaffected physically, the mental effects of an injury to the brain can be profound.
If a brain injury has hurt you or someone in your family, you may be facing enormous medical costs. Fortunately, a local catastrophic injury attorney may be able to help you recover damages to help offset some of those expenses. Contact a Riverdale traumatic brain injury lawyer today to determine if pursuing damages in the form of a lawsuit is the right option for you and your family.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a TBI as an injury that disrupts the brain’s functioning. A brain injury can be mild, which could result in a concussion or a short change in consciousness. It could be moderate, which might result in a somewhat longer, yet still temporary, alteration of mental status. Finally, a brain injury is classified as severe if the victim is unconscious for an extended period of time, or if they suffer amnesia. The amount that a claimant can recover following a brain injury depends on the degree of severity of the TBI.
The most common causes of brain injuries are:
A traumatic brain injury can occur after any accident in which a person hits their head, and a skilled Riverdale lawyer has the experience to deal with claims stemming from many different types of accidents.
To successfully pursue a TBI case, a claimant and their Riverdale attorney must prove that the negligence of another person or entity caused their injury. A claimant must demonstrate that the faulty party did not exercise a required reasonable level of care in their actions, and that those actions caused the injury and resulting damages. For example, if a store fails to remove the ice and snow from a storefront’s sidewalk, causing a customer to slip and hit their head, then that customer can pursue a case against the store owner for negligence. Generally, with some exceptions, TBI claims must be filed within two years of the accident, according to Illinois Statutes Chapter 735, Section 5/13-202.
A victim of a TBI in Riverdale could be eligible to recover several different types of compensation, and Illinois does not generally limit the amount of recovery, except when the state is involved. A victim and their family might recover compensation for all of their economic and non-economic losses resulting from the accident, such as:
Illinois courts usually award non-economic damages by multiplying the awarded economic damages by between one and five. An Illinois court might also award punitive damages if the faulty party who caused the brain injury acted in an intentional or extremely negligent manner.
After a brain injury, many things may be different. You may face costly rehabilitation and therapy, and you may be having cognitive and physical difficulties that leave you unable to work. A successful financial judgment against the person responsible for your TBI could help ease your worries. Reach out to an experienced Riverdale traumatic brain injury lawyer as soon as possible to see how they can assist you.