What Qualifies as a Traumatic Brain Injury in Massachusetts After a Car Accident

When you are hurt in a car accident in Massachusetts, you may experience some of the symptoms of a head injury. Many accident victims suffer headaches, loss of consciousness, or an impact to the head. However, there are many different types of head injury – from mild head injury to severe traumatic brain injury from a car accident. Technically, even the slightest loss of consciousness could qualify as a “brain injury.” But when attorneys or medical professionals talk about “traumatic brain injury,” also known as “TBI,” they are usually referencing one of the more severe forms of head injury.

While any head injury is serious, a traumatic brain injury’s lawsuit is usually concerned with the “permanency” of the injury. How long will the victim suffer symptoms of brain trauma from a car accident? Here are some simple questions to help gauge the permanency of your head injury.

• How is your brain injury affecting your everyday life? Victims of brain injury usually have symptoms that are unique and individual, depending on the area of the brain that is affected by the injury. For example, some individuals with brain injury suffer from difficulty speaking and communicating. This symptom has a very serious and life-altering affect on the victim. Their everyday life is altered forever.
• How will it continue to affect your life?This question is one of the most important considerations in a lawsuit for settlement to compensate for your pain and suffering in an accident. It is crucial that a victim of a head injury has an attorney who understands the permanent and serious nature of their injury so that the victim has a full picture of the value of their claim. Will the victim be able to regain some of their abilities through rehabilitative therapy? How will their injury affect them as they age? How will their injury complicate any other medical conditions they may have?
• What activities can you no longer enjoy? One of the considerations in determining the impact of the head injury on the victim’s life is whether it has prevented them from enjoying or completing some activities of daily living. Some head injury victims may suffer a loss of coordination or muscular function. These victims will have to give up many of the activities they used to participate in, from playing sports to being able to care for children and grandchildren.
• Have you lost your ability to earn income? A teacher who has lost the ability to speak and communicate will no longer be able to earn an income. A painter who has been paralyzed will no longer be able to earn an income. The symptoms of traumatic brain injury can ravage a person’s life, including their occupation. Any victim who suffers from these injuries deserved to be compensated fairly for the impact it will have on their career.

If you have any questions about what qualifies as a traumatic brain injury, call Massachusetts car accident lawyer David Dwork today. He is experienced in representing victims of catastrophic accidents to help them get compensation they deserve.