If you hit your head in an accident, you need answers. How serious is your head injury? Who is to blame? Can I get help paying for long-term treatment?
Let our Atlanta personal injury attorneys put you in touch with respected Atlanta head injury lawyers for free. We offer a free virtual or telephone consultation to answer your questions and help you decide if you have a valid claim and what to do next. Call us or fill out the form to get your free consultation today.
How Head Injuries Are Different from Other Types of Injuries
A head injury is different from many other types of accident injuries in both its complexity and its severity. Your brain acts as the central processing unit for your entire body, controlling everything from your nerves to your thought processes to your personality. A serious brain injury can leave you unable to work or even to care for yourself.
Even a mild concussion can cause swelling that harms the brain. For this reason, any head injury should be taken seriously and treated right away.
Head injuries are also different because they are more difficult to diagnose than many other types of injuries. They may take time to develop, and diagnosis usually involves MRIs and other sophisticated tests. Head injuries may require hospitalization and further testing, making head injuries one of the more expensive types of injuries you can have.
Common Types of Head Injuries in Atlanta
The severity of a head injury depends on the type and strength of the impact on your head, and where it occurred. In general, a head injury accident claim will recover money to pay for any kind of traumatic brain injury related to your accident. Basic types of head injuries include:
Concussion
A concussion is caused by a bump, hit, or jolt that causes the head to move back and forth quickly. The abrupt motion causes the brain to bounce around or even twist inside the skull.
A concussion temporarily impairs brain function and can cause nausea, dizziness, vomiting, headaches, and sleep disturbances. Some concussions lead to brain swelling and can cause long-term damage.
Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
A severe traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is a result of a more violent impact or something penetrating the skull. A severe TBI causes permanent physical damage to the brain. Symptoms may appear right away or may surface days or weeks later.
A severe TBI can lead to disability, loss of functioning, or loss of life and is one of the most serious injuries you can sustain.
Mild TBI
Head injuries are not always either mild or severe—they can also be somewhere in the middle. A mild TBI may cause effects that get better over time, but it should still be taken seriously.
Common Types of Accidents Causing Head Injuries in Atlanta
The type of accident you were involved in will help us determine who should be sued for your traumatic brain injuries. Some of the most common types of accidents known for causing head injuries and brain trauma include:
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents can include nearly any type of vehicle, pedestrian, motorcyclist, or bicyclist. Most often, these accidents are caused by negligent motorists. However, dangerous road conditions, inclement weather, wildlife, and defective motor vehicle parts can also contribute to motor vehicle accident head injuries.
Premises Liabilities
Premises liability accidents involve any type of injury that occurs on someone else’s property. Generally, property owners are held accountable for these types of accidents, so property owner liability exclusions may apply. Some examples of premises liability accidents could include:
- Swimming pool accidents
- Dog bites
- Trampoline accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Wet floor accident
- Hotel accidents
- Supermarket accidents
- Parking lot accidents
- Escalator and elevator accidents
- Snow and ice accidents
- Negligent security
- Improper maintenance
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is another way head injuries often occur in Atlanta. When your healthcare provider makes a medical error or mistake, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your brain injuries and head trauma. Some of the most common types of medical malpractice Incidents include:
- Failure to treat
- Failure to provide follow-up care
- Anesthesia mistake
- Surgical errors
- Pharmaceutical mistakes
- Medication errors
- Misdiagnosis
- Birth injuries and maternal birth injuries
Liability for an Atlanta Head Injury
If your head injury was caused by a car accident, the driver whose negligence caused the accident is at fault. “Negligence” does not mean that another driver intended to harm you. It means that the driver was not as careful as he or she should have been.
Drivers may be negligent if they are not paying attention, are following too closely, or are violating traffic laws. When another driver’s negligence causes your accident, that driver is at fault and must pay the cost of your injuries. In most cases, payment is handled through a claim on the driver’s insurance policy.
Recoverable Damages for Atlanta Head Injury Victims
In Georgia, you are entitled to recover all your costs related to a head injury that resulted from an accident that wasn’t your fault. The exact amount you will recover will depend on how serious your injury is and how much treatment you will need. Many of our clients are able to recover money for these costs:
- Medical bills, including doctors, hospital stays, and tests
- Prescription medications
- Physical therapy and other therapies needed for your rehabilitation
- The cost of medical treatment you will need in the future
- Mental health treatment to cope with the consequences of a head injury
If you suffer from a TBI, it is likely you will be able to recover much more money. A TBI may leave you unable to work, either temporarily or permanently, and you may need years of treatment and help to manage your day-to-day life.
The money you receive in an insurance settlement or Atlanta car accident lawsuit can never give you back what you lost in the accident, but it will help you get the care you need and keep you financially stable as you rebuild your life.
What Happens When the Other Driver Was Uninsured or Under-Insured
Georgia law requires drivers to have insurance, but many people ignore the law and drive without it. Many more carry only the minimum amount of insurance. Because a serious head injury requires hospitalization and extensive treatment, the cost of a head injury can easily exceed a driver’s insurance coverage.
When this happens, our head injury lawyers in Atlanta explore other ways to get you the compensation you deserve, such as:
- Through a claim against the uninsured motorist coverage of your own auto insurance policy
- Through other insurance policies that apply to your accident or injuries
- By asking the court to order the other driver to pay you out of pocket
- By placing a lien on the other driver’s house, car, or other assets until you get paid
Recovering money from uninsured motorists is more complicated than the usual claim with an insurance company, so it is important to have a lawyer working for you.
When Not to Accept an Insurance Settlement Offer
When an insurance company offers money right away for a head injury, you might be tempted to say “yes” and get some quick cash to help with the growing medical bills. But head injuries tend to develop over time, and it will be a while before you know how serious your injury really is. You need time to see medical experts who can evaluate you and predict the treatment that you will need in the future.
Only then can you decide whether the insurance company is making a fair offer. Most of the time, however, the insurance company’s first offer is way too low because it is motivated by insurance company profits, not a desire to get you the help you need.
A lawyer can make the process easier for you. A lawyer can refer you to the right doctors and get the medical evidence you need to make a strong claim. A lawyer can present this solid evidence to the insurance company and make a case for you.
Talk to Our Head Injury Attorneys in Atlanta, GA for Free
Our Atlanta head injury attorneys only represent injured people. We make our services affordable—we never charge you anything unless we win money for you.
Let our Atlanta head injury lawyers offer you a 100% free consultation to go over your case—with no obligation. Call us or fill out our convenient contact form to get your free consultation today.
