New Port Richey, FL Brain Injury Attorney

Home / New Port Richey Personal Injury Lawyer / Brain Injuries

At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we help brain injury victims and their families exercise their rights. Reach out to our New Port Richey brain injury attorneys at (727) 815-8442 to get the help you need during this difficult time. We’re available 24/7.

When a car collision, construction site mishap, or other accident causes brain injury, it’s hard to define all the ways your life will change. However, you have one chance to get an appropriate payout from the at-fault party’s insurance. Our attorneys could be able to help you negotiate a much higher settlement or, if it comes to it, take your case to court for justice.

Our Board Certified Trial Attorneys can give you the benefit of 60 years of combined experience. We have won seven-figure verdicts and settlements for clients, giving them the opportunity to get their lives back. We want to do the same for you. Contact our law offices in New Port Richey, Florida.

Table of Contents

What Causes Traumatic Brain Injuries?

The human brain is very fragile and easily injured. Any force that causes it to slam against the inside of the skull can result in a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the top causes of TBI as:

Falls
Vehicle accidents
Pedestrian accidents
Head struck by or against an object
Assault by a third party

The agency also noted soldiers and athletes may be at higher risk because of their jobs. Among children, sports are typically the greatest cause of TBI; professional athletes take much harder hits. For service members, the force of concussive blasts can cause injury—but so can training, athletics, or other rough leisure activities.

What Are the Symptoms of a TBI?

Each patient’s symptoms will vary based on the severity of the injury and the specific location of the damage. An easy way to tell if you or a loved one sustained a TBI is this: If the victim was unconscious, even for just a moment, they have likely suffered a brain injury. For mild injuries such as concussions, patients may not realize that certain changes they’re experiencing are related to the injury.

However, symptoms of this type of injury include:

Headache
Dizziness
Slower thinking
Anxiety
Depression
Sleep Disorders
Decrease in tact and decorum
Irritability and aggressiveness

Even if you don’t think a loved one has been injured, major changes in their emotions and/or disposition could signal a TBI. Not everyone suffers the expected symptoms. That doesn’t mean they don’t need medical treatment.

Impairment Caused by TBI

Moderate and severe TBIs characteristically result in the victim being unconscious for at least 30 minutes. While no care provider can determine the scope and severity of the damages before the victim wakes up, a longer period of unconsciousness typically correlates with worse injuries. Patients in this situation almost always experience some impairment when waking up. In some cases, they may be able to fully recover.

Difficulties the victims of moderate or severe TBIs may face include:

Reduced problem-solving capabilities
Slower cognitive processing (may cause slower speech)
Decline in visual capabilities
Loss of ability to perform daily tasks
Difficulty reading non-verbal cues and nuances in speech
Hearing loss or tinnitus
Decreased reading comprehension
Mood disorders
Difficulty regulating emotions

Specialists can help patients try to regain lost abilities, but there is no guarantee they will succeed. A TBI can forever change the lives of you and your loved ones. Make sure you have the support you need during this time.

Common Questions About TBI

What Are the Long-Term Effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury?

The impact of a brain injury on a patient’s life may differ depending on multiple factors, but many TBI victims see their quality of life decrease after the injury. The CDC found that in the 5 years after a moderate or severe TBI, around 50% of victims will either see increased symptoms or pass away, compared to 25% whose conditions improve.

Does a Brain Injury Decrease Life Expectancy?

Though scientists have not yet determined why the victims of TBI are much more likely to die at younger ages than their non-injured peers. The more severe the injury, the greater the impact on a victim’s life expectancy; a patient’s ability to walk and feed themself is seen as a key indicator in predicting outcome.

What Is the Most Common Type of TBI?

The CDC finds concussions are the most common type of brain injury by far, accounting for around 3 in every 4 TBIs yearly.

What Are the Types of Traumatic Brain Injury?

You already know TBI is caused by an outside force acting on the head, but these injuries can be further classified by type:

Concussion: Caused by a sudden force, these injuries are characterized by stretched blood vessels and damaged cranial nerves.
Contusion: Upon a harsh impact, the brain will begin to bleed and swell, causing a bruise. The presence of blood in the brain can continue to cause damage until treated. These injuries are also known as intracranial hemorrhages.
Coup-Contrecoup Injury: When a sudden force acts on the head, the brain may collide with the skull and suffer a contusion. In some cases, the force may be such that the brain then moves in the other direction, causing a section on its opposite side to collide with the skull as well. An injury at the site of impact is a coup injury, and one opposite an impact is a contrecoup injury.
Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI): When the head is shaken or rotated, nerve tissue within the brain may begin to tear if its speed does not match the speed of the skull. These tears may trigger the release of chemicals that can cause further damage to brain cells.
Penetration: When the skull is breached and a foreign object, such as a bullet, enters the brain, the victim has suffered a penetration injury. This may increase pressure on the brain within the skull and introduce the potential for infection, along with other complications.

Reach Out to Our New Port Richey Brain Injury Lawyers

When someone else’s neglect has a serious impact on your life, our attorneys can provide the legal guidance you need. Recovering damages isn’t just about the medical costs you’ve already incurred. You could also receive payment for lost wages, a decrease in earning potential, future medical needs, reduced quality of life, and more. There’s no overstating how important financial help is when dealing with serious, lifelong medical issues. We are here to help you ask for the compensation you deserve.

Call us any time at (727) 815-8442 if you think you have a brain injury case.