Have You Experienced a Brain Injury? 

A trusted personal injury lawyer in Lakeland, FL knows that brain injuries are considered the silent injury. Every year in the United States, there are about 7.1 million traumatic brain injury hospitalizations and deaths, with many taking place in Florida. The scary thing about these injuries are that they tend to be silent until it is too late — most victims believe they have experienced the extent of their injury and then all of a sudden, something catastrophic happens.

Because of the nature of these injuries, it is imperative to work with a personal injury lawyer for Lakeland, FL to ensure your rights are protected if you are a victim of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, there are a lot of details to keep track of in these cases, so David & Philpot, PL has created a quick guide on what to know about TBIs and personal injuries.

Types of Brain Injuries

A brain injury can be classified into two different categories; open and closed. An open brain injury is when an object fractures the skull and enters the brain, and a closed injury is one without a fracture. While open TBIs are dangerous, an experienced Lakeland, FL personal injury lawyer is aware that closed TBIs pose an additional risk of swelling in the brain and potential brain bleeds that cannot be seen.

Severity of the Injury

Again, a TBI can be sorted into two severity categories, mild and severe. Here are the breakdowns of each:

Mild severity TBI

• Considered mild if there is a loss of consciousness for less than 30 minutes
• Can take a few days to weeks for the symptoms to show
• Many victims will eventually regain entire their entire quality of life
• 15% of victims will still feel symptoms for up to a year after the accident
• Signs of a mild injury include:
  • Coordination problems
  • Sleeping excessively
  • Unexplained changes in mood
  • Memory loss
  • Loss of smell and taste
  • Nausea
  • Seizures

Severe TBI

• Victims of severe TBIs will experience symptoms within hours to days. Symptoms include:
  • Dilated pupils (can be just one eye, or both)
  • Depression
  • Clear fluid draining from the ears and/or mouth
  • Habitual bouts of vomiting and nausea
  • Irritability
  • Problems speaking, walking, and eating
  • Prolonged feelings of confusion

Personal Injury Next Steps

If you feel that you have been a victim of a traumatic brain injury, do not hesitate to get medical treatment right away. Then, contact a personal injury lawyer in Lakeland, FL and explain exactly what happened. While each case is different, here are some next steps you may have to go through:

• Maintain all medical records
• Journaling symptoms every day and their effects on your daily life
• Calculating monetary damages. If your case is brought to trial, you may be able to gain compensation for any medical visits, therapy, reduced quality of life, loss of income, and pain and suffering
• Discuss if a personal injury trial or an out of court settlement is the best option for you

To learn more about your personal injury options when it comes to your traumatic brain injury, it is important that you get as informed as possible. Draw up a list of questions you may have and do not hesitate to contact a professional.  Call the office of David & Philpot, PL today to speak with a tenacious personal injury lawyer serving Lakeland, FL about next steps!