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South Carolina Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers
Experienced representation for victims of brain injuries
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is a debilitating and serious injury resulting from physical trauma to the head. TBIs can range from mild (like a concussion) to severe (like a coma), and can cause a person to experience symptoms for months or years. Serious TBIs can result in lifelong side effects, both physical and cognitive. Brain injuries may not be immediately noticeable, but must be taken seriously. Untreated TBIs can worsen over time and become life-threatening.
The South Carolina serious injury attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC understand how devastating brain injuries can be. TBI victims can experience loss of cognitive ability and other neurological skills. Most traumatic brain injury patients will require extensive rehabilitation therapy, and psychological counseling is also helpful for many patients. Our attorneys hold negligent parties responsible for your injuries and work to secure compensation on your behalf. We have obtained millions in settlements and verdicts for many of our clients, and we’re ready to help you.
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What is a traumatic brain injury?
The CDC reports that 2.87 million people are either hospitalized or killed by TBI-related injuries each year. Over 837,000 of these reports included children. The CDC also notes that TBI is one of the major causes of death and disability in the United States.
TBI is a broad term to describe the damage that occurs when a sudden and external force damages the brain. Johns Hopkins Medicine explains traumatic brain injury damage as “focal (confined to one area of the brain) or diffuse (happens in more than one area of the brain). The severity of a brain injury can range from a mild concussion to a severe injury that results in coma or even death.”
What are the causes of traumatic brain injuries?
All sorts of events can cause a TBI, but some are more apt to cause brain injuries than others. These can include:
- Falls. Slips and falls from ladders at work, on slippery floors at a store, or anywhere else can cause serious brain injuries. Young children and the elderly are particularly susceptible to TBIs from falls.
- Car and truck crashes. Vehicle collisions, including those with motorcycles or pedestrians, are also a common cause of traumatic brain injury. The force of these accidents can often cause closed brain injuries.
- Violence and assaults. Abuse, domestic violence, gunshot wounds, and other types of assaults can cause open and closed TBIs in both children and adults.
- Sports injuries. Many sports and hobbies carry a high risk of TBI, including football, soccer, baseball, skateboarding, and other contact or high-impact sports. Children and teens are commonly at risk for concussions and TBIs from sports.
- Combat-related injuries. Blasts and explosions often cause traumatic brain injury to military personnel from active combat or training exercises.
The South Carolina TBI attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC investigate the cause of your accident and find out who, or what, was responsible for your injuries.
We work with health care professionals and other experts to examine both the cause and extent of the injuries incurred, so our attorneys can help anticipate all current and future medical costs. Some TBI patients may require a lifetime of medical care, and our team of lawyers wants to ensure you get paid every penny you deserve.
Are there different types of TBI?
Yes. A patient can suffer an open TBI or a closed TBI, as well as different symptoms and complications.
- With an open TBI, the skull is penetrated, cracked, or broken in some way. This is sometimes called a “penetrating head injury.” Open TBIs often occur from car wrecks, gunshots, fireworks injuries, or other accidents involving shrapnel and sharp objects. These injuries often cause significant damage to the brain, as well as localized swelling.
- A closed TBI occurs when a patients suffers a blow or whiplash-type injury to the head, but the skull remains intact. With these types of injuries, the brain is jostled inside the skull, which can cause bruising, swelling, and bleeding within the brain. Closed TBIs often happen in sports or in vehicle collisions.
Some of the more common conditions associated with traumatic brain injury include:
- Concussion. A concussion is injury to the brain due to a blow or because of damage due to bruising, nerve injury or harm to the blood vessels. Symptoms include headaches, loss of cognitive function and loss of balance.
- Post-concussion syndrome. When a concussion fails to fully heal, complications can ensue, including anxiety and depression.
- Brain herniationor subarachnoid hemorrhage. Both these conditions can be fatal or cause severe complications. Key symptoms include bleeding and bruising on the brain.
- Strokes or cardiac problems. If blood cannot get to the brain or the blood vessels within the brain rupture, a patient can suffer a stroke or cardiac event.
- Other serious complications. These can include an inability to awaken from sleep, slurred speech, extremity weakness, loss of balance, or agitation and anxiety.
Anyone, whether a child or adult, should seek medical attention after any type of blow or injury to the head, and follow their physician’s treatment instructions.
What are the symptoms of traumatic brain injury?
According to the CDC, symptoms of TBIs typically fall into four categories:
- Thinking and remembering, which includes difficulty concentrating and remembering new information.
- Physical, which includes headaches, blurry vision, nausea, fatigue, or sensitivity to light and noise.
- Emotions and mood, including stress, irritability, anxiety and sadness.
- Sleep, which can include trouble falling sleep, sleeping more than usual or less than usual.
The Center also recommends seeking immediate attention in the case of these life-threatening symptoms after a head injury or accident:
- “Headache that gets worse and does not go away.
- Weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination.
- Repeated vomiting or nausea.
- Slurred speech.
- Look very drowsy or cannot wake up.
- Have one pupil (the black part in the middle of the eye) larger than the other.
- Have convulsions or seizures.
- Cannot recognize people or places.
- Are getting more and more confused, restless, or agitated.
- Have unusual behavior.
- Lose consciousness.”
It is important to remember that most brain injuries do not show external symptoms. You or your loved one may look perfectly fine, but could be experiencing an invisible injury.
What are the side effects of traumatic brain injury?
Patients who suffer a traumatic brain injury may need a variety of physical and emotional therapies. Some of the many conditions the doctors and therapists will need to treat include:
- Loss of physical skills. Patients can lose the ability to walk, their coordination, their strength and their endurance.
- Loss of fine motor skills. Using one’s hands to do tasks such as writing or even holding a cup can be extremely difficult.
- Cognitive difficulties. These can include the ability to remember events and people, the ability to speak without difficulty and the ability to process information.
What is my South Carolina TBI case worth?
Traumatic brain injuries can cost a patient a significant amount of money and cause considerable losses. Generally, the more severe your injuries, the more damages we seek on your behalf. When our attorneys take your case, we ensure we take all your losses into account, including:
- Medical expenses, current and future. These can include hospital stays, imaging tests, surgeries, and medications.
- Lost income and future earning capacity. If you are unable to return to your current job, or are unable to work at all, you will need compensation for this loss of employment.
- Pain and suffering. This compensation is for the physical and emotional pain you have endured due to your injuries.
Our attorneys dedicate themselves to your case, working to secure the maximum compensation for your injuries. We understand that spinal cord injuries are life-changing and disabling, and it is crucial that negligent parties are held accountable for your injuries.
Skilled representation from experienced South Carolina TBI lawyers
McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, are dedicated, driven, and committed to delivering results. Your traumatic brain injury accident case matters to us. If you or a loved one suffered a TBI, let us help you obtain the justice and compensation you deserve for your injuries. Call us today at 803-327-7800 or fill out our contact form and schedule an appointment. We proudly serve clients throughout South Carolina and nationwide from offices in Columbia, Rock Hill, Sumter, Greenville, Charleston, and Georgetown.