Vancouver Brain Injury Lawyer
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur as a result of forceful impact to the head that disrupts brain function. According to the Northern Brain Injury Association of British Columbia, there are over 165,000 TBIs reported in Canada each year.
A TBI can result in physical, emotional, and behavioral problems. These symptoms can be frightening, especially since they may not occur immediately after the injury-causing event, taking longer to appear and diagnose.
TBIs are serious injuries that deserve immediate medical attention. If you or a loved one suffered a TBI, seek medical treatment right away to help minimize long-term disability and even fatal complications.
Your next call should be to a knowledgeable TBI lawyer who can help you with making a legal personal injury claim. With the best medical care and an experienced legal team by your side, you can work toward recovery and pursue the compensation you are owed for your injuries.
Call or visit our TBI lawyer in Vancouver, BC at Warnett Hallen LLP today for a no-cost consultation to review your legal options. Our brain injury lawyer are available 24/7 to help you, so contact our brain injury lawyer in Vancouver now.
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Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury does not need to be an immediately obvious injury to be serious. Some TBIs take a significant amount of time before becoming apparent. In fact, TBIs are often referred to as the “silent epidemic,” because victims often do not anticipate what may be happening.
For example, a victim may suffer whiplash from a car accident but feel generally fine shortly after the accident. Small warning signs may arise before the more serious signs appear. Only then, when accident victims or their family members identify all of the growing symptoms in their totality, will a doctor be able to make a diagnosis.
There are many different types of TBIs, including:
Concussion
Some concussions can heal in a matter of days, while others may take several months or years. Concussions are most severe when a victim is hit a second time when they have already suffered a concussion.
Skull Fracture
A break or crack in the skull from a forceful trauma can cause damage throughout the skull and brain.
Diffuse Axonal Injury
DAI is caused when the white matter of the brain is injured due to twisting actions that can be caused by sudden accelerations or decelerations of the rotational forces during an impact. DAI is commonly seen in auto accidents and sports injuries.
Hematoma
When blood pools in the tissue around the brain, this is known as a hematoma. There are multiple different types of hematomas that can cause severe bleeding and even hemorrhage.
Contusion
After impact, small blood vessels can bleed into the brain and cause contusions, which are bruising and swelling in the brain. Contusions typically occur on the side opposite from impact and can take up to a day after the injury to appear.
Coup Lesions
A type of hematoma that occurs most commonly in car accidents or shaken baby syndrome as the brain is damaged by forceful movement inside the skull.
Open Wound Injuries
These TBIs occur when something penetrates the skull and damages the brain.
Common Causes of Brain Injuries
Often, head trauma will immediately alert a doctor to potential brain injury. However, it is important to recognize common causes of brain injuries because you – and your doctor – may not immediately suspect a brain injury.
Some scenarios commonly associated with brain injuries include:
- Sports Injuries
- Gunshot Wounds
- Assault & Battery
- Job Site Accidents
- Child Abuse
If you or a loved one has suffered a head injury as a result of any of type of accident, seek medical treatment right away. The ability to recover greatly improves with early treatment.
If a TBI reveals itself through symptoms from your injury, later on, you should alert your doctor so that they can begin treatment as soon as possible. Then, please call our knowledgeable Vancouver traumatic brain injury lawyers at Warnett Hallen LLP to review your legal options.
Understanding ICBC Claims for Traumatic Brain Injuries
Auto accident claims in British Columbia are handled by ICBC, including auto accident claims that result in a traumatic brain injury. A TBI claim will be handled specially by ICBC’s Department of Accident Benefits, which assists people who have suffered severe auto accident injuries.
Dealing with ICBC can be complicated so we recommend that you consult with our experienced TBI lawyers in order to optimize your results. Here is what you can expect when dealing with ICBC for a TBI claim:
- After the accident, you will be assigned an ICBC claim adjuster. As soon as possible, you should request that your adjuster refer your particular claim to a Rehabilitation Coordinator, so that you have maximum availability to rehab for your treatment options.
- A Rehabilitation Coordinator can review your records and give you referrals to different types of therapeutic treatments to assist in your recovery. This can help you get the help you need right away, as well as continued medical and therapeutic support for your condition. The Rehab Coordinator should take into account all of your existing medical history and your specific needs. If you feel that you are not getting the attention or treatment you need from your Rehab Coordinator, please contact a lawyer who can better advocate for your needs.
- ICBC should pay for part or all of your medical care, and you may also request assistance with your daily responsibilities, such as household chores and other expenses. If you have any difficulties in dealing with ICBC for these requests, you should contact a lawyer who has experience with both TBIs and in dealing with ICBC. At Warnett Hallen LLP, our brain injury lawyer in Vancouver have extensive experience in both of these areas. Our brain injury lawyer in Vancouver can support you and help get you the assistance for your injuries that you deserve.
- If you have trouble dealing with ICBC and you do not get the assistance you need, another option for you may be to file a personal injury claim against ICBC. Again, this is an area where you can optimize your chances for positive results by speaking to an experienced lawyer about your options. Our lawyers will review your case in detail and advise you on the best course of action in your situation. Our brain injury lawyer will also ensure that you are able to maintain your treatment and any required rehabilitation or other therapies during the time you may be waiting to see action in your claim. Our lawyers are dedicated to helping accident victims get what they need in the recovery process, and our brain injury lawyer in Vancouver will help you in every way available under the law.
- While dealing with ICBC, no matter your level of involvement, be sure to proceed carefully. ICBC has been known to deny claims for accident victims based on evidence gathered from surveillance techniques as well as information that accident victims post on social media. If you feel your claim has been wrongfully denied, contact our lawyers right away.
Understanding Personal Injury Claims for Brain Injuries
If your injuries occurred outside of an auto accident, you will likely need to make a personal injury claim. When you make a personal injury claim for compensation resulting from a TBI, you will pursue an individual for damages you experience. These damages can include:
- Medical Expenses
- Pain and Suffering
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life
- Lost Wages (Both Past and Future)
- Other Expenses
At Warnett Hallen LLP, our Vancouver brain injury lawyers can help you seek the full and fair compensation you deserve for your injuries by bringing a personal injury claim. At your initial consultation, Our Vancouver brain injury lawyer will meet with you and our legal team will thoroughly review the legal process for your injury claim. This will give you the best possible information in making a decision as to how you should proceed with your claim and what you may expect along the way.
Our lawyers remain available to you throughout the legal process, and our brain injury lawyer is here to make sure your legal questions are answered and that you get the medical assistance you need.
Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury
While TBIs have many symptoms, it usually takes the occurrence of multiple symptoms to fully reveal a problem before pursuing diagnosis. These symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Memory Loss
- Hearing Loss
- Repeated Vomiting and Nausea
- Seizures or Convulsions
- Irritability
- Mood Swings
- Loss of Sensation in Arms and Legs
- Impaired Speech
- Strokes
- Loss of Balance
- Paralysis
- Violent Outbursts
- Loss of Consciousness
If you experience any of these symptoms, please seek medical treatment right away. Then ask us at Warnett Hallen LLP how our Brain Injury Lawyer can help with a potential legal claim.
Long-Term Effects of Brain Injuries
Because TBIs are so complicated and often deal with the immediate pain and serious symptoms you experience, many people do not immediately consider the long-term effects of brain injuries. TBI symptoms that reveal themselves can last your entire life, and can cause permanent disability. All of the research conducted on TBIs to date – while it is becoming more comprehensive – still only yields that most cases are unique.
No brain behaves or reacts in the exact same way to trauma, leaving much conclusive information about TBIs yet to be undetermined. Ultimately, you need to seek medical treatment early to have the best chances of reducing your risk of long-term brain injury effects.
Talk with your doctors and make sure that they stay on top of all newly emerging research so that you can best understand the nature and severity of your injury today and into the future.
Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injuries
Make sure that you receive professional, specialized medical treatment for your injuries. Now is not the time to be tough or to avoid the doctor, because a lack of treatment of your brain injury can have lasting effects on your life.
Because every brain behaves differently, treatment protocol established by your doctors will be tailored specifically to your injuries and your set of symptoms. Rehabilitative therapy, cognitive therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy are all employed in the treatment of TBIs.
Pharmaceutical treatment may also be available to address your symptoms and to control seizures, mood swings, to reduce the risk of strokes, and more. Be sure to consult with your doctors thoroughly so that they know the extent of your symptoms, and they should be updated regularly if you experience any changes.
If you feel that you are not getting the treatment you need for your injuries, please let us assist you. Our Vancouver brain injury lawyer at Warnett Hallen LLP can help you find the medical specialists who can best care for you in your time of need, and our Vancouver brain injury lawyer can even assist you with financing these bills while you are awaiting medical reimbursement from your claim or claims.
How Our Brain Injury Lawyers Can Help You
The Warnett Hallen LLP – Vancouver brain injury lawyers can help you by bringing a claim for your TBI either with ICBC or as a personal injury claim. This can enable you to receive compensation for your injuries, medical expenses, and other damages.
The lawyers at Warnett Hallen LLP are award-winning, and highly accomplished in our field, and our Vancouver brain injury lawyer uses this experience to fiercely advocate for our clients. Our Vancouver brain injury lawyer wants to help you as an injured victim get the medical and legal assistance you need.
We are available for a no-cost initial consultation to review the details of your case and provide legal advice about how you should proceed. Call us or contact us online now so our Vancouver brain injury lawyer can begin work on pursuing the compensation you deserve.
