A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can change an accident victim’s life in a single moment. Even a relatively minor TBI can result in ongoing headaches, nausea, and memory loss, while a more severe TBI can leave a victim with lifelong physical, mental, and financial challenges.
If you sustained a traumatic brain injury in an accident that was someone else’s fault, you may be entitled to recover compensation for your losses. Turn to a Golden traumatic brain injury attorney from Olson Law Firm for help with your case.
Since 2012, Personal Injury Attorney Sean Olson and Olson Law Firm have worked tirelessly to protect the rights and interests of injury victims in Golden and throughout Colorado and Wyoming. At our firm, providing compassionate support is as important to us as providing knowledgeable representation – and we are committed to providing the best representation possible.
We take the time to get to know you and treat you like part of our family. We also fight to win every case we take on and are always prepared to go to trial when necessary.
Reach out to our firm for a free initial case evaluation to learn how a Golden traumatic brain injury attorney can make a difference in your life.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury refers to damage to brain tissue caused by a violent blow to the head or body or an object penetrating the skull into the brain. Depending on the severity of a traumatic brain injury, a TBI may have relatively minor, temporary effects on brain function, or it could cause long-term or permanent complications.
Signs and Symptoms of a Brain Injury
The symptoms of a brain injury vary depending on the severity and type of injury.
Examples of symptoms of a less-severe TBI include:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Drowsiness or fatigue
- Speech issues
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Ringing in the ears
- A bad taste in the mouth
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Brief loss of consciousness
- Feeling dazed, disoriented, or confused
- Memory or concentration problems
- Mood changes or swings
- Feeling anxious or depressed
- Difficulty sleeping, or sleeping more than usual
Symptoms of a moderate or severe TBI can also include:
- Loss of consciousness lasting several minutes to several hours, or a coma
- Persistent or worsening headache
- Persisted nausea or vomiting
- Convulsions or seizures
- Dilation of one or both pupils
- Draining of clear fluids from the nose or ears
- Inability to be awoken from sleep
- Weakness or numbness in fingers or toes
- Coordination problems
- Slurred speech
- Agitation or combativeness
- Profound confusion
What to Do after a TBI in Golden, Colorado
If you suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident in Golden, consider following these steps to help protect your health and your legal right to financial recovery:
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible to have your TBI and other injuries diagnosed and to start treatment.
- Follow all the treatment instructions that your doctor gives you.
- If possible, document the accident scene by taking photos or videos of any details that may be relevant, including what specifically may have caused your injury.
- Keep copies of bills and invoices, as well as copies of your income statements if you miss work after suffering a TBI.
- Start a journal to write down how your TBI impacts your life and document the pain and suffering it causes you.
- Talk to a Golden traumatic brain injury lawyer to learn more about your legal rights and options and the process of recovering compensation for your injuries and losses.
Types of Brain Injuries
Common types of brain injuries suffered in accidents or other harmful events include:
- Closed-skull injury, where a traumatic brain injury lacks any penetration of the skull
- Penetrating brain injury, or a TBI caused by an object penetrating the skull
- Concussion
- Diffuse axonal injury
- Hemorrhage, or a brain bleed
- Contusion, or bruising of the brain
- Hematoma, or clotting of blood vessels
Causes of TBI
Common causes of traumatic brain injuries in Golden, Colorado, include:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Premises liability accidents
- Defective products accidents
- Nursing home abuse or neglect
- Medical malpractice
- Assault and battery
Treatment for TBIs
Treatment of less severe TBIs may require only rest and over-the-counter pain relievers for headaches. However, someone who has sustained a mild TBI should be monitored for persistent or worsening symptoms, which may indicate a more severe injury than initially thought.
Moderate to severe TBIs require immediate medical attention. Initial medical care should ensure the brain has sufficient blood and oxygen supply and prevent further damage. Treatment may include:
- Medications, including anti-seizure drugs, diuretics to help reduce swelling, or coma-inducing drugs to reduce the brain’s need for oxygen while it heals
- Surgery to remove blood clots or stop bleeding, repair skull fractures, or open a window in the skull to help relieve pressure on the brain caused by swelling
After an injury has stabilized, treatment shifts to rehabilitation to help a TBI victim regain lost physical and cognitive abilities. Types of rehabilitation for a TBI include:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech and language therapy
- Psychotherapy
- Behavioral therapy
Damages Available to Brain Injury Victims in Golden, CO
If you have been the victim of a brain injury suffered in an accident in Golden, you may be entitled to recover compensation for the losses you have incurred and will incur due to your injury, including:
- Costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation
- Long-term care costs, such as home health services, home maintenance services, or nursing home care
- Loss of wages for missed work
- Reduced earning capacity, if a TBI results in disabilities that prevent you from returning to your job or from performing any kind of gainful employment
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
- Loss of enjoyment or quality of life due to difficulties with daily living or participating in activities you previously enjoyed
Contact Our Experienced Golden Brain Injury Lawyers
If you have suffered a brain injury in an accident that was someone else’s fault, contact us online or call Olson Law Firm today for a free consultation with our experienced Golden brain injury lawyers. Find out more about your legal rights and options. We are ready to do everything in our power to help you get the care and recovery you deserve.