Traumatic Brain Injury Cases In Florida
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most serious injuries that a person can sustain, with the very real potential to alter someone’s life permanently. The injured person may become unable to work or support themselves without aid, but even an injury that may be considered ‘mild’ can lead to major life changes. If you have experienced a TBI due to another person’s negligence, you may be able to recover compensation for what you have been through. Contacting an attorney can be a good idea, to help you understand your potential options.
A TBI Can Happen Anytime
Traumatic brain injuries can occur in a variety of ways, though the most common include auto accidents, falls, and experiencing physical violence (either in dying by suicide or being the victim of a crime). Medical malpractice can also play a role, especially in TBIs involving very young children or elderly people. The most common type of TBI is a concussion, which are overrepresented in younger people. It is characterized as a ‘mild’ type of TBI, but concussion damage can be serious, especially if a person has experienced it multiple times.
It is generally quite difficult to diagnose a TBI, because someone who has sustained serious damage may not manifest it outwardly, and someone who has experienced a relatively minor injury may appear to have been injured much more severely. Correctly diagnosing a TBI happens on a micro level, and must generally be done by an expert to ensure that the diagnosis is accurate. However, this does put off some people from seeking compensation, because involving medical experts in personal injury cases in Florida puts additional obstacles between a plaintiff and a verdict.
Filing Suit
After sustaining a traumatic brain injury, it is understandable that a person’s first focus would be on recovery. However, if your injury occurred due to another person’s negligence, you usually will have the right to file suit in the appropriate court and seek compensation for your medical bills, as well as for other, more intangible damages like pain and suffering, lost wages, or loss of quality of life. A medical expert will likely be required to help you establish that you have sustained a significant injury, and that the defendant was the direct cause of that injury.
Keep in mind that there is a statute of limitations on these types of cases in Florida, meaning that you only have a finite time in which to file your suit. The normal statute of limitations for personal injury cases is four years from the date of the injury, but it is important to remember that if you have sustained your TBI due to alleged medical malpractice, the statute of limitations is only two years from the date of the injury. This may sound like a long time, but it goes by very quickly, and once it has passed, your opportunity to file suit is lost forever.
Contact A Tampa Personal Injury Attorney
A traumatic brain injury has the potential to upend a person’s life in the scope of a moment. If it has happened to you, you need an experienced Tampa brain injury attorney on your side to protect your rights. The Rinaldo Law Group has handled many of these cases, and our attorneys will work hard to assist you with yours. Contact our offices today for a free consultation.
Resource:
aans.org/en/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Traumatic-Brain-Injury
https://www.tampainjuryaccidentlaw.com/my-child-has-been-injured-what-do-i-do/
