Queens, New York Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney Near You

jump to: Definition of a TBI, Mild Brain Injury Symptoms, Moderate to Severe Brain Injury Symptoms, What Can a TBI Case Be Worth?, Types of Brain Injuries, Other Types of Head Injuries, How To Choose the Best Brain Injury Lawyer, Contact a TBI Lawyer Now

One of the most catastrophic types of personal injuries a person can sustain after an accident is a brain injury. There are several different types of brain injuries, with most serious brain injuries being classified as traumatic brain injury or TBI. Victims who suffer brain injuries after traumatic accidents may have rights under New York law to compensation for their personal injuries. TBIs are very significant injuries, which is why victims and their families need to hire an experienced Queens brain injury attorneys like ours at Cohen and Cohen Law Group, P.C. We work hard for victims and their loved ones to ensure that their rights to compensation are protected when a negligent person, business, or government entity causes them reckless, careless, or avoidable injury.

At COHEN & COHEN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS, P.C., our Queens traumatic brain injury lawyers near you have extensive experience representing injured clients in Queens and communities throughout New York. We understand the devastating effects a serious brain injury can have on the entire family, and we will aggressively pursue the maximum compensation possible in your given situation. If you or a loved one has suffered a serious TBI from an accident, contact our Queens personal injury lawyers near you with experience in brain injury cases who can provide clear legal guidance and honest answers.

What is a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)

The CDC defines a TBI as an injury to the brain which disrupts its normal functioning due to a shock, impact, blow, or impact to the head.  When a pedestrian is hit by a car, a TBI could be caused by the pedestrian being thrown to the ground or from the impact with the car to the windshield or hood—or both.  Damage to the brain could occur anywhere and to any structure of the brain.  From the photo of the brain diagram, you can see that there are many different structures in the brain and they all have different functions. According to the CDC, there are approximately 2.87 million brain injury-related emergency department visits each year. Brain injuries also accounted for almost 57,000 deaths, including more than 2,500 in children across the country. The CDC also reports that motor vehicle crashes accounted for 20% of all brain injuries. In New York alone the NYC Department of Health reports are nearly 400 traumatic brain injuries that occur in New York State a day! On top of that, TBIs are responsible for over 2,000 deaths, 19,000 hospitalizations, and 112,000 emergency room visits each year across NY.

While there are many different ways that a victim could sustain a brain injury, one of the most common ways is when a pedestrian is hit by a car. Pedestrians are likely to suffer a brain injury after being hit by a car. This is because, as a pedestrian, a person is not protected by an airbag, seatbelt, helmet, or even just the steel walls of a motor vehicle. Rather, a pedestrian is fully exposed to a motor vehicle accident. The NYC DOT statistics and reports find that pedestrians are 10 times more likely to die in a motor vehicle accident than an occupant of a vehicle. This is why brain injuries after being hit by a car in NYC is a very common type of injury that our Queens car accident lawyers and car accident lawyers in Staten Island see.

IDENTIFYING THE SYMPTOMS OF A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

There are many different symptoms of a TBI that a victim and his or her family should be aware of. If you notice these symptoms, make sure to note them immediately and contact your physician. Our experienced traumatic brain injury lawyers in Queens should also be told about any symptoms that you experience, including symptoms that are increasing, worsening, or new symptoms that are appearing.

Some of the symptoms of a mild TBI include the following:

• Loss of consciousness
• Headaches or migraines
• Being dazed or confused, even disoriented
• Changes in sleep patterns, either having trouble sleeping or sleep excessively
• Dizziness, vertigo, or loss of balance like the room is spinning or shaking
• Excessive fatigue, even after a long sleep
• Ringing in the ears
• Sensitivity to light and sound
• Memory issues or concentration problems
• Problems with problem solving and speech, and
• Other abnormal symptoms.
• Continuous headaches that do not go away with pain medication

Some symptoms of a moderate or severe TBI include all of the symptoms above, plus some of the following:

• Repeated episodes of vomiting, often with little warning
• Convulsions or seizures, including new seizure disorders that were not previously present
• Dilation of one pupil in the eye, sometimes both in catastrophic cases
• Inability to sleep at all or inability to be awoken
• Tingling or weakness in the extremities, especially the fingers or toes
• Complete loss of coordination
• Mood swings, including agitation, aggression, or other serious symptoms
• Slurred speech and difficult speaking
• Uncharacteristic behavior, and
• Other serious and abnormal symptoms.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can disrupt your personal and professional lives. Contact a skilled Queens brain damage attorney who can provide the aggressive legal guidance necessary to recover the compensation you will need. Whether through negotiations with the insurance carrier or in trial litigation, we will fight to recover compensation for your lost wages, medical bills, property damage, and pain and suffering through a personal injury lawsuit.

What can your traumatic brain injury TBI case be worth?

There are many factors that go into determining what your TBI case will end up being worth. The biggest factors that determine how much you could receive from a brain injury case are the extent of your injuries and the damages resulting from those injuries that can sometimes last the rest of your life. This includes for pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages, lost future earnings, loss of consortium, property damage, and other types of damages related to the injury. For brain injuries, victims may also need around-the-clock nursing home care and treatment as well as future surgery. These damages are unique to each case and can include:

• Pain and suffering
• Medical bills, both past medical bills and future medical bills
• Lost wages
• Loss of consortium or relationships with loved ones
• Lost future earnings from being unable to return to the same job due to disability which results in a cut in pay
• Expenses for assisted living care and treatment
• Physical therapy, vocational therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and other types of physical or emotional therapy
• Costs for a guardian in severe cases to help manage money and affairs (mortgage, vehicle loans, etc.)
• Medication costs
• Property damage, and
• Other expenses related to the New York car accident.

What Are the Most Common Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Victims who suffer serious or catastrophic brain injuries after being hit by a car in NYC should contact our Queens personal injury lawyer.  This is because most types of TBIs permanently affect how a person’s brain will function.  This means that the person’s brain will be unable to heal and could even deteriorate further causing worse disability.

Some of the most common brain injuries in NYC accidents include the following:

• Concussions – even though concussions have been in the news lately for sports, this does not mean that a concussion is mild or common.  In fact, a concussion is a very serious brain injury that many feel sports have previously done a poor job of protecting athletes.  Even just one concussion could result in permanent injury to the brain, including causing debilitating headaches, sensitivity to light, and issues with cognition.  Concussions are dangerous because they not only cause a physical jolt or shock to the brain, but they can cause chemical changes in the brain which future result in serious injury.  Concussions can cause permanent damage even in a “mild” concussion, although there is no such thing as a mild concussion.  Therefore, if you or a loved one suffered any type of concussion from being hit by a car or in any other type of bodily harm accident, call our NYC personal injury lawyer for help.
• Coup-contrecoup TBIs – most people have heard of whiplash, which is when the head whips back and forth in an impact like a whip (hence the name).  But in this type of impact, the brain can also whip back and forth. This is because the brain sits in the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) inside of the hardened skull.  This means that a forceful impact can shift the brain forward and backward in the skull causing it to strike the inside of the skull.  This can result in a serious impact to opposite ends of the brain which can cause life-threatening swelling. Victims can also suffer permanent damage from even a low-speed collision if the impact causes a whiplash injury.
• Diffuse axonal brain injury – this type of TBI is incredibly disruptive because it is when brain tissue actually shreds and tears resulting in serious permanent injuries.  This is due to the force of an impact which physically tears and damaged tissue from the violent impact. Connections and structures in the brain can be damaged and never repair, resulting in debilitating disability.
• Brain bleed – when there is bleeding in the brain, it is always dangerous.  This is because it can increase the intracranial pressure in the brain which can cause physical damage to the brain.  But it can also become caustic to brain tissue, as blood around the brain can result in chemical changes which are damaging and disruptive.
• Penetrating brain injuries – this is when shrapnel or debris pierces through the skull and causes direct, physical damage to the brain.

Other Types of Head Injuries

• Facial nerve injuries or cranial nerve injuries – there are 12 cranial nerves around the head.  Most of these nerves are on the face or around the face.  Unlike other nerves in the body, the cranial nerves are closer to the surface of the skin because there is less tissue between the outside world and the nerve.  This means that facial nerves and cranial nerves are more susceptible to serious personal injury in a collision.  Damage to these nerves could result in disability such as being unable to move parts of the face or have a lack of sensation.  Other damage to the nerves could cause extreme pain, burning, and agony.
• Disfigurement – severe facial disfigurement is common in motor vehicle accidents, especially trucking accidents.  The skin on the face is fragile and can easily be torn, ripped, or damaged.  Unlike scars to other parts of the body, scars to the face generally cannot be hidden.  This can cause emotional injuries such as anxiety, depression, and even result to self-harm.  Facial disfigurement can also cause extreme pain and suffering.  The facial nerves are near the surface of the skin and can easily be damaged or irritated.  Disfigurement can happen from the airbag opening up, the trauma of the collision, or a secondary hazard such as an explosion or fire after the initial impact.
• Orbital blowout fractures – this type of skull fracture occurs when the orbit, the bone around the eyeball, is fractured in an impact.  Usually the bottom of the orbit collapses which cause damage to the eye and must be surgically repaired with a steel plate.

How To Choose The Best Attorney for a Brain Injury in New York?

If you’re wondering how to find the best brain injury attorney near you in Queens NY, there are some things you need to consider.  It is important that you hire a lawyer with experience and knowledge of how to handle traumatic brain injury cases. You want someone who has been doing this for years and can provide case studies and literature about their verdicts in court and the outcomes of their past TBI cases. New hire a TBI lawyer who won’t take the time to evaluate your case and give you a free consultation. No lawyer can promise specific results or compensation, but the right lawyer will analyze every aspect of the law and your case to get you the fair compensation you deserve for your injuries.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Read this 5-star Google review below regarding an accident case in Queens.

“I was involved in a car accident a few years ago where I had injured my back. Hired the attorneys of Cohen and Cohen, and was glad that I did. They were very professional from the beginning, and whenever I had questions regarding my case, they always answered my questions in a prompt manner. Also kept me updated to what was going on..”

By: Mark J
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read more reviews on Google.

CONTACT OUR QUEENS TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY LAWYERS NEAR YOU FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

If you or a loved one were seriously injured in a pedestrian accident in NYC, especially if you suffered a brain injury or TBI, call our Queens personal injury lawyer at Cohen and Cohen Law Group, P.C. to learn how we can help protect your rights to compensation under New York law.  We offer FREE consultations and do not take any money upfront to bring to represent you in a personal injury case.  Rather, we accept cases on a contingency fee agreement which means we only get paid a percentage of what we recover for you in a settlement or court award.  There is no upfront cost to having Cohen and Cohen represent you.  Learn more about your rights by calling 718-568-5673 for a FREE case evaluation or use our convenient and easy-to-use contact us box available here.