If you hit your head in an accident, you need answers. How serious is your head injury? Who is to blame? Can I get help paying for long-term treatment?
Let us put you in touch with a qualified lawyer for free. We offer a FREE telephone consultation to answer your questions and help you decide if you have a valid claim and what to do next. Call us at (404) 341-6555 or fill out the form to the right to get your free consultation today.
How are head injuries different than other types of injuries?
A head injury is different than many other types of accident injuries in both its complexity and its severity. Your brain acts as the central processing unit for your entire body, controlling everything from your nerves to your thought processes to your personality. A serious brain injury can leave you unable to work or even to care for yourself. Even a mild concussion can cause swelling that harms the brain. For this reason, any head injury should be taken seriously and treated right away.
Head injuries are also different because they are more difficult to diagnose than many other types of injuries. They may take time to develop, and diagnosis usually involves MRIs and other sophisticated tests. Head injuries may require hospitalization and further testing, making head injuries one of the more expensive types of injuries you can have.
Who is at fault in a head injury claim?
If your head injury was caused by a car accident, the driver whose negligence caused the accident is at fault. “Negligence” doesn’t mean that another driver intended to harm you. It means that the driver wasn’t as careful as he or she should have been. Drivers may be negligent if they aren’t paying attention, are following too closely, or are violating traffic laws. When another driver’s negligence causes your accident, that driver is at fault and must pay the cost of your injuries. In most cases, payment is handled through a claim on the driver’s insurance policy.
What kinds of head injuries are covered by head injury accident claims?
The severity of a head injury depends on the type and strength of the impact to your head, and where it occurred. In general, a head injury accident claim will recover money to pay for any kind of head injury related to your accident. Basic types of head injuries include:
- Concussion. A concussion is caused by a bump, hit or jolt that causes the head to move back and forth quickly. The abrupt motion causes the brain the bounce around or even twist inside the skull. A concussion temporarily impairs brain function and can cause nausea, dizziness, vomiting, headaches and sleep disturbances. Some concussions lead to brain swelling and can cause long-term damage.
- Severe traumatic brain injury. A severe traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is a result of a more violent impact or something penetrating the skull. A severe TBI causes permanent physical damage to the brain. Symptoms may appear right away or may surface days or weeks later. A severe TBI can lead to disability, loss of functioning or loss of life and is one of the most serious injuries you can sustain.
- Mild TBI. Head injuries are not always either mild or severe—they can also be somewhere in the middle. A mild TBI may cause effects that get better over time, but it should still be taken seriously.
How much money can I recover?
In Georgia, you are entitled to recover all your costs related to a head injury that resulted from an accident that wasn’t your fault. The exact amount you will recover will depend on how serious your injury is and how much treatment you will need. Many of our clients are able to recover money for these costs:
- Medical bills, including doctors, hospital stays and tests
- Prescription medications
- Physical therapy and other therapies needed for your rehabilitation
- The cost of medical treatment you will need in the future
- Mental health treatment to cope with the consequences of a head injury
If you suffer from a TBI, it is likely you will be able to recover much more money. A TBI may leave you unable to work, either temporarily or permanently, and you may need years of treatment and help managing your day to day life. The money you receive in an insurance settlement or Atlanta car accident lawsuit can never give you back what you lost in the accident, but it will help you get the care you need and keep you financially stable as you rebuild your life.
What if the other driver was uninsured/under-insured?
Georgia law requires drivers to have insurance, but many people ignore the law and drive without it. Many more carry only the minimum amount of insurance. Because a serious head injury requires hospitalization and extensive treatment, the cost of a head injury can easily exceed a driver’s insurance coverage. When this happens, we explore other ways to get you money:
- Through a claim against the uninsured motorist coverage of your own auto insurance policy
- Through other insurance policies that apply to your accident or injuries
- By asking the court to order the other driver to pay you out of pocket
- By placing a lien on the other driver’s house, car or other assets until you get paid
Recovering money from uninsured motorists is more complicated than the usual claim with an insurance company, so it is important to have a lawyer working for you.
The insurance company already offered me money. How can a lawyer help me?
When an insurance company offers money right away for a head injury, you might be tempted to say “yes” and get some quick cash to help with the growing medical bills. But head injuries tend to develop over time, and it will be awhile before you know how serious your injury really is. You need time to see medical experts who can evaluate you and predict the treatment that you will need in the future. Only then can you decide whether the insurance company is making a fair offer. Most of the time, however, the insurance company’s first offer is way too low because it is motivated by insurance company profits, not a desire to get you the help you need.
A lawyer can make the process easier for you. A lawyer can refer you to the right doctors and get the medical evidence you need to make a strong claim. A lawyer can present this solid evidence to the insurance company and make a case for you. Just having a lawyer on your case often means you will recover substantially more money.
Talk to an Atlanta Head Injury Accident Lawyer for Free
Our lawyers only represent injured people. We make our services affordable—we don’t charge you anything unless we win money for you. Let us offer you a FREE consultation to go over your case—with no obligation. Call us at (404) 341-6555 or fill out the form to the right to get your free consultation today.
