Few things can be as debilitating, painful, and life-altering as a traumatic brain injury (TBI). It can be the cause of many other symptoms in your body and result in permanent disabilities. These injuries can be caused by severe trauma or even minor trauma, depending on the circumstances. If your TBI was caused by someone else’s negligent behavior, you may be able to seek compensatory damages, so you may want to know the average traumatic brain injury settlement in California.
What Is the Average Traumatic Brain Injury Settlement in California?
Simply put, there is no real average traumatic brain injury settlement in California. TBIs are often the result of a tragic accident, sometimes caused by negligent behavior and sometimes caused by acts of nature. It can be hard to put an average monetary value on someone’s brain trauma. Some settlements in the past have exceeded several hundred thousand dollars or even skyrocketed past several million. It all depends on your individual case.
Dealing with a traumatic brain injury can be one of the most difficult things you ever have to do in your life. Surviving the initial trauma that caused the brain injury is one thing. However, even if some or all of your symptoms gradually go away, it does not free you from inevitable complications. Any injury to the brain has the potential to cause life-changing problems in your body. If you suffered a brain injury, reach out to an experienced traumatic brain injury lawyer. They may be able to help.
If you are ever injured in an accident and believe that you have suffered a brain injury of some kind, seek medical assistance immediately. It is important to act quickly after a traumatic brain injury. If you are treated properly and your TBI is diagnosed quickly, you have a higher chance of not suffering permanent brain damage thanks to immediate treatment.
How Do You Know If You Have a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Traumatic brain injuries can be organized into two distinct forms, both of which carry their own problems and forms of treatment:
- Penetrating TBI: A penetrating TBI, also called an “open” TBI, occurs when an object penetrates the skull and injures the brain. This is typically what happens to survivors of gunshot wounds to the head or stabbing survivors. It tends to only injure the part of the brain that was wounded. These injuries are noticed immediately and are treated quickly.
- Non-Penetrating TBI: A non-penetrating TBI, also called a “closed head injury” or a “blunt” TBI, is caused when an external act causes the brain to move around inside the skull with enough force to cause an injury. Essentially, this is a very serious concussion. It is commonly caused by a bad car accident, a rough fall, a sports injury, or blunt force trauma to the head. These injuries may not show up immediately and can be gradual.
A traumatic brain injury carries with it specific symptoms that could cause alarm on their own, but they may also be signs of a considerably worse problem. Here are some of the symptoms that you may feel if you have suffered a TBI and are unaware of it:
- Physical Symptoms: These will manifest as physical pains or sensations.
- Constant headaches
- Pupil dilation
- Draining of fluids from the nose and/or ears
- Persistent nausea and/or vomiting
- Convulsions and seizures
- Blurred vision
- Slurred speech or another sudden neurological condition that you did not have before
- Cognitive Symptoms: These affect your mood and your behavior.
- Increased drowsiness
- Constant disorientation or confusion
- Loss of consciousness
- Forgetfulness
- Significant change in sleeping patterns
- Persistent frustration and irritability
- Perception Symptoms: These will affect how you feel about the world around you.
- Loss of balance or coordination
- Blurred vision
- Ringing in the ears
- Change in taste buds
- Sensitivity to light
- Sensitivity to sound
- Random mood swings
- Feelings of depression or anxiety
- A lack of energy
FAQs
Q: How Much Are Traumatic Brain Injuries Worth?
A: Traumatic brain injuries can be worth anywhere from several hundred thousand dollars to upwards of several million dollars. It depends entirely on the case at hand and the circumstances surrounding your traumatic brain injury. Every situation is different and brings different specifics to that case. For catastrophic injuries, the settlement amounts tend to be significantly higher than those of a typical injury that will heal.
Q: What Can Cause a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A: A traumatic brain injury can be the result of any sort of sudden and aggressive trauma to the brain. Some of the more typical causes of a traumatic brain injury are bad car accidents, a bad fall, a sports injury, an explosion, or a combat injury. TBIs are seen in soldiers in the field all the time, as well as in survivors of domestic violence or attempted assaults. The brain is a very fragile organ that dictates every action in our body.
Q: Can I Have a TBI and Not Be Aware of It?
A: Yes, you can have a traumatic brain injury and not be aware of it. A TBI does not automatically manifest itself as a nosebleed or a headache. It can take weeks to develop symptoms in some cases, and those symptoms may seem so innocuous that you may not even notice. If your memory starts to falter or you start to develop a learning disorder that you did not previously have, you may want to see a doctor and get tested for a brain injury.
Q: What Is a 40% TBI Rating?
A: Every TBI can be assigned a certain percentage ranking that reflects how severe and impactful a TBI is to someone’s daily life. A 40% ranking means that you have a more pronounced TBI with symptoms that moderately interfere with your daily life and hinder your work performance and/or social life. A 0% is the lowest, most manageable ranking, while 100% means that you have the most severe form of TBI, which keeps you from engaging in the simplest of tasks without assistance.
Contact a Brain Injury Lawyer Today
It can be stressful to deal with the fallout of a brain injury, but you don’t have to do it alone. At Easton & Easton, we are determined to help you get compensated for your brain injury by doing what we can to build your case and advocate on your behalf. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
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