Are you or a loved one struggling with a brain injury in Brantford, Ontario? If your head trauma resulted from someone else’s actions, they should be held accountable for your financial, physical, and emotional damages.
Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers can provide legal guidance and compassionate support when you need it most. We understand the devastating effects a traumatic brain injury can cause, and we’ll help you pursue the compensation you need and deserve to aid in your recovery.
Our Brantford brain injury lawyers have acquired over $100 million for our clients. Let us put our 92 years of combined experience to work for you. Call us at (226)401-5433 or contact our law firm online for a free consultation to learn more.
How Can Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers Help You With a Brain Injury Claim in Brantford, Ontario?
Trauma to the brain can affect your independence, interpersonal relationships, and professional life. On top of that, you may require rehabilitation and long-term care, costing substantial amounts of money. You shouldn’t have to bear the costs of these far-reaching damages alone.
Let our Brantford personal injury lawyers help you pursue a legal claim against the party who caused your brain injury. With us by your side, you’ll benefit from our legal experience, knowledge, and resources.
If you hire Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers for help with your Brantford brain injury case, we’ll:
- Ensure that you receive the proper medical care
- Investigate the cause of your brain injury to determine who is liable for it
- Collect evidence proving the extent of your head trauma and the value of your claim
- Consult experts and medical specialists to strengthen your case, if necessary
- Handle all documentation and negotiations with insurance companies or other at-fault parties
- Monitor deadlines and ensure that everything is timely filed
- Keep you informed throughout your case
- Represent you in court hearings if necessary
You don’t have to struggle with your catastrophic injury alone. Call our law firm to schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Brantford, ON.
Overview of Brain Injuries
An acquired brain injury (ABI) is brain damage sustained after birth that isn’t caused by a disease that is congenital or degenerative in nature. ABIs can be traumatic or non-traumatic.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) result from an external force to the head, such as an object piercing the skull or blunt force trauma. For example, you could hit your head on the pavement if you fall, or the impact of a vehicle collision could violently jolt your head back and forth. You could also suffer a skull fracture from a gunshot wound.
On the other hand, a non-traumatic brain injury (nTBI) results from something inside the body, such as an aneurysm, stroke, or tumor. It can also be caused by ingesting a substance that damages brain tissues, such as if someone overdoses on an opioid.
Physicians classify TBIs as mild, moderate, or severe. They often use the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), which assigns a score based on the victim’s eye-opening response, verbal response, and motor response.
Types of Brain Injuries
The following are examples of traumatic brain injuries a person can sustain:
- Concussions
- Contusions
- Diffuse axonal injuries
- Coup-contrecoup injuries
- Penetrating head injuries, which cause skull fractures
- Closed head injuries
- Second Impact Syndrome (also known as recurrent traumatic brain injury)
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
Even a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), such as a concussion, can affect a victim’s activities of daily living. They may require months or years to heal fully. It’s crucial to seek prompt medical attention if you’ve sustained any violent force to your head. Failure to do so could worsen your condition – or worse – lead to death.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Brain Injury?
Trauma to the brain can impact you emotionally, physically, cognitively, and behaviorally. It can affect your communication and result in functional changes, like an inability to care for yourself.
Here are some potential symptoms a brain injury victim can experience:
- Depression
- Irritability
- Dizziness
- Difficulty sleeping and fatigue
- Coordination problems
- Lack of concentration
- Difficulty speaking or understanding words
- Personality changes
- Lack of impulse control
- Memory problems
- Emotional outbursts
- Headaches and chronic pain
- Decreased energy
- Ringing in the ears
- Seizure activity
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Changes in appetite
Everyone’s brain is unique, and all head injuries impact people differently. A victim may suffer symptoms for a few weeks or months, or they may have long-term effects that follow them for life.
In the most severe cases, a brain injury can lead to one’s death. If you lost a loved one to a brain injury that was caused by someone else, we can help you file a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible party.
How Common Are Brain Injuries?
Brain injury statistics are often lacking or inaccurate because many accident victims fail to seek medical attention when they’re injured – if at all. That means these “invisible” injuries are likely much more common than we realize.
According to Brain Injury Canada:
- 2% of Canadians live with a TBI, and 18,000 are hospitalized due to brain injuries annually.
- Approximately 200,000 concussions occur each year in Canada.
- Traumatic brain injuries occur 100 times more often than spinal cord injuries.
By 2031, TBI is expected to be one of the most common neurological issues affecting the country.
What Can Cause a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Any sudden external force to the head can damage brain tissue.
Some of the most common causes of TBI include:
- Motor vehicle accidents, such as motorcycle crashes and car accidents
- Falls, such as a slip and fall accident
- Participation in sports, such as hockey and other contact sports
- Assault, domestic violence, and other violent acts
- Explosive blasts
Various other incidents can result in trauma to the brain, including:
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Boating accidents
- Construction accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Nursing home abuse
- Accidents involving defective products
- Dog bites and attacks
Regardless of how your TBI occurred, the legal team at Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers is here for you.
What Is My Brantford Brain Injury Case Worth?
According to the Northern Brain Injury Association, every severe brain injury costs the Canadian medical system over $1 million at the time of injury and $400,000 each subsequent year. Victims may require follow-up treatment and rehab to deal with the aftermath.
That doesn’t mean every brain injury case will be worth millions, but it outlines the economic effects these injuries can create. Typically, the more severe the harm, the more your claim will be worth.
However, our Brantford personal injury lawyers will evaluate the following when calculating your damages:
- The type of brain injury you’ve sustained and its severity
- The long-term effects you are expected to experience
- The cost of your medical treatment and other expenses
- Your lost earnings
- Whether your brain injury affects your ability to earn the same income as before the accident
- Your pain, suffering, psychological effects, and other personal losses
- Whether you share any blame for the accident that caused your brain injury
- The cause of your brain trauma and the potential compensation options (for example, a truck accident will present different options than an assault)
When determining what your case is worth, we may consult experts. That could include medical professionals, mental health specialists, and financial experts. Our primary goal is to recover an amount that fully compensates you for the entirety of your damages.
What Compensation Can I Recover for My Brain Injury in Brantford, Ontario?
Ontario brain injury victims may be able to receive pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages under provincial personal injury law.
Pecuniary damages are your financial losses stemming from the accident and brain injury, such as:
- Medical expenses for your hospital stay, treatment, medication, and other costs
- Brain injury rehabilitation
- Physical therapy
- Future medical costs
- Loss of income
- Reduced earning potential
- In-home assistance
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-pecuniary damages represent the non-tangible effects of your brain injury, such as:
- Emotional distress, including depression or PTSD
- Pain and suffering
- Decreased quality of life
- Long-term disability or impairment
- Damaged relationships
Our brain injury lawyers in Brantford will help you value all the damages you’ve sustained. We’ll also identify losses you are expected to incur in the future.
How Long Do I Have To File a Brain Injury Lawsuit in Ontario?
Ontario’s Limitations Act sets a deadline for filing personal injury lawsuits. The typical limitation period is two years, meaning you’ll have two years from the brain injury date to file your case. However, there may be exceptions to this general deadline.
It’s important to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer to safeguard your legal right to compensation.
Contact Our Brantford Brain Injury Lawyers for a Free Case Evaluation
If you’re struggling with a brain injury after an accident in Brantford, Ontario, you may be entitled to compensation. Findlay Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you identify your options for financial recovery.
Our Brantford personal injury lawyers have over nine decades of combined experience. We are the legal advocates you’ll want on your side as you navigate your claim. Call our law office for a free case review, and let us help you get the compensation you deserve.