Greenville Brain Injury Lawyers
Our Greenville brain injury attorneys at the Strom Law Firm are familiar with litigating South Carolina personal injury cases and can often help victims recover substantially more compensation than they would be able to retain on their own, so it is highly advisable for anyone injured in an accident to discuss their options with one of our Greenville personal injury attorneys.
In the United States, Traumatic Brain Injuries occur far too often. Brain injuries can be the result of an accident, defective product, or a fall. A brain injury can occur even without hitting one’s head or losing consciousness. Additionally, the injured person may not even notice the effects of a brain injury for several months after the accident. The seriousness of brain injury ranges from mild to severe. Due to the complexities of the human brain, every injury is unique and can affect the entire body and mind from memory to controlling one’s emotions.
Common Brain Injury Accidents
A brain injury can occur after even a relatively common injury and leave people stranded paying for costly medical bills and side effects that could have a lifelong impact. The more common accidents that lead to brain injury are:
Types of Greenville Brain Injury Treatment
Every brain injury is unique. For many victims, the treatment of a brain injury is a complex process of various forms of rehabilitation. The Brain Injury Association of America recommends several treatment paths for patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury:
- ICU (Intensive Care Unit) – A patient’s ICU goals include reaching medical stability and preventing medical disaster.
- Acute Rehabilitation – Working with a brain injury victim to regain as many activities of daily living as possible.
- Post-acute Rehabilitation –The goal of post-acute rehabilitation is to help the patient regain the most independent level of functioning possible. This can be a more intensive physical activity.
- Outpatient Therapy – Often occurring after acute and/or post-acute rehabilitation, a brain injury sufferer often continues to receive outpatient treatments and therapies to continue along and heighten their recovery from their injuries.
- In-Home Care – Often, victims who suffer a brain injury will require extensive at-home care. Sometimes, this helps them re-learn basic tasks, other times it requires assistance to perform seemingly menial tasks.
Not sure where to start? Contact a Greenville brain injury attorney who cares. Call (864)-598-1111 for your free, no-obligation consultation.
South Carolina Brain Injury FAQ
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI?
A TBI is a disruption in the normal function of the brain that is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury. The severity of a TBI can range from a mild concussion to a coma or brain death.
A disruption to normal brain function might cause:
- Loss of or decreased consciousness;
- Loss of memory of events—before or after the event;
- Focal neurological deficits such as muscle weakness, loss of vision, change in speech;
- Alteration in mental state, like disorientation, slow thinking, or difficulty concentrating.
Studies show that An estimated 13.5 million individuals live with a TBI-related disability in the United States, and around 3 million cases occur every year. Children are mainly susceptible to a TBI injury, with over 837,000 cases occurring in children in a recent year. There are approximately a shocking 50,000 fatalities from TBI injuries each year in the U.S.
According South Carolina DHEC, in South Carolina, there are 1,117 deaths, 2,800 hospital discharges, and 11,500 emergency department visits due to TBIs each year.
How do Traumatic Brain Injuries Occur in South Carolina?
Car accidents, slip and falls, blows to the head from an object are the leading causes for a TBI in South Carolina.
Certain groups are at higher risk for different causes:
- People over the age of 75 and children ages 4 and under most commonly suffer a TBI from falls;
- Kids aged 5 to 14 are more likely to suffer a TBI after being struck by or against an object; and
- People aged 15 to 44 most commonly suffer a TBI from motor vehicle crashes.
What Symptoms Do South Carolina TBI Victims Suffer From?
The symptoms of a TBI range between victims based on a variety of factors, including the severity of the injury and where the blow occurred. While mild cases cause only a brief change in mental state or consciousness, severe cases can cause extended periods of unconsciousness, coma, or brain death.’
Physical, sensory, and cognitive can result.
- Physical Symptoms: Loss of consciousness, feeling dazed or confused, headache, nausea or vomiting, fatigue, problems with speech, excessive sleep, convulsions or seizures, pupil dilation, clear fluid draining from ears or nose, loss of coordination, breathing problems, slow pulse, facial weakness, loss of bladder control.
- Sensory Symptoms: Blurred vision, ringing in ears, bad taste in the mouth, change in the ability to smell, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound.
- Cognitive Symptoms: Memory or concentration problems, mood changes or mood swings, depression or anxiety, agitation or combativeness, coma.
Who Is Responsible For My Greenville TBI Injury?
If another party acted negligently or intentionally in a way that caused your accident or injury, they could be held responsible for your damages. The only exception is if your injury happened in the workplace in the scope of your duties as an employee, in which case no showing of negligence is required.
The following are common scenarios where a third party is responsible for a victim’s TBI:
- Motor vehicle accidents: If another driver acted negligently, causing a car accident, they could be held responsible for your injuries. Any action outside the normal level of responsibility required of a driver is evidence of negligence, including violation of any traffic laws or regulations including speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, or failure to comply with a traffic signal. At the Strom Law Firm, LLC, we would love the opportunity to show you why so many injured Greenville, SC accident victims choose us to represent them after a serious injury crash. To better assist you, our firm offers free initial consultations and reviews.
- Premise liability: Property owners have a duty to visitors to their property. The level of responsibility placed on the property owner depends on whether the visitor is a business or social guest. In most instances, a property owner does not have any obligation to protect a trespasser, but there are some limited obligations to children trespassers. Many slip and fall accidents occur on someone else’s property because of a hazardous condition. Depending on the facts of the accident, the property owner may be responsible.
- Medical malpractice: Medical practitioners are held to a level of care of the same level as other practitioners dealing with a similar condition. Unfortunately, medical practitioners make mistakes. If an action by a doctor or other medical professional causes your TBI or worsens your symptoms, they could be held responsible for injuries that occur because of failure to operate under the required standard of care. If a Greenville medical malpractice injury has affected your life or a loved one’s, contact one of our Greenville Medical Malpractice Lawyers today. Visit us at our Greenville office, contact us online, or give us a call at (864 )598-1111 to schedule a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation with someone in our office.
- Product liability: If your injury was caused or worsened by a defective or dangerous product, the manufacturer could be held responsible. For example, if you were in a car accident and the airbag failed to deploy, the manufacturer should be held responsible for the injuries caused by that failure.
- Workplace injury: A showing of negligence is not required for an injury that occurs on the job as long as the individual was acting in the scope of their employment at the time of the accident. Workplace injuries are handled through the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission. Workers’ compensation benefits include medical costs and some cash benefits for individuals who are temporarily or permanently disabled. Recovery through workers’ compensation is not possible if you were functioning as an independent contractor. An independent contractor must pursue recovery based on the negligence of the at-fault party. If you have questions or concerns about your workers’ compensation claim, call the Strom Law Firm at (864)598-1111 to schedule a free consultation and case review.
Contact a Greenville Brain Injury Attorney
Brain injury effects are often traumatic and life-long, resulting in temporary or permanent injuries. If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury in Greenville, Richland County, or anywhere else across South Carolina, contact us and speak with a Greenville brain injury attorney who can evaluate your case. We offer free case evaluations and we do not collect a fee unless we recover for you. Contact the experienced legal team at Strom Law Firm in Greenville at (864 )598-1111 and find out if we are able to help you.
