Billings Montana Brain Injury Attorneys Near Me

Many types of accidents can result in traumatic head and/or brain injuries, from car accidents to physical assaults. The head and brain are vulnerable parts of the body in any kind of accident. The skull is made up of thin bones that house the brain, all easily damaged in a sports accident, slip and fall, bicycle crash, and other incidents. Head and brain injuries range in severity and symptoms depending on the accident. Many doctors believe there is no such thing as a “minor” brain injury. They all have the potential to cause physical, emotional, and mental devastation. Seek the help of our experienced brain injury attorneys at Heenan & Cook, PLLC if you or a loved one has suffered a head or brain injury in Montana. Our Billings law firm offers free consultations to discuss the unique specifics of your case.

Types of Accident-Related Head and Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) leads to more than one million emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths every year in the U.S. A TBI results from a jolt, blow, or bump to the head that disrupts the brain’s normal function. A penetration injury, such as a gunshot or knife during an assault, can also result in TBI. Not all blows to the head result in TBI – many simply injure the skull.

There are several different types of head and brain injuries:

Closed head injury. A closed head injury is one that does not break open the skull but still damages the head and brain. Common closed head injuries include concussions and edema, described below.
Open head injury. An open head injury is one that penetrates the bones of the skull and often the brain as well. Open head injuries can occur in auto accidents, when objects drop from above, and in physical assaults.
Concussions are the most common type of head injury; it’s when the brain bounces against the walls of the skull. Minor concussions cause dizziness and nausea, while severe concussions can cause seizures, coma, and death. Many people do not realize they have a concussion right away, as symptoms may not appear for days or even weeks after the accident. This is why it’s important to always seek medical attention after an accident, even if you do not feel injured.
Edema, or swelling in the brain, can occur when something jolts the brain around inside of the skull. The skull does not allow room for the brain to swell, leading to a dangerous buildup of pressure in the brain. Edema is extremely serious and can often cause brain damage.

Traumatic head and brain injuries can result in permanent disability, changing the victim’s life forever. A person with a traumatic brain injury may never be able to return to the job he or she had before the accident or live by him or herself. TBIs often result in lifelong medical costs, rehabilitation, and therapies. Even “minor” head and brain injuries can cause memory loss, trouble sleeping, changes in behavior, cognitive difficulties, blurred vision and loss of motor function.

What are Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Traumatic brain injuries happen in a variety of ways in and around the Billings area. At the law firm at Heenan & Cook, PLLC, our skilled personal injury attorneys have experience in legal representation helping clients who have sustained brain injuries in the following ways:

Falls. These are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. A fall from any height that results in a person striking their head could cause a brain injury. Falls from ladders, off of scaffolding, down stairs, and from other heights can result in severe traumatic brain injuries.
Motor vehicle accidents. Another major cause of brain injuries is vehicle accidents. Any vehicle collision can cause a person to strike their head, but collisions involving pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists have a particularly high risk of a victim sustaining a brain injury.
Violence. Gunshot wounds, child abuse, domestic violence, and other types of assaults are common causes of traumatic brain injuries.
Sports injuries. High-impact sports are a leading cause of mild and severe traumatic brain injuries. These injuries are particularly common amongst school sports players, including those who partake in football, lacrosse, hockey, boxing, and more.
Explosions. Explosive blasts are a common cause of TBIs in military personnel, but there are many other ways that explosions can occur. This includes explosions in the workplace as well as those that occur in the home due to faulty products.

Why Seek Help from a Brain Injury Attorney?

A personal injury lawsuit may be able to help head and brain injury victims recover major expenses throughout their lifetimes, such as making up for lost capacity to earn and lost wages and benefits. Additionally, the Billings personal injury attorneys at our law firm can handle negotiations with insurance companies. Damage recovery can pay the costs of live-in help or home and vehicle modifications to accommodate a disability and medical devices such as wheelchairs. Damages received during these injury cases can also pay for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, and lost quality of life.

How Much is a Traumatic Brain Injury Worth?

Traumatic brain injuries are often devastating for victims and their families. For head injuries that lead to short- or long-term disabilities, the cost of care will need to be analyzed in years – perhaps even the rest of a person’s life. According to data from the Family Caregiver Alliance and the Brain Injury Association of America, we can see that brain injury victims and their family members can expect the following expenses:

Overall lifetime costs reaching as high as $4 million.
Average daily traumatic brain injury rehabilitation hospital costs of $8,000.
Extensive physical therapy and long-term care costs as high as $200,000.
Daily rehab center costs ranging from $850 to $2,500.
Tremendous costs to modify vehicles or homes to aid in mobility.

Even those who pass away due to their injuries often leave family members with medical bills averaging as high as $450,000 or more. Aside from medical costs associated with a traumatic brain injury, we also need to look at and injury victim’s ability (or inability) to work. When an injury causes a deficit, whether physical or cognitive, the victim may no longer be able to work. Depending on the age of the injured victim, this could lead to a tremendous amount of lost earnings over a lifetime. We must also analyze the “non-economic” costs of a head injury when looking to determine the true cost to a victim. Medical expenses and lost wages are typically calculable, but the non-economic costs of an injury are also devastating and should result in a victim receiving compensation for their losses. Non-Economic costs include an injured victim’s pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of personal enjoyment, and more.

Contact Our Head & Brain Injury Attorneys in Montana

The lawyers at Heenan & Cook, PLLC, dedicate their professional lives to helping accident victims with catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain damage. We want to be a source of comfort and strong legal counsel in your time of need. Contact our brain injury lawyers today for a free initial consultation.