Few injuries change a life as much as a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The consequences can be swift and long-lasting, with many brain injury victims dealing with some level of permanent impairment or disability.
The resulting costs, including emergency medical treatment, long term medical care, lost wages, and disability, can be overwhelming. So, too, can the harsh life changes that happen when a brain injury prevents you from doing something you once loved.
When you suffer a brain injury because someone else is negligent, you reserve the right to seek compensation from them for your costs and struggles. However, a claim’s validity or strength can be jeopardized when a victim makes a few common mistakes after they get hurt.
Here, our Austin traumatic brain injury attorneys break down the mistakes we see most often and discuss how they can potentially derail a successful personal injury claim.
Not Seeking Medical Attention After Suffering Trauma to the Head
The longer you delay medical treatment after hitting your head or being struck by an object, the worse it’ll be for your health and the strength of your brain injury lawsuit.
Prompt care helps to ensure that a serious brain injury is promptly and correctly diagnosed, and that you’re put on an appropriate course of treatment to mitigate potential consequences.
Further, timely medical care establishes evidence that can be used to demonstrate a causal link between a brain injury and a recent traumatic event, such as a car accident, truck accident, slip and fall, or accident in the workplace. The more time that passes between an accident and an initial evaluation, the weaker claims become.
A traumatic brain injury lawyer can help you understand why this evidence is so critical to your case.
Not Sticking With a Prescribed Course of Treatment
Your doctors will come up with a treatment plan to help you recover from your TBI. If you don’t stick with the plan, or if you regularly miss treatments, you give the insurance company a reason to argue that your brain injury isn’t as serious as once stated or that your damages aren’t worth as much as you argue.
Forgetting to Document Life Changes
Your brain injury does more than wreak havoc on your bank account. It affects your ability to do the things you love and enjoy your hobbies, and, in some cases, your independence.
These are consequences of a brain injury that can be compensable in a personal injury lawsuit, but only if you keep track of them. Ignoring the changes in your life after suffering a TBI can undercut your claim’s value and leave money on the negotiating table.
A skilled TBI attorney can help you properly document these losses to maximize your recovery.
Not Hiring an Experienced Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer
Experience matters when you’re fighting for compensation after suffering a brain injury in an accident. You’ll want a traumatic brain injury attorney who has seen first-hand the financial, physical, social, and psychological damage a TBI can do, and who understands what has to be done to help you recover compensation for all of it.
At Dow Law Firm, our Austin traumatic brain injury lawyers regularly represent victims of catastrophic trauma. We understand the science behind brain injuries, have strong relationships with respected neuroscience experts, know which evidence can move the needle in your favor, and have a proven track record of success obtaining life-changing settlements and verdicts for brain injury victims in Texas.
Don’t let your choice of counsel derail your brain injury case. Contact a traumatic brain injury attorney in Austin or one of our other serivce areas from Dow Law Firm at (512) 240-9951 to schedule a free case review with our legal team.