Depending on the type of car accident including location and speed of impact a range of serious head injuries may arise from an auto accident. Some injuries may be mostly superficial in the form of small cuts or other non-life threatening injuries such as bumps or small open wounds. However, serious or traumatic injuries can create significant damage to the brain that can have detrimental consequences such as permanent memory loss, cognitive impairments, emotional changes, concussions, contusions, or commas.1 The severity of brain injuries can result in long term rehabilitation and medical care costs especially for those individuals left in a permanent unresponsive state which means that seeking fair compensation from a lawsuit may be essential for victims of car accidents.
Determining the Value of a Head Injury Claim
Compensation for injuries sustained in a car accident can cover both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages seek to compensation a car accident victim for any losses that are directly associated with a specific dollar amount that is a comparable substitute for the loss.2 For instance, a majority of economic damages coincide with the hospitalizations, treatments, surgeries, and other medical expenses incurred after an injury. The extent of the injury may affect a victim’s ability to return to work, creating lost wages or require a shift in one’s form of employment, resulting in a lost earning capacity which are contributing factors to the determination of economic damages.3 The value of a head claim case will also take in to account non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering or emotional distress, which aim to use money as a rough substitute.4 Compensating for serious head injuries, based on both types of damages, can become a complex matter that can make it hard to pinpoint the exact amount of potential financial recovery, because the personal injury claim is based on a multifaceted calculation that balances the evidence of loss against the evidence of driver negligence.5 The true worth of a case will be primarily based on the ability to gather evidence that proves the at-fault driver failed to drive safely, that failure was the direct cause of the accident and subsequent injuries, you share no responsibility in the accident, and you suffered injuries that can be compensated for financially.6 The chances for higher and fair compensation can be increased by utilizing the services of an experienced personal injury attorney who can properly navigate through the complex legal system to gather evidence to prove liability.
Contact an Experienced St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you have suffered a serious head injury, due to a significant collision, it is important to discuss the circumstances of the crash with an experienced auto accident attorney who can help you to determine what claims should be filed and protect your legal rights and interests as you pursue fair compensation. To contact an auto accident attorney for a free consultation please feel free to call the The Bruning Law Firm trial attorneys at 314-735-8100.
References:
- http://biau.org/types-and-levels-of-brain-injury/
- http://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/personal-injury/settlement-value-head-injury-claim.html
- http://www.injuryclaimcoach.com/car-accident-head-injury.html
