Our New York traumatic brain injury attorneys serve TBI and head injury victims throughout the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island as well as Long Island.

New York is the city that never sleeps. With so many moving parts in every direction, we are always exposed to dangers from those that lack concern for the safety of others. When an individual is involved in a serious accident, they may walk away with more than just a few cuts and bruises. Brain injuries impact over two million individuals each year, leaving families with a costly financial burden. If the injury occurred due to the negligence of another person, company, or municipality, the New York traumatic brain injury lawyers at Raphaelson & Levine can help.

If you or a loved one has been injured and sustained a traumatic brain injury our legal team is prepared to expend every resource available to ensure that you are awarded for every damage compensable under the law. To speak with an experienced New York brain injury lawyer today, call 212-268-3222 for a free case evaluation.

What Causes a Traumatic Brain Injury

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 138 people die each day from traumatic brain injuries. Approximately 2.5 million people in New York and across the country are affected by traumatic brain injuries each year. In the United Staes, statistics show the two most common causes of traumatic brain injuries results from falls (32.5%) and traffic accidents (17.3%).

A traumatic brain injury occurs when an external force impacts the head, causing the brain to impact the skull. Typically, the soft tissue of the brain lies suspended within the skull cavity, surrounded by hard bone, which is designed to protect the soft tissue from injury. However, a hard jolt to the head can cause the brain to impact against the hard layer of the bone.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, this occurrence is referred to as a closed head injury. Closed head injuries can occur when the head hits the steering wheel or side window of the car during an accident. A hard impact can cause brain tissue to bruise, bleed, and swell. Open brain injuries can also occur when flying objects in the car penetrate the skull and damage the brain tissue.

Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI), including a lapse into a coma, can redefine people’s lives in ways both dramatic and subtle. The severity of the injury to the brain can cause a variety of symptoms that range from mild to severe and debilitating. Also, the signs and symptoms of a brain injury may vary depending on what area of the brain was injured, as well as the extent of the tissue damage. For example, damage to the area of the brain that processes language may make it difficult for the injured victim to read, write, speak, or even understand others.

While some traumatic Brain injuries are acute, not all severe brain and head injuries are immediately evident and sometimes take time to accurately diagnose. It is crucial that people who have been involved in an auto accident know how to identify the signs of a brain injury so that they can receive the medical attention they need.

Understanding Common Signs of Brain Injuries

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke common signs of brain injuries include the following:

• Profound Confusion
• Changes To Personality
• Slurred/Difficult to Understand Speech
• Difficulty Focusing/Concentrating
• Memory Problems
• Dramatic Changes In Sleeping Patterns
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Difficulties With Problem-Solving, Concentrating & Planning
• Dizziness, Lightheadedness or Persistent Headaches
• Increased Anxiety & Depression
• Mood Swings
• Trouble Swallowing

These and other symptoms can appear in varying degrees of intensity. Someone who has suffered a TBI may be able to function at near-normal levels, may be unable to work or care for himself or herself, or may have some level of functionality that resides somewhere between those two points.

Our attorneys will work to get to know how your injury has changed your life. Furthermore, people who have moderate to severe brain trauma may experience seizures or convulsions.

Receiving Medical Treatment for Brain Injuries

People that sustain severe head trauma that includes bleeding, open skull injuries, loss of consciousness, and comatose activities are always immediately treated by emergency rooms in hospitals or urgent care centers. Many diagnostic tools are available to doctors and neurologists today and are extremely helpful in limiting the permanency of brain injuries if immediately used.

In the hospital setting Glasgow coma scores are used to assess cognitive functioning and are an indicator of a client’s awareness and potential head injury. Cat Scan and Brain MRI are a powerful diagnostic tool to determine whether there is bleeding on the brain or other acute factors inside the head that may impact the treatment and care following a severe and acute traumatic brain injury. If bleeding does exist in the brain early and immediate detection can allow for an evacuation procedure that will drain the blood and prevent further injury to the head and brain.

Accident victims who sustain an acute and severe head injury that requires hospitalization for extensive periods of time and surgery are often left with permanent conditions of confusion, disorder, memory loss, disorientation, inability to communicate, and function independently.

Those injuries are permanent and prevent accident victims from ever returning to work and usually require a lifetime of medical treatment and care. The result of these damages has devastating effects on families

Recovering Compensation With a NYC Brain Injury Lawyer

At Raphaelson & Levine Law Firm, located in Manhattan, New York, our head injury attorneys have earned numerous recognition for the quality of personal injury representation we provide — including being featured in New York’s Top Verdicts & Settlements and New York’s Top Personal Injury Litigators. We have helped many injury victims and their families recover financial compensation by winning successful brain injury lawsuit verdicts and settlements.

While the appellate division in New York does set limits on the amount of pain and suffering that a person can recover for all types of injuries, traumatic brain injuries can be the most devastating and the courts have upheld jury awards in traumatic brain injury cases for extremely large amounts.

In New York accident victims who sustain brain injuries can recover for the past and future economic losses including wages, pension, health benefits and disability benefits including raises and inflation. Injured accident victims can also recover compensation for past medical bills and a future life care plan that outlines every medical treatment and care that an accident victim will require during the victim’s lifetime and the cost of all treatment and care.

New York Brain Injury Lawsuits Can Recover the Following:

• Medical Expenses (hospital, surgical, and ambulance costs)
• Rehabilitation Costs (physical therapy and related expenses)
• Lost Wages (Income lost due to your injury)
• Diminished Earning Capacity (due to a reduced ability to earn income)
• Property Damage (destruction, damage, or loss of property)
• Pain & Suffering (for mental and physical distress)

The most effective means of pursuing compensation for a TBI includes the development of a life care plan that takes into consideration the victim’s medical care and other needs now and going forward. If you have been involved in a car, motorcycle, or truck accident, it may be difficult to deal with the aftermath of a collision.

You may have extensive injuries, property damage, and emotional trauma as a result of another driver’s negligence. You may want to speak to an injury attorney in New York regarding your rights and legal options. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the case, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages from work, and personal suffering.

We work with life care planners, physicians, neurologists, vocational experts, and other professionals to help us create the most accurate assessment of your needs going forward. We use that assessment to help us secure the medical and financial resources you will need to overcome the challenges presented by your traumatic brain injury.

Discuss Next Steps With a New York Brain Injury Attorney

Overcoming the challenges of a traumatic brain injury calls for access to the best medical care and the financial resources so you can afford that care. An experienced law firm can help you show a jury the exact ways in which your life has been impacted by your injury.

Raphaelson & Levine have a distinguished record for recovering millions of dollars in awards and settlements for accident victims who have sustained traumatic brain injuries and head injuries as a result of all types of accidents.

We understand the needs of brain injury victims and have the resources and relationships with experts that can assist us in providing our clients damages. Those resources include medical doctor experts, cognitive rehabilitation training experts, neurologists, and therapists.

To schedule a free consultation with a skilled New York brain injury lawyer call 212-268-3222.

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