Legal Options for TBI Victims
If you or a loved one has recently sustained a traumatic brain injury, you may have opportunities for legal and financial recourse available to you at this time. The costs associated with recovery from TBIs can be astronomical. Even relatively mild brain injuries may compel victims to miss work for days, weeks, or months. More serious TBIs may result in total disability and an inability to return to the workforce. Additionally, the medical care expenses—and additional costs associated with recovery, such as hiring help to cook and clean while one is in no shape to take on such chores—can quickly overwhelm a family’s budget.
It is partially for these reasons that it is so important to speak with an attorney as soon as you can after sustaining a traumatic brain injury. The sooner that a lawyer can begin building a strong case on your behalf, the sooner that they can preserve evidence, protect your rights, advocate for your interests, and aggressively pursue any and all compensation to which you might be rightfully owed.
If Your Injury Was Work-Related
Many TBIs are sustained while Americans are on the job. Whether you were at a traditional job site when your injury occurred or you were “simply” engaged in work-related activities, you may be entitled to a significant workers’ compensation award at this time.
Workers’ compensation does not operate as a fault-based scheme. This means that as long as you were not impaired, picking a fight, or trying to get hurt at the time that you were injured, you should be awarded benefits as a result of the harm you have sustained. With that said, the workers’ comp benefits claims process is not always straightforward. Therefore, you should consult an attorney as soon as you can to begin working through this process in an efficient and effective manner.
Personal Injury Damages
As an experienced brain injury lawyer – including those who practice at the law firm of Barry P. Goldberg – can confirm, the law broadly protects the rights of injury victims to hold others accountable for harm they have caused. If another’s negligence, recklessness, or intentionally harmful conduct contributed to the cause(s) of your TBI, you may be able to hold that party legally and financially responsible for their actions or inactions. If your personal lawsuit is successful, you can be awarded both economic and non-economic damages as a result of your harm.