As the most important organ in the human body, any damage to the brain can cause serious injuries that have the potential to affect many facets of a person’s life. Brain injuries can lead to cognitive issues, personality changes, loss of mobility, and other challenges. If someone else’s negligence caused your or a loved one’s injury, the brain injury lawyers at Nowlan Personal Injury Law want to help.

When you hire our personal injury law firm to handle your brain injury case, you have a team dedicated to helping you recover maximum compensation for your injuries. You communicate directly with our attorneys, not support staff, about your case. With over 50 years of combined experience and tens of millions of dollars won for Wisconsin clients just like you, you can trust we have what it takes to deliver results. Call us today for a free consultation with our Wisconsin brain injury lawyers.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury? 

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur with external trauma to the head. The brain can be shaken during a violent force, or a foreign object can penetrate the skull and damage the brain within. TBIs are classified as mild, moderate, or severe. The long-term effects of these injuries vary widely, depending on the injury’s nature and location. 

Symptoms of Brain Injuries

Brain injury symptoms can vary widely, depending on where in the brain the injury occurred and the severity of the injury. Some common symptoms associated with brain injury include:

• Loss of consciousness or the onset of a consciousness disorder
• Cognitive problems, including difficulties with thinking, concentrating, or remembering
• Sensory issues, such as vision issues or a bad taste in the mouth
• Dizziness, loss of balance, or problems with coordination
• Physical symptoms, such as headache, nausea or vomiting, fatigue, or problems with speech

Moderate and severe TBIs have more serious symptoms, such as seizures, convulsions, or the inability to awaken from sleep.

Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries 

Traumatic brain injuries are caused by an external jolt to the head. This could occur when the head crashes into a hard surface, when an object such as broken glass pierces the skull, or the brain collides with the interior of the skull after a significant physical force. Motor vehicle accidents, including the following, are common causes of traumatic brain injuries:

• Car accidents 
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• ATV accidents
• Bus accidents
• Boating accidents 

If you have been injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, seek medical treatment. Then, contact our personal injury lawyers for a free, no-obligation consultation. 

Medical Treatment for Brain Injuries 

It is crucial to seek medical attention immediately after a brain injury so a healthcare provider can properly diagnose and begin treatment. The sooner you seek treatment, the better your chances of avoiding physical complications associated with TBIs, such as:

• Seizures
• Fluid buildup in the brain
• Damage to blood vessels
• Infections
• Chronic headaches
• Vertigo
• Consciousness disorders
• Brain damage

Treatment for brain injuries is individual and may include any of the following:

• Monitoring
• Immediate emergency care
• Medications
• Surgery
• Rehabilitation 

An experienced head injury attorney from our firm can help connect you with doctors so that your or a loved one’s injuries are properly treated.

What Damages Can I Recover in My Brain Injury Case?

Brain injuries can have a significant impact on your life, so any compensation you are awarded should factor in the difference the injury will have on you and your family. Your medical expenses alone can total hundreds of thousands of dollars or even more, which could include costs for:

• Emergency medical treatment 
• Surgeries
• Hospital stays
• Long-term care
• In-home nursing care
• Lab work, imaging, and diagnostic tests
• Costs for physical, vocational, and speech therapists
• Mental health counseling costs
• Assistive devices
• Prescription medications 
• Follow-up visits with your primary care provider
• Specialist visits
• Future medical expenses

You can also recover compensation for the impact the injury has had on your capacity to work. You may be able to recover lost wages and money for a reduction in your long-term earning capacity. 

Furthermore, you have the right to recover non-economic damages, which consider the real-life impact the injuries have on your life, such as:

• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Emotional distress
• Anxiety and depression
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Scarring and disfigurement 
• Loss of consortium, companionship, or affection with a spouse or child 

A knowledgeable brain injury attorney from our personal injury law firm can carefully review your case and explain the compensation you might be entitled to.

Deadline for Filing a Brain Injury Claim

Wisconsin’s personal injury statute of limitations generally provides up to three years following an accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. 

Situations may exist that provide more or less than the standard three-year time limit. For example, if your child was injured or the accident victim is legally incapacitated, the time period may be tolled until your child reaches the age of 18 or the person with a disability regains competence. When the statute of limitations is tolled, it is effectively paused during the tolling period. Once tolling no longer applies, the statute of limitations resumes, and the clock continues to count down.

The statute of limitations can be tolled for other reasons, too. For example, if the defendant left the jurisdiction to evade legal service, the statute of limitations can be tolled while the defendant is out of state. If your case involves a situation in which criminal charges were filed against the defendant (such as drunk driving), the statute of limitations could be tolled until the related criminal case was resolved.

If your claim is against the government, you will only have two years to file a lawsuit. Additionally, you will have to adhere to additional procedural guidelines regarding government claims, such as providing written notice of your claim within 120 days of the accident date.

Because these timelines and their exceptions can be complicated, it is best to work with an experienced brain injury lawyer. A lawyer can review the circumstances of your case, explain whether any exceptions apply, and take prompt action to protect your legal rights. 

Call Our Brain Injury Lawyers Today for Your Free Case Review

Traumatic brain injuries can have lifelong consequences. You shouldn’t be left with the responsibility of paying for medical expenses, rehabilitation, and other expenses because someone else chose to act carelessly. Let the Wisconsin brain injury lawyers from our law firm stand up and protect your rights.

Our attorneys live and work in the communities we serve. We’ve successfully recovered millions of dollars in jury awards and settlements for our clients. You can trust our trial lawyers to take your case all the way when that’s what’s necessary to deliver results. Contact Nowlan Personal Injury Law for your free case evaluation.