I didn’t have any problems until my car accident. Despite making a good recovery from physical injuries, my brain hasn’t worked the same since. Processing is hard, I get tension headaches, I don’t have the same energy, and I have had to scale back my hours at work. My doctors say I may get better in the future, but right now I live with daily symptoms.

Why you need a brain injury lawyer

Brain injuries are some of the worst injuries that one can suffer. The symptoms can be wide ranging and actively impair a person from working or from living an active life. Brain injury claims are challenging legal claims because assessing loss can be very difficult. Where injuries are less than totally debilitating, the challenge is correctly determining the extent of injuries and the value of the losses.

Consider the losses for someone with a $40,000 annual salary who can’t work due to their brain injury. The value of their lost working years can amount to several hundred thousand dollars. Some claims may even amount to several million dollars. What about the losses outside of work? A properly advanced legal claim must also account for the impact experienced by your family, and your inability to participate in daily life as you did before the accident.

In short, you only have one injury claim per injury. No one can afford to gamble with a legal claim. To protect your claim, you are well advised to consult a personal injury lawyer with a focus on brain injury cases.

Jeff Mitchell, the founder of NOVA Injury Law, has successfully advanced brain injury cases in Nova Scotia. He understands the impact of a brain injury at work, and general life. Further, Jeff’s medical focus offers clients top-tier access to medical doctors to further assist with diagnosis, care plans, recovery potential, and claim strategy.

Do you need our help?

You owe it to yourself or your loved one to take advantage of our free consultation offer. You’ll meet with a lawyer to discuss your case. You will be provided with a legal opinion about your case. If you feel comfortable with our team and process, we will discuss our services.

How do brain injuries happen

A direct injury to the head can cause trauma to the brain. The human head is highly exposed and at risk of being struck by a falling object, or because the head makes contact with an object. Brain injuries have occurred due to contact with a flying rock, or do to an object which fell from a tall shelf.  Other accidents occur in what many believe are the more conventional mechanics: slip & fall accident where the head hits the ground, or a motor vehicle accident where the head makes contact with the inside of the vehicle.

People are often surprised to learn that brain injuries can occur even if no external object makes contact with the head. Rapid acceleration or deceleration can cause the brain to collide against the skull.

Have you suffered a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

A Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) is commonly defined as a “traumatically induced physiological disruption of brain function.” When considering this definition, we see two main elements: event and function impairment.

Any type of accident will qualify as a “traumatic event.” A traumatic event is not one that was brought on my natural means, natural progression, or congenital disease.

The second part of the definition requires a disruption. A disruption (or impairment) can be shown through:

  • loss of consciousness
  • loss of memory before (retrograde amnesia) or after (anterograde amnesia) the accident
  • altered mental status directly following the accident (ie. disoriented, dazed, confused)
  • focal neurologic interruption  (inability to smell, hear or taste)

Know the signs of a Traumatic Brain Injury

We learned above that a mild traumatic injury could include disruption of brain function. The degree of impairment can be assessed in three main categories:

Physical impairment

Physical symptoms of a brain injury can include feeling unwell (nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches) and/or blurry vision. Common complaints also include a general lack of energy (fatigue).

Cognitive impairment

Impairments of normal brain function are widespread and can take many different forms. Common features include:

  • challenges keeping focus/paying attention
  •  concentration difficulty
  • perception problems
  • short term memory recall difficulties
  • word-finding difficulty
  • inability to organize information or execute tasks

Behavioural changes

Behaviour changes can be tough to detect because of a brain injury. In many cases, the victim isn’t aware of slight changes though family and loved ones are keenly aware of changes in behaviour. Brain injuries are often misunderstood as moodiness issues, rather than a brain injury. Typical features of a brain injury include irritability, emotional instability, disinhibition, and anger triggers.

Get Medical Attention

If you or others believe that you may have suffered a head injury, medical attention is needed. Seek out your family doctor, a walk-in clinic, or the emergency department. Your health must be the priority. Early medical intervention is critical because trained medical professionals can ensure that you are receiving the appropriate care. Not sure whether you need to get care, call 811 and speak with a nurse.

Ready to talk? Contact Jeff Mitchell today for a free consultation and legal opinion on your case.