Brain Injury/Spinal Cord Injury FAQ
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, you may be permanently disabled or suffer lasting consequences that affect your ability to work and your quality of life. If you have been injured by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain, suffering and lost future earnings, among other losses. If your family member is the victim of a traumatic brain or spinal cord injury, you may be eligible to file a claim as well.
After a devastating injury, the last thing many families want to deal with is a lawsuit. However, the expenses incurred by caring for a disabled loved one, combined with the loss of family income, can be monumental and overwhelming. If Marynell Maloney Law Firm takes your case, we will work to get you the resources you need to care for your loved one and provide for your family’s financial security.
What are the causes of traumatic brain injuries and/or spinal cord injuries?
These types of devastating injuries may be the result of someone else’s negligence. Brain injuries may be the result of a blow to the head or a penetrating head injury. Any of these trauma situations can alter the normal capacity of the brain. Spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries vary depending on the part of the brain affected and the extent of the damage. Not all blows to the head result in traumatic brain injuries and not all injuries to the neck or back result in spinal cord injuries. A correct diagnosis is extremely important in obtaining the proper treatment for these types of injuries. The most common causes of brain or spinal injuries include:
- Falls
- Machinery failures
- Defective products
- Construction site accidents
- Motorcycle, bicycle or automobile collisions
- Automobile rollovers
- Playground accidents
- Physical assaults
- Being struck by an object such as a hockey puck or baseball bat
- Being struck against something (for example, on a roller coaster ride)
- Surgical error
Infants who suffer from shaken baby syndrome and difficult birth deliveries may also suffer traumatic brain injuries or damage to their spinal cords.
What are the symptoms of traumatic brain injuries and/or spinal cord injuries?
The signs and symptoms of neurological impairment caused by traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injuries depend on which structures in the brain are damaged. Common symptoms include:
- Paralysis
- Persistent headache or lightheadedness
- Repeated vomiting or nausea
- Convulsions or seizures
- Slurred and/or slowed speech
- Blurry or double vision
- Numbness
- Loss of coordination, loss of balance, and dizziness or vertigo
- Pupil dilation
- Behavioral changes including increased agitation, anxiety, or nervousness, difficulty controlling urges, impulsiveness, irritability and depression
- Difficulty concentrating or finding words or understanding the speech of others
- Difficulty swallowing
What should I look for in a traumatic brain injury attorney?
A serious spinal cord or brain injury can be life threatening and certainly life-changing. These injuries often dramatically affect not only the victim of the injury but the entire family. When monetary compensation owed to a family is especially high, insurance companies will try to delay the legal process in hopes of intimidating or exhausting inexperienced plaintiff attorneys.
You need an attorney with the experience and skills necessary to obtain full monetary compensation for brain and spinal cord injury victims and their families. Before hiring an attorney, be sure to ask about the law firm’s experience in handling and winning medical malpractice, personal injury and traumatic brain injury cases. It is also very important that your attorney has the financial stability to handle your case, as these types of claims can be very expensive to prosecute. For example, your attorney will need to hire and work closely with expert witnesses. Be sure to ascertain whether your attorney knows the real cost of preparing a traumatic brain injury case, and understands the full cost of the life shattering changes your family has experienced.
At Marynell Maloney Law Firm, we understand the lasting psychological, economic, physical and mental impacts these kinds of injuries can have. We have a proven history of success in the courtroom and devotion to our clients’ well-being.
What kinds of damages can I obtain compensation for?
In a lawsuit based on a traumatic pain injury or spinal cord injury, potential compensation can cover a wide range of things. However, these damages may not be available in every case. You will need to speak to an attorney specifically about your case to ascertain whether certain damages may be available. The types of compensable losses that may be available include:
- Medical bills — both past and future — are a major cost for victims of traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries. These damages may include the costs of diagnosis, tests, treatments, rehabilitation efforts, medical supplies and equipment, and future care.
- Pain and suffering, mental anguish and grief suffered by you and your family
- Loss of consortium experienced by spouses
- Loss of employment and wages, as well as lost future earning capacity
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Punitive damages for especially egregious actions
What will it cost me to hire a personal injury attorney?
At Marynell Maloney Law Firm, we work on a purely contingency fee basis. This means that if we don’t win your lawsuit, we don’t get paid either. Our recovery of a fee is contingent upon our success in your case.
When I call Marynell Maloney Law Firm, what will my attorney need to know?
When we first speak to you, we will ask a series of questions. If you have answers to these beforehand, it may significantly speed up our evaluation process. While we need to ask a variety of general questions, you will definitely be asked the following questions:
- Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury?
- If so, what is the name of the doctor who diagnosed you or your loved one, and at what hospital did the diagnosis take place?
- What do you believe was the cause of the traumatic brain injury?
- Please describe the details of how you or your loved one was injured.
- Do you have any of relevant medical records?
- Have you signed any contracts with other law firms?
Contact Us Today
For a free initial consultation, please call us in San Antonio at 210-446-0035 or complete our contact form. We represent clients throughout the San Antonio area.