Fort Lauderdale
Brain Injury Attorney

brain injury

Have you or a loved one suffered a head or brain injury in an accident in Fort Lauderdale? A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have long-lasting effects on every aspect of your life. You may need expensive medical and rehabilitative care. You could suffer lost income or reduced earning potential if your injury prevents you from gainful employment. You might struggle to care for yourself and participate in the activities you love.

However, if your brain injury is someone else’s fault, you should not have to pay for these consequences yourself. Turn to a Fort Lauderdale brain injury lawyer from Phillips | Tadros, P.A. for help with pursuing compensation and justice from the person who hurt you.

Our legal team is well known for effectively handling even the most complex injury cases. In fact, attorneys throughout Florida and across the U.S. turn to us for help with specialized injury claims. We understand the difficulties you may face as you recover from a brain injury, which is why we will treat you with care and compassion from the moment you walk through our doors.

Don’t wait to get the help you need as you demand the money you are owed. Contact Phillips | Tadros, P.A., today for a free consultation with a brain injury lawyer in Fort Lauderdale and find out what we can do for you.

When Can You File a Personal Injury Claim After a Brain Injury?

You could file a personal injury claim if you suffered a brain or head injury in an accident caused by another party’s negligence or willful acts. For example, suppose a reckless driver runs a red light and hits your car, or a storeowner fails to clean up a spill that you slip and fall on. In either of these cases, you could pursue a claim against the at-fault party to seek financial compensation for the losses you suffered as a result. These losses could include medical bills, lost wages/income, and pain and suffering, to name just a few.

Common Causes of Brain Injuries in Florida

At Phillips | Tadros, P.A., we represent clients who have sustained traumatic brain injuries due to:

Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries can cause a wide range of symptoms, which often depend on the severity of the injury itself. Some of the most common symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury, such as concussions, include:

  • Headaches
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Drowsiness
  • Dizziness
  • Balance issues
  • Speech problems
  • Blurred vision
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Sensitivity to light or sound
  • A bad taste in the mouth
  • Brief loss of consciousness
  • Feeling dazed or confused
  • Issues with memory or concentration
  • Mood changes and swings
  • Depression or anxiety
  • Sleep issues, including difficulty falling or staying asleep or sleeping more than usual

Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries tend to cause more serious symptoms, such as:

  • Loss of consciousness lasting several minutes to several hours
  • Onset of coma or vegetative state
  • Persistent headaches or headaches that worsen over time
  • Persistent nausea and vomiting
  • Convulsions/seizures
  • Dilated pupils
  • Clear fluids that leak out of the nose or ears
  • Weakness or numbness in fingers and toes
  • Loss of coordination
  • Severe confusion
  • Becoming agitated or combative
  • Slurred speech
  • Inability to be woken up from sleep

Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Some of the most common types of traumatic brain injuries and head trauma include:

Concussion

The most common type of traumatic brain injury, a concussion occurs when a blow or force strikes the head or body, causing the brain to move and impact the inside of the skull. Although many concussions result in mild symptoms, they can sometimes cause complications such as post-concussion syndrome.

Contusion

A cerebral contusion is bruising of the brain tissue.

Hemorrhage

Uncontrolled bleeding within or on the surface of the brain can lead to severe damage.

Hematoma

A collection or pooling of blood outside of blood vessels. A hematoma within or on the brain’s surface can cause serious, potentially fatal complications.

Coup-contrecoup injury

A specific type of brain contusion involving two bruises on opposite sides of the brain. A coup-countercoup injury occurs when a strong impact causes the brain to impact one side of the skull, then rebound to hit the other side.

Diffuse axonal injury

A diffuse axonal injury results when the brain experiences twisting forces. This can cause connecting fibers known as axons to tear, disrupting the signals between neurons in the brain.

Penetrating injury

A penetrating brain injury occurs when an object penetrates the skull and the brain, such as a bullet from a gunshot.

Long-Term Impacts of a Brain Injury

Any type of brain injury can lead to long-term physical and medical complications, including:

  • Recurring seizures, a condition sometimes called post-traumatic epilepsy
  • Hydrocephalus, or buildup of fluid in or around the brain that causes increased swelling or pressure on the brain
  • Infections, which can occur after penetrating brain injuries
  • Blood vessel damage, which can result in clots that lead to stroke
  • Chronic headaches or migraines
  • Vertigo
  • Paralysis of the facial muscles
  • Loss of senses or altered senses
  • Impairment of cognitive abilities
  • Communication difficulties, including difficulty understanding speech or writing, difficulty speaking or writing, loss of social skills, and difficulty following conversations
  • Behavioral changes, including lack of impulse control or engaging in risk-taking behavior
  • Emotional changes, including chronic depression, anxiety, anger, or loss of empathy
  • Increased risk of developing degenerative brain diseases, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, dementia pugilistica, or Alzheimer’s disease

Treatment for a Traumatic Brain Injury

Treatment for traumatic brain injuries will largely depend on the type and severity of the injury. Most mild traumatic brain injuries typically require no treatment beyond rest and over-the-counter pain relievers to treat headaches. People who have sustained mild traumatic brain injuries should be monitored for signs of persistent or worsening symptoms, which may indicate a more serious injury.

Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries will require medical treatment, including:

  • Emergency care focused on delivering adequate blood and oxygen flow to the brain and preventing further injury to the brain, head, or neck
  • Medications such as anti-seizure drugs or diuretics to help reduce brain swelling
  • Surgery to remove blood clots, repair uncontrolled bleeding, fix skull fractures, remove pieces of skull from the brain, or open space in the skull to relieve pressure from swelling

Once a moderate to severe brain injury has stabilized, treatment typically shifts to rehabilitation to help an injury victim relearn skills they may have lost due to the injury, such as walking, talking, or performing basic daily activities. Common rehabilitation services include:

  • Physical therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Speech and language therapy
  • Recreational therapy
  • Vocational counseling
  • Psychotherapy

Compensation for a Traumatic Brain Injury

If you sustained a traumatic brain injury in an accident that someone else’s negligence caused, you might be entitled to compensation for a range of losses, including:

  • Medical treatment and rehabilitation services
  • Costs of long-term care, such as home health services, if a brain injury results in permanent disability
  • Loss of wages/income from missed work during your recovery from a brain injury
  • Loss of future earnings or job benefits if you cannot return to work after recovery
  • Physical pain and emotional distress
  • Loss of quality of life due to inability to perform daily tasks or to partake in favorite activities or due to reduced life expectancy from long-term complications of the injury

Attorneys Phillips and Tadros

What’s the Time Limit for Filing Traumatic Brain Injury Lawsuits in Florida?

Under Florida law, you have a limited time to file a lawsuit after a traumatic brain injury in an accident. This time limit, known as the statute of limitations, requires any lawsuit to be filed within four years of the date of the accident that caused the traumatic brain injury.

If you file suit after the statute of limitations expires on your traumatic brain injury claim, the court can permanently dismiss your case. This risk makes it critical to begin working with a Fort Lauderdale brain injury attorney as soon as possible to timely file your traumatic brain injury lawsuit.