Shreveport Brain Injury Lawyer
A brain injury is one of the most difficult and tragic injuries a car crash victim may have to face. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can do more than just impair physical abilities and cognitive functioning; a TBI can affect the victim’s personality and very identity.
Head and brain injuries are leading causes of death in rollover accidents and other auto accidents, as well as motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian accidents. For those who survive the collision, the lifetime costs of living with and treating a brain injury can be well over a million dollars. At Rice & Kendig, our Shreveport brain injury lawyers have over 40 years of experience taking on tough cases with catastrophic injuries and recovering an amount of compensation that helps our clients recover to the fullest extent possible and enjoy the best quality of life they can, despite the limitations of their injury. Call our office for a free consultation if you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury in a Shreveport-Bossier City car accident, oilfield explosion or other incident in North Louisiana.
Car Accidents Are a Leading Cause of Brain Injury
By some accounts, auto accidents are responsible for anywhere from half to 70% of all traumatic brain injuries. Occupants in a crash can hit their head on the steering wheel, dashboard, side door or window. In a rollover accident followed by a roof crush, a traumatic brain injury or spinal injury is highly likely and often fatal. Brain injuries can also occur without a direct blow to the head in a crash. A whiplash injury can cause a TBI as well as spinal injury, even in a relatively low-speed rear-end collision.
Brain injuries also occur in other personal injury situations, including auto accidents or oilfield accidents. Falls are a leading cause of TBI, especially among children and older adults. In an oilfield explosion, the shockwaves can knock people over and even cause a concussion by themselves without any other impact. Oilfield workers are also at risk of being struck by swinging or flying objects on the job. After falls, getting struck by an object is the second leading cause of TBI visits to the ER, according to the CDC.
Prompt, Accurate Diagnosis and Treatment are Critical for a Brain Injury
Brain injuries need to be diagnosed and treated promptly for the best care, although sometimes a TBI is not tested for or identified until days after the accident, when family members and others notice changes in the injury victim such as forgetfulness, mood or personality changes, difficulty concentrating, etc. An untreated brain injury can be extremely dangerous and life-threatening. If you notice any of the following symptoms after a crash or other trauma that might have involved a knock to the head, whiplash or concussive impact, seek medical help immediately:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Loss of consciousness
- Confusion or disorientation
- Numbness or paralysis
- Slurred speech or blurred vision
- Nausea, vomiting
- Depression or mood swings
- Personality changes
- Sensitivity to lights, sounds
- A persistent ringing in the ears
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Loss of balance or coordination
Brain Injury Patients May Require a Wide Range of Treatment and Care
Treatment for a TBI can include surgery and intensive care in the hospital as well as a long period of rehabilitation at a skilled nursing facility or as an out-patient at a clinic or in the home. Persons living with TBI can benefit from occupational therapy, physical therapy and vocational rehabilitation, as well as psychological counseling and emotional support.
With the right approach, persons with TBI can reacquire lost skills and functioning and slowly return to a more normal and enjoyable quality of life. Our goal as injury lawyers at Rice & Kendig is to secure the compensation our clients need to get the most appropriate level of care and meet all the changes and challenges a brain injury can bring. You and your family have enough on your plate dealing with physical recovery and getting your life back in order without having to worry about how to pay for the significant expenses such an injury can impose.
Immediate Help Is Available After a Brain Injury Accident in Shreveport-Bossier City or North Louisiana
If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury or other significant injury in a Shreveport-Bossier City car, truck or motorcycle accident, bicycle or pedestrian accident, or other traumatic event, call the injury lawyers at Rice & Kendig for a free consultation. We’ll direct you to the appropriate medical care if you need it, and we’ll work on a plan to get you the substantial compensation you need to deal with your injuries and the disruption to your life another’s negligence has inflicted on you.
