One of the most delicate areas of your body is your head. From the time we are kids, we’re taught to protect our heads. Wear your helmet, they say. Don’t dive in the shallow end. This is due to the fact that injuring your head could have catastrophic effects on your body and life. That is why it can be so traumatic to suffer such an injury, especially because of another person’s mistakes. The road to recovery can be painful and expensive, which is why we take head injury compensation so seriously.
The number of annual head injury cases continue to increase. There are over 1.7 million people suffering traumatic brain injury each year. If you’ve received a head injury due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Our attorneys at Curcio & Casciato want to help you get the compensation you deserve. In this post, we’ll answer your questions regarding head injury compensation.
What Are Some Common Causes Of Head Injury?
There are countless ways to receive a head injury. One of the more common causes of head injury is as a result of car accidents.
Another is due to slips or falls. To recover compensation for these injuries, the fall must have been due to the negligence of another person or entity. For example, it may be that a store failed to put out a wet floor sign around a puddle and you slipped as a result.
Another common cause for head injury is an act of violence or assault. A blow to the head could knock a victim unconscious and leave serious damage to the brain.
Head injuries are also often a result from an accident at work. In fact, 24% of these types of injuries are work related. Head injuries that occurred in the workplace may get handled through a workers compensation claim.
Sports-related accidents are another of the more common types of head injury. Even while many sports use helmets, head injuries still occur and can be devastating.
Types of Head Injuries
Head injuries come in many different forms. They can vary from minor concussions to life-threatening brain damage. To receive head injury compensation, your claim may relate to any of the following:
- Brain Injury
- Broken Nose
- Cheekbone Injuries
- Chin Injury
- Concussion
- Ear Injuries
- Eye Injuries
- Facial Injuries
- Fractured Skull
Of these types of head injuries, it will also fall into one of two categories. These are open and closed head wounds. The most common of the two is a closed head wound. With these, there may be no visible wound and the bones of the skull will still be intact. Though it is a closed wound, it can still result in serious injury or damage. Concussions or brain bleeds could be a result of a closed head injury.
With open (penetrating) head injuries, there is a break in the scalp. There might also be a skull fracture and damaged brain tissue. These types of injuries are often a result from a blow to the head or other forceful impact.
Symptoms of Head Injuries
Several symptoms may result from a head injury, either open or closed. Bruising and swelling of any area of the head is a telltale sign of a head injury. Other symptoms that tell of a head injury include:
- Cuts
- Lacerations
- Memory loss
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness
- Blurry vision
- Confusion or disorientation
More serious symptoms of head injury could include seizures or loss of consciousness.
Symptoms from a head injury might not appear right away. It could take hours or even days before you start to notice something is wrong. It’s important to seek medical treatment following a head injury even if you’re not in any immediate pain.
How Do I Make A Head Injury Claim?
The best thing you can do following a head injury is to hold on to any paperwork or documentation. This includes claim forms and medical records. You might also want to keep a personal record in the form of a journal. Write down any symptoms or changes you feel and the date you feel them. All this will be able to help prove your injury and any pain and suffering it may have caused. You’ll want anything you can gather to use to ensure the insurance company won’t get away with denying your claim.
With any personal injury claim, it is important that you have the right representation. With a head injury though, it is crucial. Your choice of attorney can make a huge difference in what you are able to receive in compensation.
To make a head injury claim, the first thing to do is to contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible. At Curcio Law, we have 60 years of experience in handling personal injury cases like these. All you need to do is contact us and inform us of the details surrounding your injury. We will take care of the rest.
How Much Is Head Injury Compensation?
Because head injuries are such a serious matter, a claim generally has a high compensation rate. As with any case though, the amount you’re able to receive depends on several factors. The most important factor is your choice of representation and how well your attorney is able to speak on your behalf.
Medical expenses and property damage, if any, are an important factor in determining compensation. Your losses are also taken into account. This includes any lost earnings or future income that resulted from the injury. If your head injury led to a permanent disability, your means to earn wages might reduce, and your permanent injury settlement should be higher.
In some cases, medical expenses don’t stop after the first few treatments following the incident. You may need extensive medical treatment that spans over a long period of time. It might even be that you will need ongoing treatment for the rest of your life. In this case, your attorney will work to make sure any future medical expenses get covered in your compensation.
Pain and suffering is also a factor that gets taken into account. This is not a cost that you can measure numerically. Because of this, it’s used as a multiplier instead. If your lawyer is able to prove you experienced pain and suffering, a judge may double or even triple the original awarded amount.
Compensation for head injuries varies from case to case. While there is no way to assign an exact dollar amount, we can provide examples of previous cases we’ve dealt with.
Whether your injury resulted from a car accident, work-related incident, or anything out of your own control, Curcio Law has you covered. We’ve obtained millions of dollars in settlements for our personal injury clients.
Contact Us
If you experienced a head injury in the Chicago area, contact Curcio & Casciato to represent your case. Our personal injury attorneys want to make sure you get the compensation you deserve. At Curcio, we have decades of collective experience handling your personal injury claims. Give us a call at 312-321-1111 to schedule an appointment. You can also visit our website to request a free consultation.
