The living conditions and overall health of an individual can suffer immensely from any type of brain injury. In fact, in the United States, there are about two million people that currently have a traumatic brain injury, also known as TBI. Injuries to the brain are considered severe, but there are different degrees of the injury, ranging from mild to severe. Regardless of what degree of injury the victim has sustained, every injury to the brain should not be taken lightly. Each consequence of a brain injury varies by individual. For example, some individuals will remain unconscious for a few minutes, whereas other people will stay awake after enduring a mild brain injury.
Despite how severe these injuries are, there will be many victims who do not seek any medical assistance because there are no signs expressing that they have a mild traumatic brain injury. This is why it is important to seek medical care whether or not the victim is displaying signs, especially if they have just sustained a hit to their head. A number of occurrences can be the reason for someone to endure an injury to the head. Sometimes it is just an accident like slipping and falling, but other times, these “accidents” could have been avoided. How? Well, many accidents occur because another person was not careful enough and did not pay more attention to what they were supposed to do, known as “negligence”. Traumatic brain injuries occur in a number of places, but one would not expect these types of injuries to develop while being treated at a hospital or other medical services facility, but they do. Medical malpractice does happen and on a wide scale.
After undergoing treatment, being given medication, or undergoing an operation and falling victim of a TBI, it is vital that the victim, or their family members to contact lawyers of traumatic brain injuries caused by negligence in Orlando that led to a medical malpractice. The world of medical malpractice is more complex than many people may believe, this is why the attorney of medical malpractice has to be specifically specialized in that area. If not, the victim’s case would most likely not prevail, and they would not receive compensation for the damages that they have sustained as a result of the TBI.
How Can an Orlando Qualified Lawyer of Medical Malpractice Help My Case?
The repercussions that proceed any type of accident quickly pile up for the victim. That is no different with a medical malpractice injury. Because the symptoms of a mild TBI may not be present at the time of the injury, the victim might not seek help after the medical malpractice. Many individuals might not even know that it just happened. As a result, the victim might suffer additional harm because they did not get the help they needed at the moment that they became a victim of medical negligence. It is important to learn and recognize the symptoms that are associated with having a TBI. Attorneys who specialize in traumatic brain injuries in Orlando can provide their clients with the following assets:
- Gather medical reports
- Hire expert medical specialists
- Gather information on previous claims, if any
- Provide professional legal aid
- Compile any witnesses (other medical professionals)
- Calculate the approximate compensation amount; and
- More
Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injuries
According to the degree of the injury that the patient received to their brain, the symptoms will range. As listed before, many victims will not have any symptoms during mild TBI, but in many cases, here are the symptoms that tend to surface:
- Coma
- Losing their sense of smell
- Losing their hearing abilities
- Paralysis
- Losing their sense of taste
- Changes in their personality
- Seizures
- Learning or thinking difficulties
- Headaches
- Losing their ability to see
- Loss of consciousness
- Blurred vision
- Confusion
- Bleeding
- Death
The appearance of these symptoms varies. Some may take a few hours to surface, while others will immediately display. The worse result is death. It is important to call a traumatic brain injury malpractice lawyer in Orlando to help the victim recover for the harm that they have suffered at the hands of a negligence health care provider.
Why Do TBI’s Occur in Orlando?
As mentioned before, the presence of a traumatic brain injury can occur for a number of different reasons, but for the purpose of this service, below will be described the various scenarios where a TBI can occur as the direct result of a medical malpractice:
- Mistakes while administering anesthetic drugs
- Delivery/birth injuries
- Mistakes during an operation
- Not treating severe hypotension
- Pharmaceutical drug errors
- Trachea being compressed
Within five minutes of the brain not receiving oxygen, the cells begin to die, making it extremely sensitive. When a person experiences brain death, there is no activity in their brain, but there is function of their heart. This is why many people are kept on life support even after being brain dead. Immediate treatment needs to be given to patients who exhibit brain anoxia or hypoxia. The faster they are treated, the less time the brain will go without oxygen and prevent a TBI. Depending on how long the individual was without oxygen and which part of their brains were affected, there is a slight chance of recovery. But the longer time the brain is without oxygen, the more time it may take the patient to recover, and in some cases, they never do.
Florida Statistics Concerning Traumatic Brain Injury
Specific statistics for the city of Orlando for TBI were not found, but here are some facts about TBI for the state of Florida according to the Health Department:
- In 2012, 3,798 people died from an injury to the brain
- In 2012, 18,922 people suffered a non-fatal injury to the brain
- Average costs for nonfatal brain injuries was $40,982
- Average stay at the hospital was three days for non-fatal brain injuries
- People over the age of 55 suffered the most brain injuries in 2012
- Infants under the age of one, people between the ages of 15 and 24, and seniors over the age of 65 were hospitalized the most for non-fatal TBI
- Males were more prone to TBI; 73% of deaths were males, and 60% of hospitalization were males, while 27% of deaths were females, and 40% of hospitalization were females
- Open wounds were 41% of TBI’s, while intracranial injury was 19% of cases
FAQS About Traumatic Brain Injuries in Orlando
Question: What is the length that the effects of a brain injury last for?
Answer: Uniqueness is tied to every victim that sustains an injury. Many factors influence the amount of time it may take the victim to recover, including how fast they receive medical treatment. In addition, the severity of the injury has an impact on the length of time they take to recover. The less severe the injury, the less time they will take to recover. More recovery time will be needed for victims who suffer serious injuries.
Question: Who can be found responsible for a TBI in the medical field?
Answer: There are a number of individuals that can be found liable for a resulting traumatic brain injury in Orlando. Many people have the conception that it will most likely be a surgeon. While a surgeon is on that list, other medical professionals could be the cause of the TBI, including:
- Anesthesiologists
- Nurses
- Physicians
- Pharmacists
- Manufacturers of medical devices
- Manufacturers of drugs;
- More
Question: How can a brain injury affect the life of a survivor?
Answer: Because a brain injury’s results are unpredictable, the way the victim will suffer the rest of their lives depends on the circumstances of their TBI. For the most part, a person who survivors after enduring a severe brain injury will live with its effects, including changes in their memory, language, loss of coordination, loss of behavior control, become introverted, and more. It will impact every aspect of the surviving victim’s life.
Question: Why are even mild brain injuries important?
Answer: Any injury that is endured by the brain is important regardless of how severe it was. If a mild brain injury was experienced, the victim needs to be seen by a doctor just as any other person who experiences a severe injury would have to. Conditions can worsen if no treatment is provided in time.
Orlando, FL Malpractice Resulting in Brain Injury Attorneys
The head is a very sensitive area of the human body, especially the brain. A lack of oxygen in the brain, even for the slightest time, can leave a person permanently disabled, and even cause their death. If a medical malpractice was the result of a patient enduring a traumatic brain injury, then they must communicate their case and have it evaluated with an experienced attorney at Percy Martinez Law Firm who focuses on medical negligence. The damages of a TBI can be quite expensive, which is why filing a claim to recover those damages is essential, of which the Orlando malpractice lawyers for TBI can do.