Lives are forever changed by traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Despite that, however, insurance companies are notorious for trying to avoid paying victims fully for their losses after such an injury.
Fortunately, an experienced attorney can help you fight the insurance company after you’ve been injured. Keep reading for reasons why it’s important to hire a TBI lawyer to handle your case.
Your Damages May Be Difficult To Put a Number On
It’s difficult to come up with a dollar figure that accurately reflects a damaged relationship or reduced attention span. Without hiring an experienced lawyer who specialized in TBIs, coming up with the figures may be almost impossible. An experienced attorney will know how to calculate damages such as:
- Loss of consortium, or companionship
- Punitive damages
- Lost earning potential and income
- Pain and suffering
- Medical treatment, both past, and future
- Rehabilitation services and occupational therapy
Every TBI is different, so there’s no single formula to estimate the value of these damages. Calculating these figures requires help from many different specialists, including doctors and nurses.
Insurance Companies Cannot Always Be Trusted
Unfortunately, insurance companies worry more about their bottom line than they do victims of TBIs. If you do not have an experienced lawyer helping you, you may end up settling for an amount that is inadequate for your situation. This can leave unpaid medical bills as well as other service bills. Insurance companies, by design, will try to make your claim disappear while paying you as little as they can.
Even Mild TBIs Change Your Life
When it comes to categorizing TBIs, doctors look at life-threatening damages. However, they aren’t able to fully evaluate the impact of a TBI on a person’s daily life. Doctors mostly focus on whether or not you need surgery immediately, or other treatments to save your life. The constant headache, personality changes, or ringing in your ears are left to you to deal with.
Most of the damage caused by a TBI will not show up on imaging scans but will manifest itself such as symptoms that cannot be easily remedied. Additionally, microtrauma may be present which can cause severe symptoms but is nearly undetectable to a diagnostic test. This can lead to disagreements with the doctor – as well as the insurance company – regarding how severe your TBI really is.
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, it’s a good idea to get in touch with experienced brain injury attorneys as soon as possible.