Posted on Monday, December 20th, 2021 at 6:48 pm
If you have suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as a result of someone else’s negligence, you may be eligible for compensation for your injuries. However, proving the extent of your injury and that someone else is at fault may be harder than you expect. Insurance companies will fight hard to prove that either you were somehow at fault or that the injury is not really as bad as you claim.
If you have pressing questions about your case, reach out to us today.
Here are some tips to help you prove your traumatic brain injury:
Start gathering evidence
As soon as you are able, you should start recording everything you can regarding details of how you were injured. You may not remember much about the accident itself, but any details, such as potential witnesses, date, time, and location of the accident, and what you remember doing before the injury will help investigators begin to piece things together. The legal process can be long and complicated, but if you have written down some of these details from the beginning it can help things go more smoothly.
Pay attention to your symptoms
You should also keep a detailed record of your symptoms. TBIs can cause a wide variety of physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms including headache, fatigue, dizziness, seizures, memory and concentration problems, sleep disruptions, difficulty speaking, loss of coordination, anxiety and depression, and much more.
Some of these symptoms will be obvious right away, but others may develop after a few weeks or months. It is important to keep a record of when each symptom starts and if you notice any patterns or know what triggers them. You should also make notes of how these symptoms affect your daily life because if you are unable to perform your usual activities, you may be able to pursue additional compensation beyond your medical expenses.
Communicate with your medical providers
Your doctors play an important role not only in helping you recover physically but also in helping build your case for compensation. Your medical records will become crucial evidence of the severity of your injuries. You should report your symptoms to your doctors in detail and become comfortable asking questions. It is important that you follow all care instructions and attend appointments as scheduled to show the insurance company that medical treatment is a priority to you and that the treatments are beneficial to you.
Get a proper diagnosis
Generally, having symptoms of a TBI will not be enough to win a case without an official medical diagnosis. Your medical providers should be well-versed in the proper tests needed to diagnose a traumatic brain injury, but as a patient, you can also ask them about appropriate diagnostic methods. Some common tests include a CT scan, MRI, and Intracranial Pressure (ICP) monitoring. Diagnostic tests are a clear way to prove the severity of your injury.
Ask friends and family for support
Even people with mild TBIs may feel overwhelmed as they recover from or learn to work through physical and cognitive symptoms. Making medical decisions and beginning a complex legal process can add to this stress. Don’t hesitate to ask your family and friends for support during this difficult time. They can help you stay organized, keep doctor’s appointments, fill out confusing paperwork, and more. They may also be able to help you recognize symptoms, especially behavioral changes, that you don’t notice in yourself.
Those who have suffered moderate to severe TBIs may be unable to communicate on their own and will need a dedicated person to help them complete paperwork and make important decisions regarding medical treatment, the legal process, and other key issues.
Contact a Sacramento Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Lawyer Today
The legal process can feel daunting, especially when the amount of compensation you receive rests upon your ability to prove how you were injured and the severity of your injuries. For such an important task, you need an attorney who has experience recovering compensation specifically for people who have suffered TBIs.
We know that medical expenses are only a part of the compensation you may need. Your injury may change many aspects of your lifestyle and in some cases, you may never return to the way you were before. Our attorneys will work closely with you and medical experts to understand the scope of your injuries and how they will affect you now and in the future. We will then fight as hard as we can for compensation to cover all of your current and future expenses.
Contact Tiemann Law Firm today at (916) 999-9000, or reach out to us online for a free consultation.