Florida Brain Injury Lawyers

When Do You Need a Dedicated Florida Brain Injury Lawyer?

Brain injuries are unique and devastating conditions. Unlike injuries that happen to other parts of the body, brain injuries are often unseen until they cause life-altering harm. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) also has the potential to change a victim’s personality, a side-effect that does not come from damage to any other vital organ, no matter how serious the injury.

The brain injury lawyers at Osborne, Francis & Pettis take these matters into consideration when building cases for our clients. By understanding the costs associated with the long-term recovery and lifestyle changes involved in brain injuries, we help people access all the financial resources available through the law.

If you need to secure representation from a brain injury attorney, contact Osborne, Francis & Pettis today by calling (561) 293-2600. For more information on brain injury after-effects and the law, read on.

What Could a Brain Injury Settlement Mean for You?

Brain injuries can lead to significant long-term expenses and costs associated with ongoing treatment. A successful pre-trial settlement or verdict from a judge could help cover:

• Medical bills for initial and ongoing healthcare needs
• Lost wages and job-related benefits like retirement contributions, health insurance, or expected raises/bonuses
• Pain and suffering, meaning the non-economic damages you’ve suffered physically and mentally
• “Punitive” damages which are “punishment” fees that may be charged to the negligent party in your case, and then awarded to you
• Wrongful death expenses for funeral costs, lost income, and lost companionship in cases of fatal brain injury

Your choice to pursue legal action today could lead to a vastly improved quality of life for you and for your family. Contact Osborne, Francis & Pettis to discuss your options, and secure skilled representation right away.

In building your case, a Florida brain injury attorney must not only document your injuries, losses, and ongoing needs for the court, but also show the direct cause of your injury. The origin of the accident or incident that caused your injury will dictate who is financially responsible for the consequences.

What is the difference between a brain injury and a traumatic brain injury?
“Brain injury” is a general category that includes damage to the brain from various factors, including impacts, a lack of oxygen, pressure from a tumor, or exposure to toxins. “Traumatic brain injuries” are a specific type of brain injury that result from outside forces to the brain or skull, such as from a slip and fall or a vehicular accident. 

Regardless of the cause, all brain injuries can be serious and require immediate medical attention. Contact a lawyer at Osborne, Francis & Pettis to learn about financial assistance for a brain injury claim.

Why Do You Need a Florida Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer?

If you or a loved one have experienced a brain injury, you may not be in the best position to be worrying about court documents, forms, and other legal issues. A Florida traumatic brain injury attorney can perform legal services and tasks so you can focus solely on recovering and getting better. 

A TBI lawyer can help by: 

• Gathering important evidence for your case, including photos, videos, and medical records
• Researching the brain injury laws that may apply to your case
• Interviewing key witnesses and expert medical professionals
• Reviewing the exact details of what led to your injury
• Formulating a strong legal strategy for trial
• Maximizing your settlement or damages award 

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Remember that it’s our job as attorneys, not yours, to prepare a case for trial. If you’ve been injured, seek medical attention immediately. With brain injuries, symptoms may not appear right away after an accident, so it’s important that you visit a doctor who can help diagnose whether you have a brain injury or not. 

‍Contact Osborne, Francis & Pettis for legal advice and guidance for your case at (561) 293-2600. We can set up a free, no-obligation consultation to determine your legal rights and next steps.

What Causes Brain Injury Accidents?

Though the brain is well-protected by the skull, modern inventions can cause trauma that our bodies are not prepared to withstand. 

Some of the leading causes of traumatic brain injury include:

• Auto accidents: Brain injuries are horribly common in car, tractor trailer, and motorcycle crashes due to the high speeds and hard objects involved.
• Workplace injuries: Factory, construction, and offshore jobs are places where helmets are mandatory because head, neck, and brain trauma are at such high risk.
• Slip-and-fall accidents: Whether on icy steps or in a slippery grocery aisle, the speed at which one’s head hits the ground during a slip-and-fall injury can cause serious harm.
• Sports collisions: Football clashes, baseball hits, and hockey falls are just a few examples of how an otherwise healthy sport could cause a devastating injury.
• Overexertion: Stress causes real damage to the body, and in some instances the panic response caused by a crash or the physical exertion of one’s work can cause a stroke, heart attack, or blood clot that could permanently injure the brain.

If you have been in any of these types of accidents, seek medical treatment immediately. Even accidents where the head is not directly contacted can result in brain injury (such as a whiplash concussion, where the brain is jolted inside the skull). If anything feels off or unusual after a crash or fall, don’t assume it’s nothing — brain injury symptoms may not manifest right away. Delays in diagnosis and treatment can worsen a person’s outcome.

Any injury to the head should be treated right away, no matter how severe you may initially perceive it to be. It is also important to note that you or a loved one may suffer a TBI even if the event or accident which caused it didn’t appear to be very serious, or you didn’t lose consciousness. Contact Osborne, Francis & Pettis at (561) 293-2600 for a free consultation to discuss your legal options.

What Are the Long-Term Needs for Brain Injury Care?

The human brain is both strong and delicate. In some instances, the brain can heal and adapt in ways that doctors can only study and admire. However, because the brain often remains a medical mystery, certain forms of damage can be impossible to cure. Long-term treatment needs for brain injury recovery may include:

• Physical therapy to regain independence for acts like standing, walking, and going to the bathroom independently
• Occupational therapy for skills like cooking, driving, socializing, and essentially regaining the lifestyle you enjoyed before your injury
• Psychiatric and psychological care to help process this traumatic experience and maintain cognitive functions
• Speech and language therapy to retrain communication abilities
• Social support for the injured individual and their family or friend group

Brain injuries often require management for the rest of a person’s life. The quality of that life depends greatly on the care and recovery support received. Financial resources are needed to guarantee care and dignity, and are discussed in the following section.

Your choice to pursue legal action today could lead to a vastly improved quality of life for you and your family.