Arlington Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer
Even after decades of study and countless advancements in medical technology, the healthcare world still only has a basic understanding at best of how the brain functions and the impact that external impacts can have on brain function. Unfortunately, this means that sustaining severe head trauma as a result of someone else’s negligence can often have debilitating and possibly permanent consequences, even though it may not appear externally like anything is wrong.
Traumatic brain injuries—or TBIs—can serve as grounds for personal injury litigation, as any seasoned catastrophic injury attorney could affirm. However, if you want to give yourself the best chances possible of getting the comprehensive recovery you deserve, you should consider working with an Arlington traumatic brain injury lawyer with a track record of positive results in cases just like yours.
What Damages May Be Recoverable Following a TBI?
Much like injuries to the spinal cord, substantial trauma to the brain can often result in permanent losses of functionality that injury victims often have little chance of recovering from over time. Because of that, comprehensive civil recovery efforts for TBI victims must account for both past and future impacts an injury of this magnitude will have.
In the short term, traumatic brain injuries can lead to expensive medical treatment bills, long stretches of missed work income, substantial physical pain, and a good deal of emotional anguish. In the long term, a TBI that leads to permanent loss of sensory, motor, and/or cognitive function may leave a victim with accompanying losses of earning capacity, consortium, and enjoyment of life, not to mention additional medical expenses for rehabilitative care and assistive equipment.
Representation from a skilled Arlington TBI attorney may be absolutely essential not only to proving someone else at fault for this kind of harm, but also to accurately valuating all recoverable losses to ensure comprehensive recovery following a positive case result. Punitive damages may also be available in some circumstances, although Code of Virginia §8.01-38.1 sets a $350,000 cap on damages of this nature for all types of personal injury claims.
Potential Obstacles to Comprehensive Recovery
Even though traumatic brain damage very often has lifelong repercussions for those who sustain it, the various restrictions on civil recovery established by state law and court precedents make no exceptions for plaintiffs who sustained catastrophic injuries compared to plaintiffs dealing with less severe harm. Perhaps most notably, Virginia’s “pure contributory negligence” system prohibits recovery altogether by any plaintiff found partly to blame for their own losses, even if someone else still bears a majority of total fault.
Additionally, VA Code §8.01-243 sets a statutory filing deadline of two years past initial discovery of injuries for prospective personal injury plaintiffs to start the litigation process. Since this is almost never enough time for the full long-term impact of a TBI to become clear, retaining help from a capable lawyer can be essential to recovering comprehensively for future losses stemming from a traumatic brain injury in Arlington.
Speak with an Arlington Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney Today
TBIs are among the most dangerous and life-changing injuries that an accident born of negligence can cause, and they are unfortunately some of the hardest to recover effectively for through civil litigation. Fortunately, assistance is available from experienced legal professionals who know how devastating these injuries often are and how important comprehensive compensation can be to victims and their families.
A consultation with an Arlington traumatic brain injury lawyer could put you on track towards the recovery you deserve. Call today to schedule a meeting.
