Brain injuries disable thousands of people in South Carolina each year. These injuries are suffered in a variety of incidents, including car crashes and property-related accidents. Other people suffer a brain injury at work. Contact our office if you were injured in an accident and are dealing with a brain injury as a result.
In this post, we explain the difference between acquired and traumatic brain injury. A Spartanburg, SC personal injury lawyer is standing by to discuss your prognosis and legal rights to compensation.
Acquired Brain Injury vs. Traumatic Brain Injury
An acquired brain injury (ABI) is any brain injury a person develops after birth. Some brain injuries are congenital, meaning a person is born with them. The baby might have a chromosome abnormality or have suffered an injury in the womb, so they are born with a brain impairment. But an ABI develops after birth as a result of illness, accident, or injury.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a brain injury caused by an external force. Think of a person who strikes their head on the ground when they slip and fall. That type of external force can cause the brain to slide around in a person’s skull, resulting in a concussion and possibly bruising or bleeding.
A traumatic brain injury is really one type of acquired brain injury. They are not two completely different injuries. Other ABIs include anoxic or hypoxic brain injuries, which develop because the brain is denied sufficient oxygen or blood, and brain cells die as a result.
ABI v. TBI: Which is More Serious?
Brain injuries vary in terms of severity. Some cause only mild inconvenience, but most can disrupt a person’s life.
Whether you suffer from an acquired brain injury or traumatic brain injury, you can experience:
- Impairments in movement
- Mood swings
- Disrupted sleep
- Memory loss
- Increased anxiety
- Loss of balance
- Blurred or double vision
- Ringing in your ears
These symptoms can prevent someone from working or enjoying time with their families. When a negligent person causes your brain injury, you can seek financial compensation. Call our office to speak with a Spartanburg, SC personal injury lawyer about whether you can file a lawsuit or insurance claim.
How Do People Develop ABIs?
You can develop an acquired brain injury in many types of accidents:
- Car wrecks. A motorist’s head can whip around, which jiggles the brain in the skull. Consequently, a person can experience a concussion. This is also an example of a TBI.
- Slip and falls. A pedestrian can strike their head on the ground, leading to a brain injury. They might even pass out for minutes or hours.
- Swimming pool or diving accidents. A person might almost drown, which can cut off oxygen because they cannot breathe while struggling to keep their head above water. This is an example of an anoxic brain injury.
- Strokes. A stroke can disrupt the flow of blood to the brain, causing the death of brain cells. A doctor might fail to properly diagnose a stroke or treat it, so you could have a medical malpractice case.
These are all common reasons why people develop an acquired brain injury. TBIs, specifically, are often the result of a car crash, fall, or violent attack.
Receiving Compensation for an ABI or TBI in a South Carolina Accident Claim
Helpfully, the law does not really distinguish between acquired and traumatic brain injuries. You might receive compensation if you can show how someone else hurt you.
As an example, if you suffered a concussion in a slip and fall, then you can hold the property owner liable for failing to keep the premises safe. This is easiest when you are invited onto the property to do business. A business owner needs to use reasonable care to find and fix hazards or otherwise warn customers of hazards that cannot be immediately fixed. Anyone who falls on the property can bring a claim against an owner who fails to fulfill these duties.
You might even sue your medical provider for failing to diagnose or treat a stroke. Many strokes are preventable with the right blood pressure medication. However, a negligent doctor could have overlooked your high blood pressure. We might seek financial compensation in a medical malpractice case against a doctor or hospital.
How a Lawyer Determines if You Have a Case
Someone with an acquired brain injury should schedule a consultation with a lawyer. To determine if you can sue, we want to know more about the accident or incident that led to your injury.
We also take a deep dive into medical records, which should contain important information about how you were injured. Some brain injuries are no one’s fault. For example, if you fell asleep while driving your car and went off the road, that’s your fault. You cannot hold someone else responsible for that type of accident.
The brain is enormously complex. When something is wrong, victims often struggle to go about their daily routine. Our office has handled many brain injury cases, and we know how to interpret medical records. We regularly work with experts to better understand your injury and prognosis.
Contact Us to Speak with a Spartanburg Personal Injury Lawyer
A moderate or severe brain injury is one of the most devastating injuries a person can suffer. More than 50% of people will struggle with ongoing disabilities, even after the passage of many years. You deserve financial compensation to help with medical care and lost income.
Call McCravy, Newlon & Clardy. Our lawyers have negotiated settlements for many brain injury victims. We know these are expensive injuries. Medical care can include time in the hospital, rehabilitation, speech therapy, and prescription medication. Many of our clients also struggle with the loss of income.
Our consultations are free, and there is no commitment to hiring us if you meet for a consultation. In a private setting, we can discuss your injuries and provide a preliminary estimate of the strength of your case. Contact us today!