Pedestrians are some of the most at-risk users of the roads in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2012, there were 72 pedestrian accident fatalities in Washington. Many others suffered serious injuries.
Pedestrians in accidents are at high risk of injury because they lack protection that motorists have. They are exposed to the risk of a number of injuries including fractures, dislocations, and spinal cord and head injuries. Some of the most catastrophic of those injuries are traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
Consequences of TBI from a Pedestrian Accident
Traumatic brain injury can range from mild brain injuries like concussions, to more serious brain injuries that can actually result in long-term disability. Approximately 75 percent of traumatic brain injuries in the United States every year are mild forms of the injury, like concussions, report the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Broadly, TBI can cause the following changes in a person.
- cognitive abilities.
- language and communication.
- emotions.
- thinking.
TBI can affect memory and reasoning abilities, and even the ability to touch, taste and smell. Traumatic brain injury can also affect the ability to understand and reason, judgment abilities, and communication and expression skills. Some other long-term psychological changes as a result of TBI include depression and personality changes.
Severe TBI can lead to long-term disability. The person may suffer significant impairment of memory, cognitive abilities, and motor abilities. Even after long-term hospitalization, the person may be unable to perform even routine activities. He or she may require 24-hour nursing care, and extensive rehabilitative therapy.
Traumatic brain injury may increase risk for epilepsy and conditions like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer’s disease. There are a number of brain disorders also linked to TBI, and symptoms of these disorders may emerge as the person ages. In some cases, the injuries are so severe that they completely alter a person's lifestyle, sense of self-worth, social and interpersonal relationships, and mental and psychological health.
Recovering Damages for TBI from Pedestrian Accidents
Typically, damages in a TBI lawsuit in Bellevue can include medical expenses and lost income. A lawsuit may also seek damages for the future diminished earning capacity of the person in cases of severe traumatic brain injury that leaves the victim unable to return to his or her former job or earn an income.
Damages can also include permanent disability, and the cost of modifications to a home or vehicle to accommodate the disability. The specific damages recoverable in the lawsuit will vary depending on the effects of the TBI and other injuries.
The long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury may not become evident until years after the injury, and this is one of the reasons why accident victims who suffer brain injuries should speak with a lawyer when filing a claim.
A Bellevue attorney will help TBI patients identify long-term consequences of the injury, including the need for additional medical expenses and surgeries down the road, or diminished income as a result of your injury.
A claim should account for all of these factors when reaching a fair settlement. If you do not include these expenses in your claim, you could face heavy medical expenses if you are required to undergo more medical treatment or need nursing care down the road.
For answers to your questions about legal rights to compensation after a TBI from a Bellevue pedestrian accident, speak with a lawyer at Max Meyers Law PLLC. Fill out our online contact form to schedule a free case evaluation, or call us at 425-399-7000 today.
