It is estimated that as many as 1.4 million people suffer a brain injury in the United States every year. Brain injuries may be caused by a wide range of accidents, including everything from workplace activities to road traffic accidents. They can range in their severity from mild or moderate to traumatic and life-changing.

If you or someone you love sustained a brain injury, it is important that you partner with an experienced Houston brain injury lawyer. In this blog post, we will highlight the common signs that you can benefit from speaking to a brain injury lawyer such as Heard Merman Accident & Injury Trial Lawyers.

We will break down some of the most common types of brain injury, the importance of getting expert medical treatment, how to gather evidence for a claim, and much more. Let’s get started with this look at the brain injury claims process.

1. You Sustained an Injury

When we speak about brain damage, there are two categories the different injuries can be put into.

The first is traumatic injuries. These occur due to a shaking, blow, or strong rotational injury to the head that results in damage to the brain. Examples of traumatic injuries include:

• Concussion
• Contusion
• Closed head injury
• Penetrating injury (also known as open head injury)

The other type is known as acquired injuries. These are injuries that occur without a degenerative or hereditary cause. Examples of acquired brain injuries (also known as non-traumatic brain injuries) include:

• Stroke
• Brain infections or inflammation
• Tumor
• Hypoxic or anoxic injury

As highlighted in the introduction, there are many different possible causes of brain injuries. Blows to the head, road traffic accidents, and falls are also common causes of traumatic head injuries, for example.

In the case of acquired brain injuries, common causes include drowning, exposure to pollutants or poisons, and choking.

2. You Need Treatment From Medical Professionals

The aftermath of an accident is often a confusing and difficult time, especially if you or someone you love has sustained an injury (and particularly a brain injury). The most pressing matter in the aftermath of an accident is to seek professional medical treatment.

There are certain things that you should handle on your own in the aftermath of an accident, including establishing medical treatment with a doctor. However, an injury lawyer is also here to help. They are able to guide clients through the process, especially in cases where there are issues around health insurance.

A brain injury is typically diagnosed following a series of medical tests. These include blood tests, imaging studies (such as CT scans), and brain evaluations.

It is estimated that half of the people with severe head injuries require surgery. Once the most acute injuries have been treated, other treatments such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech/language therapy are often recommended.

3. You Wish to File a Legal Claim

A brain injury lawyer will help you to understand the legal basis of your claim and how to go about filing it. In the majority of cases, a brain injury lawsuit is based on the legal theory of negligence. This effectively requires the plaintiff to prove that the defendant is legally responsible for the injury.

In order to succeed in a legal action based on negligence, plaintiffs must prove a number of different things. This is why it is so important to partner with an experienced brain injury lawyer. These include showing that:

• The defendant failed to act with reasonable care toward the plaintiff
• The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care
• The defendant’s actions (or even inaction, depending on the case) caused the plaintiff’s injuries
• The plaintiff sustained injuries and/or losses that are measurable under the law

As you can see, there are a number of steps that a plaintiff must follow when pursuing a legal claim against another individual or an organization.

Given the complexity of the legal process, it is essential that you partner with an experienced law firm. In Houston, your No. 1 choice is Heard Merman Accident & Injury Trial Lawyers.

4. You Need Help Gathering Evidence

In order to prove the above bullet points, it is necessary to gather strong evidence. That is also where a brain injury lawyer comes in. Given that we are talking about brain injuries, it is not uncommon for plaintiffs to experience memory issues, making this step difficult.

Not only will a brain injury lawyer work with you to gather evidence of fault in a legal claim, but they will also serve a number of other important roles. These include:

• Obtaining evidence of liability
• Obtaining evidence of injuries
• Organizing medical records and bills
• Negotiating with insurance companies
• Negotiating with defendants and their lawyers
• Negotiating a satisfactory settlement
• Representing plaintiffs in court (as necessary)

As highlighted above, the most important thing for a person to focus on in the aftermath of an accident is their own health and recovery. By partnering with a brain injury lawyer, you can focus on getting better while knowing that your legal claim is being pursued.

Signs You Need a Houston Brain Injury Lawyer

The bottom line is that a brain injury is one of the most serious types of injury that a person can sustain. When you wish to pursue a legal claim against the at-fault party, always partner with a reputable brain injury lawyer. They have the expertise necessary to ensure a successful outcome.

Your best choice for Houston brain injury lawyer is Heard Merman Accident & Injury Trial Lawyers. If you would like to learn more, contact us today for a free consultation. We look forward to speaking with you.