Have you suffered a brain injury in an accident or assault in Monmouth County, NJ? You could be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost earnings, mental anguish, and other losses.
An experienced Monmouth County brain injury attorney can help you pursue the money you need to preserve your quality of life and hold the responsible party accountable.
Since 2007, Noonan Personal Injury Lawyers, LLC has helped countless brain injury survivors recover life-changing compensation. Contact our law office today at (732) 303 7857 to schedule a free consultation with a Monmouth County personal injury lawyer to discuss how we can help you.
How Our Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You With a Brain Injury Claim in Monmouth County, NJ
After a serious accident, you shouldn’t be forced to deal with an uncaring insurance company only interested in minimizing your losses and shifting blame. An experienced Monmouth County brain injury lawyer can help you pursue the full compensation you deserve.
Noonan Personal Injury Lawyers, LLC has 40 years of combined experience representing accident victims in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Founding partner Charlie Clark is one of a small number of New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Trial Lawyers. This trial experience is invaluable in presenting a strong, persuasive case before a jury.
Our law office has recovered millions on behalf of our clients, and we’ll give you the same tireless representation; we will:
- Conduct an independent investigation into your accident
- Identify all parties who may be liable
- Work with experts and gather evidence proving liability and damages
- Negotiate with the insurance companies on your behalf
- Handle all communications and act in your best interests
- Take your case to court when it’s necessary
Contact our law firm to schedule a free consultation with a Monmouth County personal injury attorney. We’ll listen to your story and help you take the next steps in your case.
Overview of Brain Injuries
Brain injuries are one of the most serious types of injury. Even a mild brain injury can have lasting effects.
A brain injury is classified in many ways depending on the severity, wound, and mechanism:
- Closed head injury: This is an injury that does not penetrate or fracture the skull.
- Open head injury: This is a serious injury that penetrates the skull, such as a gunshot wound.
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI): This is an injury caused by trauma. It may involve rapid acceleration-deceleration or blunt force trauma.
- Acquired brain injury (ABI): This is an injury caused by internal events like lack of oxygen, disease, infection, or stroke.
- Primary brain injury: This is a sudden injury that occurs at the time of the impact or accident.
- Secondary brain injury: This is an injury that occurs hours or days after an initial injury. Cellular, chemical, and blood supply changes after the first injury can cause further brain damage.
All of these categories of brain injuries can be serious and life-changing.
Common Types of Brain Injuries
Here are some of the most common types of brain injuries associated with accidents:
- Concussion, also called a mild TBI
- Hematoma, a collection of blood inside the skull
- Brain contusion or bruising of the brain tissue
- Coup injury, a contusion or injury under the site of impact
- Contrecoup injury, an injury opposite the site of impact
- Coup-contrecoup injury, both a coup and contrecoup injury
- Diffuse axonal injury (DAI), shearing of the axons (connecting fibers) as the brain shifts and rotates inside the skull
- Hypoxic/anoxic injuries caused by too little or no oxygen to the brain
Depending on the severity and type of accident, it’s entirely possible to suffer more than one type of brain injury.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Brain injuries are insidious because they can cause a vast array of symptoms that may be mild and temporary or permanent and life-altering. Symptoms and signs of a brain injury can depend on the severity, the affected regions of the brain, and the type of injury.
Mild TBI symptoms can include:
- Memory loss
- Headaches
- Confusion or foggy thinking
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Sensitivity to sound and light
- Ringing in the ears
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sleep disturbances
- Very brief loss of consciousness
A moderate to severe TBI can cause the same symptoms as well as more serious issues.
With a more serious brain injury, you may experience:
- Seizures
- Repeated vomiting
- Headaches that worsen or do not go away
- Unequal pupil dilation
- Speech difficulties
- Problems with motor control and coordination
- Emotional, behavioral, mood, and personality changes
- Loss of consciousness for minutes or hours
- Coma
- Death
It’s important to understand that brain injury symptoms are not always obvious at first. Symptoms can be delayed, but you can also develop new or worsening symptoms due to changes in brain chemistry and secondary injury.
What Are the Long-Term Consequences of a Brain Injury?
The long-term impacts of a brain injury are difficult to determine initially. Some people recover very well after a TBI, while others suffer lasting or permanent effects from relatively minor injuries. The brain has a remarkable ability to heal and adapt after a serious injury thanks to neuroplasticity, but even this has its limits.
Concussions are the most common type of TBI and the most mild. While 90% of people recover completely within two weeks, others experience lingering symptoms. This is called post-concussion syndrome (PCS).
One in 60 Americans is currently living with a brain injury-related disability. In general, the more serious the injury, the more disabling the long-term effects. The damaged areas of the brain influence the lasting symptoms and impairment from a TBI.
Long-term or permanent consequences of a brain injury may include:
- Cognitive impairment
- Disordered sleep
- Personality changes
- Difficulty with memory and concentration
- Trouble with balance and motor control
- Issues with problem-solving and impulse control
- Poor emotional regulation
- Trouble with understanding language or speaking
- Issues with visual processing
- Depression
- Paralysis
- Post-concussion syndrome (PCS)
- Locked-in syndrome (LiS)
Prompt medical treatment is critical to prevent further brain damage and improve your chances of recovery. Sadly, many brain injury survivors struggle with permanent impairment of some kind.
How Common Are Brain Injuries?
Nearly 2.5 million people in the U.S. suffer a traumatic brain injury every year.
These injuries include:
- 230,000 TBI-related hospitalizations
- 85,000 disabling brain injuries
- 69,000 TBI-related deaths
Around one out of every three injury-related deaths involves a brain injury.
What Causes Brain Injuries in Monmouth County, NJ?
It’s a common misconception that you need to suffer a blow to the head to suffer a brain injury. TBI can also be caused by rapid acceleration and deceleration, which causes the brain to strike the inside of the skull.
Most traumatic brain injuries are caused by one of the following:
- Falls
- Motor vehicle accidents like car accidents, truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents
- Being struck by an object
- Violence, including assault and self-inflicted gunshots
- Sports injuries
Falls are responsible for around 48% of TBI-related emergency room visits. Among seniors, 81% of brain injuries occur in a fall. Even a slip and fall accident on the same level can cause a serious brain injury, especially in vulnerable people.
Traffic accidents are responsible for 20% of TBI-related hospitalizations, followed by being struck by an object (17%). The latter often happens in workplace accidents.
Among children, sports are responsible for about one in five brain injuries.
What Is the Value of My Monmouth County Brain Injury Case?
Every personal injury case is unique. The value of your case will depend on many factors, including:
- The severity of your brain injury
- The type of medical care you received
- Total financial losses
- How your injury affects your daily life
- Whether you are permanently disabled
- Projected medical needs in the future
- Reduced or lost earning potential
- The circumstances of your accident
- Whether you were partially to blame for your accident
The Monmouth County personal injury lawyers at Noonan Personal Injury Lawyers, LLC will help you understand how these factors could affect your case. We will work with experts to accurately value your damages and build the strongest case possible.
What Compensation Can I Recover For My Brain Injury in Monmouth County, New Jersey?
In a successful personal injury claim, compensatory damages are awarded to compensate you for your losses. There are two categories of compensatory damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages cover financial losses and expenses. Non-economic damages cover your personal losses without a clear monetary value.
Common damages you may recover include:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Lost income while recovering
- Lost or reduced earning potential and benefits of employment
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Reduced enjoyment of life
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Mental anguish
In rare cases, a jury may award punitive damages. These damages are intended to punish the defendant for egregious behavior. They may only be awarded if you prove that the defendant acted with malice or a wanton, willful disregard for others.
How Long Do I Have To File a Brain Injury Lawsuit in New Jersey?
The New Jersey statute of limitations is generally just two years from the date of your injury.
There are very few exceptions to this deadline. It may be extended if the injury occurred to a minor or the victim had mental disabilities, for instance.
If you have a claim against a government entity like the state of New Jersey or a municipal agency, you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days.
While you should focus on your recovery after your accident, it’s important to take action as soon as possible to preserve your legal right to compensation. Contact our law office today to schedule a free case review with an injury lawyer. We can work on building your case while you focus on healing.
Contact Our Monmouth County Brain Injury Lawyers For a Free Consultation
Have you suffered a brain injury in an accident in Monmouth County? You may be entitled to financial compensation, and our personal injury lawyers are here to help.
With over 40 years of combined experience, Noonan Personal Injury Lawyers, LLC has recovered millions on behalf of our clients. We are prepared to give you the zealous representation you deserve.
Contact our law firm today at (732) 303 7857 to schedule a free initial case review with a Monmouth County brain injury lawyer to discuss what we can do to help you.