Have you or a loved one suffered a brain injury in Kinston, NC? If so, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills and other losses, but the defendant and their insurance company won’t make it easy. Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers can help when you call (252) 397-8624.
Our experienced legal team can fight to protect your rights and pursue compensation on your behalf. We use our extensive legal knowledge, client advocacy skills, and resources to demand the full and fair compensation our clients deserve.
Contact our Kinston brain injury lawyers today for a free case review.
Why Should I Choose Riddle & Riddle for Help With My Brain Injury Claim?
The law firm of Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers was established more than four decades ago, making us one of the longest-running firms in the Kinston, North Carolina region. Our attorneys have more than 190 years of combined legal experience that we can put to use to fight for the compensation you deserve. Our results – with over $850 million won for clients – speak for themselves (see disclaimer below).
If you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), you are in for a long ride. Brain injuries can alter every aspect of a victim’s life, from their mobility and ability to work to their personality and relationships with loved ones. You need an experienced legal advocate in your corner who can demand the compensation you are owed.
We welcome you to get to know us better and learn more about your personal injury claim by contacting us today for a free case review with a Kinston personal injury attorney.
How Common Are Brain Injuries?
The International Brain Injury Association reports that brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In the United States, about 5.3 million people are currently suffering from a brain injury. Additionally, approximately one million people in the United States are treated and released from hospital emergency rooms.
Many more are killed due to these injuries, are treated in other medical settings, or fail to have their brain injury treated.
Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries typically occur when there is a sudden jolt or force to the brain. Leading causes of traumatic brain injuries include:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Accidents on other people’s property
- Negligent maintenance
- Incidents with vicious dogs
- Accidents involving defective products
- Construction accidents
- Violent encounters with law enforcement officers
- Nursing home abuse
If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury due to any of these causes, reach out to our legal team for a free consultation.
Symptoms of Brain Injuries
Brain injuries are classified into mild, moderate, and severe categories. Mild traumatic brain injuries are often able to be treated at home and do not result in long-term complications. Moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries can result in long-term complications and sometimes even brain death or other fatal injuries.
Many people associate TBIs with loss of consciousness, but not every TBI results in this symptom. Mild TBIs are often associated with the following symptoms:
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fatigue, drowsiness, difficulty falling or staying asleep, sleeping more than usual, or difficulty sleeping
- Dizziness and other balance problems
- Speech problems
- Blurred vision
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Ringing in the ears
- A bad taste in the mouth
- Changes in the ability to smell
- Feeling dazed or confused
- Problems with memory or concentration
- Confusion
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering
- Feelings of anxiousness or depression
Symptoms of moderate to severe TBIs include any of the above, plus the following:
- Loss of consciousness from a few minutes to several hours
- Difficulty or inability to awaken from sleep
- Convulsions or seizures
- Weakness or numbness in the extremities
- Persistent or worsening headache
- Irritability and mood swings
- Repeated vomiting or nausea
- Profound confusion
- Loss of coordination
- Changes in mood
Because babies and young children may have difficulty communicating their symptoms, parents should be vigilant after their child has suffered a TBI by monitoring them for any changes, irritability, or disinterest, as these can indicate a TBI.
If you believe you or a family member has suffered a TBI, seek medical treatment immediately so the injury can be properly diagnosed, treated, and documented.
Long-Term Complications of Traumatic Brain Injuries
TBIs can cause several severe medical complications, including the following:
- Altered consciousness disorders, including coma, minimally conscious state, vegetative state, or brain death
- Seizures
- Brain infections
- Nervous system infections
- Blood vessel damage
- Fluid buildup in the brain
- Frequent headaches
- Vertigo
- Facial paralysis
- Altered senses
- Vision loss
- Vertigo
- Cognitive problems
- Learning disabilities
- Executive functioning problems
- Problems communicating, including difficulty speaking, understanding speech, or writing, or organizing thoughts
- Degenerative brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia
- Behavioral changes, including difficulty with self-control, risk-taking behaviors, difficulty getting along with others, or having verbal or physical outbursts
- Emotional problems, including depression, anxiety, lack of empathy, mood swings, and irritability
- Sleep disturbances, including insomnia
Consider all of the long-term impacts of the brain injury before settling your personal injury case.
Financial Compensation Available in Brain Injury Claims
Every brain injury is different and affects victims and their families differently. Through a personal injury claim, you could seek compensation for the losses you experienced because of your injury, including:
- Medical expenses: You can seek compensation for medical bills for emergency treatment, ambulance charges, hospital stays, and surgeries. You can also recover compensation for ongoing medical treatment, medication, doctor visits, and specialist visits. You can also seek compensation for your reasonably anticipated future medical expenses.
- Lost income: You can seek compensation for lost wages and other income you lost while seeking medical treatment and recovering from your injuries.
- Reduced earning capacity: If the TBI prevents you from working in the same capacity, you can seek compensation for the reduction in your earning power.
- Pain and suffering: You can seek compensation for your physical and mental pain and suffering, anguish, distress, and negative effects you’ve experienced because of the brain injury.
- Lost quality of life: You can also seek compensation for your lost quality of life and inability to enjoy your favorite pastimes.
- Loss of companionship and consortium: You can pursue compensation for the negative impact the brain injury has had on your relationship with loved ones.
An experienced attorney from our firm can identify the various damages you can recover through a personal injury claim and help you pursue maximum compensation for them.
What Is My Traumatic Brain Injury Case Worth?
The more severe your brain injury, the more valuable your case may be. This is because your damage award should account for the long-term impacts of your injury (see disclaimer below). For moderate to severe TBIs, you could be dealing with ongoing medical complications, exorbitant expenses, and long-term disability.
An experienced lawyer can review your case and determine its value after carefully investigating the circumstances surrounding it.
How Is My Case Value Affected if I Contributed to the Accident?
North Carolina follows a contributory negligence system, which many other states have modified due to the strict treatment toward accident victims. Under this rule, if a party is found to have contributed to their injuries to any degree, they can be barred from recovering any compensation.
Most other states only reduce the plaintiff’s award in proportion to their degree of fault, but this is not the case in North Carolina. If you’re found even 1% at fault for the accident, you could get nothing for your award (see disclaimer below).
Knowing this legal framework, it’s essential that you don’t apologize after the accident or do or say anything that admits any degree of fault. It is the defendant’s responsibility to prove that you contributed to the accident for this principle to apply.
What Is the Deadline To File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in North Carolina?
All states have statutes of limitations that provide an upper time limit for how long a party has to take certain legal action. In North Carolina, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit is three years from the accident date.
If you don’t file your case within this timeline and you haven’t settled your case, you can lose your right to recover compensation through the civil courts.
Contact Our Brain Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury due to someone else’s negligence in Kinston, North Carolina, reach out for legal help from Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers. You deserve fair compensation that rightfully acknowledges the ordeal you’ve endured.
Contact us today for a free case review with a Kinston brain injury lawyer.