A person who has experienced a traumatic brain injury as the result of someone else’s carelessness or recklessness should seek a consultation with an accident attorney in Virginia Beach, VA. Even if the individual seems to have fully recovered quickly, these types of injuries are implicated in several serious physical disorders that can develop later. Examples include Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.
Increased Risk Factors
Researchers used to believe that a person had to experience several concussions or other brain-related injuries for there to be an increased risk of the later disorders. More recently, however, they have found that people with only one episode of brain trauma are at greater risk. The risk is higher if the person lost consciousness due to the head being struck. In addition, for a person who has suffered one concussion, the risk of experiencing a second one is increased.
The incidents are not a direct cause of diseases connected with brain abnormalities, but they seem to make the brain more vulnerable. Establishing fault in the case and having the severity of the injury fully documented by a physician are two essential actions. An accident attorney in Virginia Beach, VA can explain how to proceed and also knows what the statute of limitations is in regard to filing a claim against the responsible insurance company.
Insurance Considerations
In Virginia, claims for injuries due to car accidents are paid by each policyholder’s own automotive insurance no matter who is at fault. For other accident cases, the property owner’s insurance company is usually the liable party. The incident might have been a slip-and-fall accident on a wet floor or a tripping episode on uneven pavement or a damaged stairway. Heavy merchandise falling from an overhead shelf can also cause serious head injuries for a customer in the area.
After consulting a lawyer at a firm such as Price Perkins Larkin, the person may still decide to delay filing a claim if no immediate problems occurred. The person may not have missed any work and had only relatively small medical expenses. If any symptoms develop before the statute of limitations date, the lawyer can revisit the case.