Valuing a Brain Injury Case in New Jersey
An astonishingly high number of people in the United States suffer from traumatic brain injuries each year, with recent annual estimates exceeding 2.8 million people. Brain injuries can be incredibly serious and require extensive medical treatment, therapy, and related rehabilitation efforts. These treatments and therapies can amount to millions of dollars over many years for victims of TBI. Thankfully, if your brain injury results from negligence by another party, you may be able to recover money damages to help make you whole and provide for your future needs.
Compensation in brain injury cases may be obtained through verdicts in court or settlements with the defendant(s) and their respective attorneys. A brain injury verdict or settlement can include damages that pay for medical treatment, account for past and future loss of income, and compensate you for pain and suffering. Although nothing can truly rectify the damage done by a brain injury, the financial assistance achieved through legal action can be essential for you and your loved ones. A skilled brain injury attorney is imperative when you need to recover financially by obtaining maximum compensation for harm caused by a negligent doctor, driver, property owner, product manufacturer, or another party who is at fault. If you would like to discuss your specific TBI case with a seasoned, local New Jersey brain injury attorney, contact Fronzuto Law Group now at (973)-345-6300 or request a free case evaluation online.
Determining what a Brain Injury Claim is Worth
Obviously not all of the millions of annual brain injuries occurring in the United States are caused by, or associated with, some form of negligence. However, it does exist in some cases. For example, if a doctor causes brain injury to you while treating another disorder or condition, or causes further damage while treating an existing brain injury, you may be able to bring a medical malpractice action against that doctor, the broader team of medical professionals who treated you, and/or or the hospital or other medical facility at which you were treated. If you win a brain injury lawsuit, you can recover a financial award from the party against whom you filed the claim. Courts refer to this financial award as “damages.”
Damages for Medical Expenses & Loss of Income
If you win a brain injury lawsuit, there are several types of damages that may be available to you. First, you are likely to recover economic damages, which are designed to compensate you for your medical bills, the time you have lost from work and/or the money you have lost because you are unable to perform the job you held previously, as well as a number of other financial injuries. Consider a potential lifetime of rehabilitation and therapy often associated with brain damage or the loss of brain function, and your medical expenses alone can be astronomically high. Add to this a reduced earning capacity, and tangible financial losses can amount to millions of dollars.
Pain and Suffering Damages for Brain Injury
You may be able to recover damages designed to compensate you for the pain and suffering that you endured. Brain injuries can result in tremendous physical pain, mental anguish, and emotional trauma, and these types of awards can be very high. Pain and suffering damages are notoriously difficult to quantify, and it can be hard to predict the amount of pain and suffering damages that may be awarded in your individual case. That said, depending on the facts of your case, you may be able to recover a large sum based on your pain and suffering.
Loss of consortium is another form of loss for which you may by compensated. This refers to the loss of relationships, or reduced quality of said relationships, resulting from changes caused by a brain injury. For example, brain injuries are known to cause anxiety, depression, anger, mood swings, sleep disturbances, and a variety of other emotional and psychological symptoms that can have a significant negative impact on your ability to maintain relationships with your loved ones.
Punitive Damages in a TBI Case
Finally, there are some cases in which a jury will require the defendant to pay punitive damages, a rare type of financial award that results from intentional or egregious misconduct over and above the usual negligence required for a successful injury lawsuit. While winning punitive damages is rare, it is a possibility if the person responsible for your traumatic brain injury was particularly reckless or acted with purpose to cause such harm.
Enlist Experienced NJ Brain Injury Attorneys to Obtain Maximum Compensation
In general terms, the greater the extent of the injury and its long-term effects, the higher the dollar amount associated with a brain injury claim. When you want to avoid undervaluing what your claim is actually worth, it is highly advisable to seek counsel from an experienced brain injury attorney who will leave no stone unturned when investigating your case. Our highly skilled legal team consults with medical experts, accident reconstructionists, life-care planning specialists, financial specialists, and a variety of other witnesses to construct the most compelling claim on your behalf. To receive a free consultation and review of your case, contact our NJ brain injury lawyers at (973) 345-6300 today.
