Brain Injury
Have you or a loved one suffered a brain injury as a result of an accident? At Oatley Vigmond, we know that litigation surrounding brain injuries can be complicated. That’s why we have on our team some of the most highly recognized brain injury lawyers in Canada. We’ve helped thousands of people who have suffered mild to severe brain injuries; intracranial hematoma, diffuse axonal injury, and more — securing some of Canada’s largest multi-million dollar brain injury verdicts and settlements. We offer free legal consultations, and you don’t pay until we resolve your case.
What are some symptoms of a brain injury?
Those afflicted by traumatic brain injury may suffer from the following symptoms:
Difficulty expressing thoughts
Personality changes
Headaches
Changes to hearing, vision, taste, or smell
Convulsions
Dizziness and balance issues
Sudden mood changes
Sense of confusion
Problems with short term memory
Difficulty word finding
Inability to concentrate
Anxiety and uneasiness in noisy environments
Easily overwhelmed
Trouble with focus
Seizures
Paralysis
Coma
Do you have questions about traumatic brain injury and starting a lawsuit? Please click here to get answers to questions we are most frequently asked about brain injuries and personal injury lawsuits.
What happens if I suffer a brain injury?
Most individuals suffering from traumatic brain injury are hospitalized for extended periods. They often are rendered incapable of returning to work. Paying for rehabilitation and intensive care is difficult enough; having to plan financially for a life without employment income can be overwhelming.
We help our clients achieve financial security so that they can look past these stressors and focus on their recovery. Brain injury survivors who have chosen Oatley Vigmond have consistently obtained settlements that help them achieve stability and normalcy.
Drawing on our extensive network of health care providers in the community, we’ll ensure your recovery includes access to the best health care specialists, including a rehabilitation team that is fully committed to your treatment and long-term well being. We connect traumatic brain injury survivors with psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, social workers, rehabilitation support workers, and more.
Many brain injury survivors require lifelong care and rehabilitation to manage chronic symptoms. In addition, we assist with counselling for the families, to help them cope with the changes to their loved ones.
Specific Types of Brain Injuries
Concussion
A concussion is, by definition, an injury to the brain. Concussions may result in mild brain injuries, but even mild brain injuries can have serious consequences to someone’s ability to function. No two concussions are the same. As a result, some people dismiss the early signs and symptoms, waiting until they worsen before seeing a medical professional. Any time you sustain any sort of head trauma, it’s crucial to seek medical advice. Because head injuries are cumulative, it is important that your medical doctor knows your history of any significant head trauma.
Symptoms of a concussion can include:
Balance problems or dizziness
Trouble with focus or comprehension
Double or fuzzy vision
Sensitivity to light or noise
Nausea
Feeling sluggish, foggy or groggy
Feeling unusually irritable
Concentration or short term memory problems
Fatigue
Diffuse Axonal Injury
Diffuse Axonal Injury is one of the the most common and life-changing type of traumatic brain injury. Though these injuries typically originate in white matter areas, DAIs are categorized as diffusive because they tend to spread through the brain, damaging tissue and impairing crucial functions via shearing forces that disrupt nerve cells. DAI is the primary cause for unconsciousness and a perpetual vegetative state after someone has experienced severe head trauma; about half of all severe head trauma cases result in DAI.
DAI involves microscopic damage to the axons in the brain neural tracts, corpus callosum, and brainstem. DAI is clinically defined by a coma lasting six hours or more after a traumatic brain injury is suffered. Sadly, 90% of DAI victims never regain consciousness, and those who do often remain significantly impaired.
Outcomes and risk factors vary significantly depending on the force and mechanism of the injury; severe DAI is typically associated with high-energy trauma, as seen in motor vehicle accidents and catastrophic workplace injury.
An important part of treating DAIs is successful detection. However, detecting these injuries can be difficult because they do not appear on computed tomography (CT) scans, or any other macroscopic analysis. As a result, misdiagnoses are common. The treatment of victims of traumatic brain injury is complex: close neurological monitoring, surgery and control of intracranial pressure are just some of the standards of care.
Oatley Vigmond’s legal team understands the life-changing implications of DAIs. The battle has only begun once the victim is stabilized. Families will need to secure ongoing care, make accessibility modifications at home (or arrange live-in assistance), and find ways to support the victim’s dependents, all while coping with the emotional impacts of the injury.
Diffuse axonal injuries typically cause severe physical, cognitive, and behavioural impairment that can be temporary or permanent, and can affect the individual’s activities of daily living, as well as the lives of their loved ones.
$12 Million Settlement
$10 Million Awarded
$7 Million Awarded