Clearwater Brain Injury Lawyer

Have you suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident in Clearwater, Florida? If someone else’s negligence played a role, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain, suffering, lost wages, and more. The experienced Clearwater brain injury lawyers at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers are ready to help you maximize your financial recovery.

Collectively, our accident attorneys have more than 300 years of experience. Together, we’ve won more than $675 Million in damages for clients involved in wrongful deaths, Clearwater catastrophic injuries, slips and falls, Clearwater medical malpractice cases, and more. We know how tough a brain injury can be and want to help make things right. 

Contact our Clearwater, Florida law office to get started with a free case evaluation. Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers are always standing by to take your call, so reach out to us for help today at (727) 796-8282.

How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You Seek Compensation for a TBI in Clearwater

How Perenich Law Injury Attorneys Can Help You Seek Compensation for a TBI in Clearwater

You may have the right to compensation for your brain injury, but insurance companies will fight you every step of the way. They might even try to say that you’re to blame. In order to set yourself up for a successful outcome, you need to level the playing field. That’s why the best thing you can do is hire our Clearwater personal injury attorneys to represent you.

Since 1955, Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers has recovered hundreds of millions on behalf of our clients. We’ve tried cases before the Florida Supreme Court and we have recovered some of Florida’s largest jury verdicts. Our lawyers have earned prestigious designations such as the highest Martindale-Hubbell AV rating.

When our award-winning team is in your corner, you can expect us to:

  • Provide the support and guidance you need to get through this challenging time
  • Handle all aspects of your legal case from start to finish
  • Investigate the circumstances surrounding your accident
  • Determine who’s responsible – and financially on the hook – for your injury
  • Aggressively pursue maximum compensation from all liable parties – particularly insurance providers, hospitals, corporations, and any other defendants with deep pockets
  • Work closely with leading brain injury experts on the Gulf Coast to ensure we value your case properly
  • Negotiate fair terms for a settlement or litigate your case at trial, if necessary.

Financial compensation can’t erase the harm you have suffered or its long-term impact, but it can protect your financial future and quality of life. Contact our law firm, with offices conveniently located in Pinellas County, to schedule a free case review to discuss how we can help you.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury, or “TBI,” is a type of head injury that may be caused by trauma such as a gunshot fall or blow. A TBI can also be categorized as either open or closed. An open brain injury is one in which the skull is penetrated.

Fortunately, most brain injuries are fairly mild and may not even cause noticeable symptoms. However, brain damage from a TBI can also be permanent or even fatal.

What Are the Different Types of Brain Injuries?

Head injuries are categorized in many ways. 

The two largest categories are:

  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI) 
  • Acquired brain injury (ABI)

Acquired brain injuries are the result of an internal factor, such as a stroke, disease, aneurysm, or a near-drowning.

Brain injuries may also be classified by types including:

  • Concussions, the most common type of TBI.
  • A localized or focal brain injury which is confined to a single region.
  • Diffuse brain injuries (DAI) refer to a brain injury to both sides of the brain when the brain is rotated, shaken, or twisted in the skull.
  • Coup-contrecoup injuries happen when the brain suffers a focal or localized injury when the head is struck. A second focal injury happens on the opposite side when the force of the impact causes the brain to move inside the skull.
  • Brain contusions or bruises.
  • Intracranial hematomas, which can happen when a contusion doesn’t heal properly. They refer to large collections of blood outside the vessels.

Brain injuries may cause primary or secondary damage. A primary injury happens when there is sudden profound brain damage caused by trauma. Secondary brain injuries refer to damage that occurs over time after a primary injury.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Brain Injuries?

The symptoms of a brain injury are impossible to predict and vary from one patient to the next. Even the same type and severity of injury can cause different symptoms in different people. 

Symptoms will generally depend on the type of injury and affected regions of the brain.

Mild TBI may result in:

  • Blurry vision
  • Tinnitus
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Balance trouble
  • Difficulty with memory and concentration
  • Irritability 

Serious brain damage may cause:

  • Vomiting or nausea
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Behavioral and personality changes
  • Memory loss
  • Difficulty speaking or walking
  • Seizures
  • Weakness on one side
  • One pupil more dilated 

You should always seek medical care immediately after a head injury or accident, even if you do not have symptoms.

What Are the Long-Term Consequences of a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Someone who has suffered a TBI may have a full recovery with no long-term consequences or suffer permanent disability and impairment. Most people recover from a concussion or mild TBI within three months. However, with a severe TBI, recovery can take months or years.

It’s a common misconception that recovery from a brain injury peaks at two years. Research has shown that TBI patients can still show improvements in function even after 10 years. 

It’s important to remember that your condition can improve slowly years after an accident. However, this isn’t true for everyone. 

Many people suffer long-term consequences of a TBI, such as:

  • Permanent changes to personality, emotions, and behavior. 
  • Physical impairment affecting strength, coordination, and balance.
  • Cognitive impairments
  • Locked-in syndrome
  • Post-concussion syndrome (PCS)
  • Coma or vegetative state
  • Death

Sadly, there is no way to predict how you will respond to treatment or how a brain injury will affect you long-term.

How Common Are Brain Injuries?

Brain injuries are incredibly common. Every year, about 1.5 million TBIs in the U.S. cause 56,000 fatalities and 230,000 hospitalizations. Older adults and children are most at risk of suffering a TBI.

Nationwide, traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of injury-related death and disability.

In 2014 alone, there were 19,851 hospitalizations and 3,852 deaths related to TBIs in Florida. Men accounted for 73% of TBI deaths, with adults over 55 suffering the highest rate of fatal TBIs.  

What Causes Most Brain Injuries?

Any type of accident or attack can lead to a TBI. 

Most traumatic brain injuries are the result of:

  • Motor vehicle accidents, such as car accidents, truck accidents, or motorcycle crashes
  • Violence including gunshots
  • Slip and fall accidents
  • Sports-related injuries

Nearly 50% of TBI-related emergency room visits are the result of a slip and fall. Likewise, falls cause half of TBIs in children and 81% of brain injuries in seniors.

After falls, traffic accidents are the second major cause of TBI excluding violence. They are the leading cause of TBI-related death, ER visits, and hospitalization for people 15 to 34.

Violence is responsible for 12% of fatal TBIs. This includes aggravated assault, homicide, and self-inflicted gunshots. Suicide is the top cause of fatal traumatic brain injury.

According to one study, sports-related TBI is on the rise. Common causes of sports-related brain injuries are being kicked during football (38%) and sports-related falls (20%). Between 2010 and 2016, there were 283,000 ER visits for sports and recreation-related TBI in children. 45% of these injuries occurred in contact sports.

Football has by far the highest incidence of TBI among contact sports. It is not just children or amateur players at risk of a brain injury. The NFL faced a class action lawsuit for failing to protect players and hiding the risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This degenerative brain disease is the result of repeated concussions or sub-concussive head injuries. It leads to gradually worsening symptoms and eventual death with symptoms that usually take years to develop.

CTE can only be diagnosed after death. A 2017 study on deceased football players’ brains found that 99% of the NFL players, 91% of college football players, and 21% of high school football players showed some stage of CTE.

What Damages Are Available to Brain Injury Victims?

Seeking compensation through a personal injury lawsuit allows you to recover financial damages for your economic and non-economic losses.

You may seek financial compensation for:

  • Property damage
  • Medical treatment, including current medical bills and anticipated long-term costs
  • Lost wages
  • Disability or reduced earning capacity
  • Other financial damages, such as childcare, in-home health care, and home modifications

You can also seek compensation for your personal losses, including your pain and suffering, reduced quality of life, loss of consortium, and more. Our personal injury attorneys in Clearwater will help you fight to maximize your financial award. 

How Long Do I Have to File a Brain Injury Lawsuit in Florida?

You typically have either two years (for injuries sustained on or after 3/24/2023) or four years (for injuries sustained before that date) to file a traumatic brain injury lawsuit under Florida’s recently adjusted statute of limitations. The deadline for a wrongful death claim or medical malpractice case is also just two years. There are few exceptions to this deadline which may give you more or less time to file a lawsuit. Contact a lawyer to determine the appropriate deadline for your case.

Contact Our Clearwater Brain Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers has recovered hundreds of millions on behalf of our injured clients. We are the first personal injury firm in Clearwater and the greater Tampa Bay area. 

We’ve been in business this long because we’ve worked tirelessly to recover the compensation our injured clients deserve. Let us do the same for you. Contact our Florida law firm today to schedule a free case review with a Clearwater brain injury lawyer ready to help.

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