Closed Head Injuries

A head injury is one of the most serious accidents that a victim can sustain. It may cause long-term harm that can affect a person’s day-to-day life, requiring extensive treatment and permanent adjustments to his or her lifestyle. If a blow to the head is caused by someone else’s negligence, they should be held accountable for the damages that arise. The knowledgeable injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon represent Miami residents and other individuals who have suffered from head trauma as a result of another party’s careless or reckless actions. Car and motorcycle accidents, medical errors, falls, or workplace accidents can cause a closed head injury, and many times these incidents could have been avoided if proper care had been taken.

Head trauma or a traumatic brain injury involves a blow to the scalp, brain, or skull. These injuries are either closed, which means the head sustains a blunt force due to an object striking it, or penetrating, which means an object penetrates the skull to enter the brain. Head injuries may be difficult to diagnose, and symptoms could remain dormant until much later. Some symptoms to note following an accident include confusion, loss of consciousness, blurry vision or changes to pupils, drowsiness, changes in speech, or neck pain.

Some head injuries can even lead to permanent, non-reversible damage, such as changes in personality, seizure disorders, hearing and vision loss, or cognitive deficits. Following any accident involving a blow to the head, an individual should seek immediate medical attention to detect a potential closed head injury as soon as possible.

If another individual’s or entity’s negligence caused an accident that resulted in a closed head injury, the victim may be able to receive compensation by filing a personal injury claim. To establish negligence, the plaintiff must show that the defendant breached his or her duty of care and that the breach was a proximate cause of the closed head injury. In other words, the defendant must have failed to use the same level of precaution that a reasonably prudent person would have used in the same situation. The accident must have been a direct and foreseeable result of the defendant’s carelessness. For example, a passenger who hits his or her head on the dashboard of a car because the driver has to stop abruptly while tailgating another vehicle at a high speed likely can pursue legal action against the driver.

The victim must also show that reasonably quantifiable damages were incurred. Damages that may be sought in a personal injury lawsuit may provide compensation for both economic and non-economic forms of harm. Some typical examples include past and future medical costs, lost income, loss of earning capacity, property damage, and pain and suffering.

If you have sustained a closed head injury due to a car accident or another preventable event, the Miami lawyers at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon can help you protect your legal rights against those who were responsible. We also assist accident victims in Miami and other cities throughout Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties. Call us at 877.499.4878 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.