Your brain is the most important part of your body. It governs your intelligence, emotions, consciousness, sensations, and movement. When your brain suffers a permanent injury, though, the aftereffects — including the possibility of lifetime physical and mental disabilities — can be devastating. The various types of brain injuries are classified in two different ways as traumatic brain injuries and acquired brain injuries.
Traumatic brain injuries are always the result of an external force and they could be open wounds or closed wounds. They usually happen as a result of a motor vehicle crash or a slip and fall incident. However, they also happen following a criminal event in the case of assault and battery, and they also happen in on-the-job injuries. Differing kinds of traumatic brain injuries include diffuse axonal injuries, penetration injuries, contusions and concussions.
Acquired brain injuries do not always happen as the result of an external force. They are caused by anoxia, which is complete oxygen deprivation to the brain, and hypoxia, which is partial oxygen deprivation to the brain. These kinds of injuries can happen in a stroke, heart attack, drowning, strangling or as the result of medical malpractice.
Regardless if you have suffered an acquired brain injury or a traumatic brain injury, it is important to evaluate whether the injury was the result of another party’s negligence or criminal behavior. If it was, a claim for damages might be pursuable against that party.
Every personal injury claim in Los Angeles, regardless of the nature of the injuries, will be subjected to statutes of limitation. What that means is that victims have only a limited period of time in which to pursue claims for damages against the at-fault party.