To recover damages after suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the burden falls on you and your lawyer to show that your injury was caused by negligence. If you’re considering a lawsuit, you may question if you have the evidence necessary to prove your case and receive a settlement or get a successful outcome in court. Let’s take a look at what evidence you can already access, and what details a skilled attorney can help you gather.
Evidence of the Accident and TBI
First and foremost is proving that the accident occurred and that it was responsible for your TBI. Whether you were in a vehicle crash, injured due to a work mishap, or suffered a slip and fall, these are the most common forms of evidence to look for:
- Eyewitnesses
- Photographs of the scene where the injury occurred
- Police reports
- Video evidence if the accident was filmed
Directly showing the extent of your brain injury is also crucial to a successful case. Brain injuries often aren’t physically obvious, which is why you need to see a doctor after any blow to the head. In particular, these are the types of medical documentation that best help in a TBI case:
- Diagnosis from an emergency room doctor or neurologist
- Medical documentation of the injury such as an MRI or CT scan
- Cognitive evaluation from a neuropsychologist
Evidence of Future Expenses Due to a Traumatic Brain Injury
Expenses for a TBI don’t stop just at the initial emergency room visit or hospital stay, however. You may require ongoing and expensive medical treatment, from additional surgeries to long-term therapy and even assisted living costs.
Additionally, severe TBI patients often lose the ability to earn income as they can’t work due to cognitive and language difficulties caused by brain injury. You may be able to recover damages for continuing expenses and loss of wages. That's why you need to keep track of:
- Pay stubs, bank statements, and tax returns
- Treatment notes from any physical, occupational, or speech therapy
- Expert witness testimony
That last type of evidence is typically handled by your attorney, who may consult with economic, medical, or vocational experts to provide context to your situation. You need a personal injury lawyer who understands how TBI cases work and knows the ins and outs of both state and federal law to put this evidence together into a compelling argument.
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