Did you or a loved one sustain a brain injury in Polk County, FL? If so, you could be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and more.
The Polk County brain injury attorneys at Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney at Law can evaluate your case and discuss your rights. We have over 25 years of experience helping Florida accident victims get the compensation they deserve. Our firm has a track record of success and knows how to get results for our clients in Polk County, Florida.
Call us at (863) 999-9000 to schedule a free case evaluation or contact us online to speak with a Polk County brain injury lawyer.
How Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney at Law Can Help After a Polk County Brain Injury
Brain injuries are life-changing and often leave victims with long-term impacts. After a brain injury, it’s common to have ongoing medical expenses, decreased income, and other out-of-pocket expenses.
Besides the negative personal impacts after an injury, brain injuries often leave victims with significant financial hardships. If someone else’s negligence caused your brain injury, you could be entitled to compensation. However, the responsible party and their insurance company will fight hard to avoid liability and minimize the value of claims.
Our team will help even the playing field and ensure your rights are protected. For 32 years, Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney at Law has represented accident victims in Florida. Our Polk County personal injury attorneys are committed to providing every client with superior service and will fight hard to get the compensation you deserve.
When you hire our firm for a brain injury case, our Polk County personal injury lawyers will:
- Investigate your brain injury to identify all causes
- Identify all parties liable for your injury
- Gather evidence to strengthen your case
- Work with expert witnesses as needed
- Calculate the fair value of your case
- File a claim with the responsible party’s insurance company
- Negotiate to ensure you get a fair settlement
- If necessary, file a lawsuit and represent you in court
- Keep you updated on the status of your case
Our team understands how difficult brain injuries can be for victims and their families. We’ll support you throughout the process and fight hard to get the best result possible.
How Common Are Brain Injuries in Florida?
Sadly, brain injuries in Florida are more common than most people realize. According to data from Brain Injury Florida, every year, there are 229,582 brain injuries to children and adults in the state.
There are approximately 899,924 Floridians currently living with a brain injury. These are troubling numbers and evidence of a rising number of Florida families dealing with the effects of traumatic brain injuries.
What Are Brain Injuries?
A traumatic brain injury occurs when external trauma injures the skull, brain, or its covering. Brain injuries can range from mild to severe depending on the amount of force and the location of the force.
Sometimes, the effects of brain injuries are clear right away, and in other cases, they come on slowly.
Some common signs and symptoms of mild brain injuries are:
- Headaches
- DizzinessThe ringing of the ears
- Irritability
- Confusion
- Balance issues
- Difficulty concentrating
- Blurry vision
Common symptoms of more serious brain injuries:
- Personality changes
- Behavioral changes
- Nausea or vomiting
- Memory problems
- Difficulty walking
- Difficulty speaking
- seizures
Some traumatic brain injuries result in long-term consequences, including personality or behavioral changes, cognitive impairment, and even death.
If you lose a loved one because of a brain injury, our team can bring a wrongful death lawsuit on their behalf. This is a way to hold the negligent party accountable and ensure your family is compensated for financial and personal losses. These are difficult cases, but our team will guide your family through the process and ensure you get justice for your loved one.
What Causes Most Polk County Brain Injuries?
Many different factors cause brain injuries in Florida.
Some of the leading causes of Florida brain injuries are:
- Motor-vehicle accidents, including car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Construction accidents
- Sports-related injuries
- Assaults or violent attacks
When you hire our team, we’ll first do an independent investigation of your brain injuries. We’ll identify all causes and determine all parties liable.
Call us today at (863) 312-0430 to schedule a free case evaluation.
How Much Is My Brain Injury Case Worth?
Brain injuries often leave victims in a financial crisis. The cost of ongoing medical expenses, the loss of income, and other expenses can leave families financially drained and overwhelmed. Because of this, one of the first questions we get from new clients is, how much is my Florida brain injury case worth?
The short answer is that it depends. Brain injury cases are a type of personal injury case. The value of personal injury cases varies significantly from one case to the other.
To determine how much your case is worth, our team needs to evaluate key factors, including:
- The type and severity of your brain injury
- Whether or not you’ll make a full recovery
- The amount of your medical expenses
- Whether or not you’ll need ongoing medical treatment
- The circumstances of your injury
- Whether or not you’re partly responsible for your injury
- The amount of insurance coverage available
To learn more about how much your brain injury case is worth, schedule a free case evaluation.
What Damages Are Available to Florida Brain Injury Victims?
If someone else’s negligence caused your brain injury, you can demand compensation from that party. When you successfully bring a brain injury case, you’re entitled to compensatory damages for all economic and non-economic losses.
Economic damages reimburse victims for tangible financial losses after an injury. Non-economic damages compensate victims for personal losses.
Examples of economic damages include:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost income
- Lost earning capacity
- Property damage
- Home health costs
- The cost of modifications to your home or car
- Nursing care or childcare costs
Examples of non-economic damages commonly awarded in brain injury cases are:
- Pain and suffering
- Decreased quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional anguish and emotional distress
In some cases, punitive damages are also available. These are only awarded in limited cases as a way to punish the wrongdoer and deter bad behavior. In Florida, punitive damages are only available when there’s clear and convincing evidence of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
Can I Recover Damages if I’m Partly at Fault for My Brain Injury?
Under Florida’s modified comparative negligence, accident victims can still recover damages as long as they’re not found to be more than 50% at fault for their accident. However, the amount of damages will be reduced by the proportion of fault.
For example, if you’re found to be 50% responsible for your accident, you’re only entitled to recover 50% of your damages. However, if you’re found to be 51% responsible, you’re not entitled to recover anything.
It’s common for insurance companies to blame victims for their injuries. This is a strategy used to minimize the value of claims or avoid liability altogether.
If you’re being blamed for your injury, don’t panic. Contact a Polk County personal injury lawyer as soon as possible if you’re being blamed for your brain injury.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Brain Injury in Florida?
In Florida, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years. This means accident victims have two years from the date of their injury to bring a claim against the responsible party. After the limitations period, victims have no right to recover. If you file a lawsuit after the statute of limitations has expired, it will be dismissed.
To ensure your rights are protected, contact a Florida personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your brain injury.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Polk County Brain Injury Lawyer?
Florida personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. Under this fee structure, we only get paid if clients get paid through a settlement or verdict.
This means that clients don’t pay any attorney fees upfront or out of pocket. Instead, at the start of representation the attorney and client agree on a contingency fee rate. If the client gets paid through a settlement or verdict, the agreed upon percentage of that award will go to the attorney to cover fees.
This means our team is personally invested in each case, and you don’t have to pay any attorney fees out of pocket. Contact our team today to schedule a free case evaluation.
Contact a Polk County Brain Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one sustained a brain injury in Polk County, FL, Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney at Law can help. Our firm has decades of personal injury experience and knows how to get results for our clients. We’ll start by scheduling a free consultation to analyze your case and discuss your rights. Then, we’ll gather evidence and build a strong case to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.