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​Experienced ILLINOIS Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
& CHICAGO Injury Lawyers

Brain Injury Attorneys for Workers

We are skilled workers’ compensation attorneys helping victims with head trauma. Proving that an injury or medical condition was caused by work is a necessary component in workers’ compensation claims filed under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act. For individuals who have suffered a brain injury at work, it may prove challenging to demonstrate the severity and impact of a head injury, since the extent of the harm may not be known at the time of the injury. At Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, our job injury lawyers help workers who have suffered a brain injury on the job, enforcing their legal right to compensation from their employer. Regardless of whether an employee’s injury developed in a single incident or over time, they may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, lost wages from missed work, and medical treatment. Our Chicago brain injury lawyers are ready to advance their rights.

Types Of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries, also called TBIs, can vary widely in severity and type. Understanding their different forms can help to ensure you receive the medical care you need and the injury compensation you deserve. Here are some types of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that occur commonly:

  • Concussions: The most familiar type, often caused by a blow to the head, resulting in temporary loss of brain function.
  • Contusions: Bruises on the brain tissue, leading to a risk of swelling and increased pressure within the skull.
  • Intracranial hematomas: Blood clots that form within the brain, such as epidural, subdural and intracerebral hematomas
  • Coup-contrecoup injuries: When the brain is injured directly under the site of impact (coup) and on the opposite side of the brain (contrecoup)
  • Diffuse axonal injuries: When shearing forces damage long, connecting nerve fibers in the brain
  • Penetrating injuries: When an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue, causing localized damage

Many TBIs, including coup-contrecoup, penetrating, diffuse axonal injuries and intracranial hematomas, can be life-threatening. Those who survive typically need considerable financial resources to manage their condition appropriately.

Demonstrate Causation and Recover Compensation for a Job-Related Brain Injury

According to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, employees who have suffered a work-related injury may be entitled to disability benefits and medical expenses, including coverage for doctor visits, prescription medications, and physical therapy, as well as vocational rehabilitation. An employee who suffers a brain injury at work will likely endure lifelong consequences, requiring ongoing medical care. The challenge in pursuing compensation from an employer for work-related harm often stems from determining the amount of the settlement for a brain injury, as well as the severity and impact of the harm.

Brain injuries are distinct from many other types of injuries because they include a wide range of trauma, ranging from concussions to permanent impairment of the spinal cord. It is important for injured workers to note the significance of a “brain” injury, as opposed to a “head” injury, particularly in terms of the potential ongoing medical costs associated with treatment. Unlike a contusion or scrape to the head, a brain injury typically leads to continuing medical issues.

Brain injuries may occur in any job, but common causes of work-related brain injuries include construction accidents, trucking collisions, and falling merchandise. Our brain injury attorneys can help Chicago workers bring claims in any of these situations. When a head injury takes place at work, employees should receive immediate medical care. Sometimes the true physical repercussions of the injury fail to surface immediately. Victims of a brain injury may suffer loss of memory, severe headaches, irritability, and other symptoms that decrease the quality of their life.

Depending on how a doctor classifies a brain injury, workers may be entitled to ongoing benefits, vocational rehabilitation training, and weekly benefits. Some of these benefits are granted for life, while others are paid for a set period of time. It is critical to calculate future medical expenses carefully. In some cases, the insurer will offer a lump sum payment that waives the right to future benefits. By enlisting a skilled attorney, you can better understand all of the potential scenarios that may provide you with the compensation that you deserve.

Life After A Traumatic Brain Injury

Your life may be challenging in the wake of a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), but with proper legal support and financial resources, you can make remarkable progress. Here are some possible long-term or lifetime considerations:

  • Physical symptoms may persist: Many patients continue experiencing dizziness, balance issues, severe headaches, muscle weakness and spasticity long past the initial injury.
  • Cognitive impairments are possible: Some experience difficulties with memory, attention, decision-making and other executive-level brain functions.
  • Psychological issues often abound: Mental health changes such as anxiety, depression, mood swings and emotional problems are common after a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  • Home modifications may be necessary: Residences often need home disability modifications to mitigate the impact and dangers associated with traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

Taking these possibilities into consideration, you can see that living with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be extremely costly. Medical expenses for ongoing treatment, therapies and medication can add up over time. The need for continuing rehabilitation and home modifications can drive the costs even higher.

Furthermore, lost wages and the potential inability to return to work can add to your immediate and long-term financial burdens. These factors highlight the importance of seeking the compensation you need and deserve to manage your life after a traumatic brain injury.

Seek Guidance from a Brain Injury Lawyer in Illinois

If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury in a workplace accident or in a non-work accident, you have legal rights under Illinois workers’ compensation laws. Your employer is required to pay for medically necessary treatment, and it may be responsible for disability benefits as well. The Chicago brain injury attorneys at Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca are here to advance your right to recovery for your workplace injury. Consulting an attorney in our office regarding your case is free. Call us today at 312-724-5846 or complete our online form to set up an appointment with a workers’ compensation lawyer. We are proud to help people throughout Illinois in communities such as Champaign, Springfield, Rockford, Aurora, and other areas of Champaign, Winnebago, Cook, Kane, and Adams Counties.