Chicago Head & Brain Injury Lawyer

Head and Brain Injuries in Workers’ Compensation Claims

Despite all the advances of modern medicine, the brain remains a mysterious and complex organ. Brain injuries can be difficult to diagnose and expensive to treat, requiring a lifetime of care and a lifetime of challenges or disability.

Because head and brain injuries are so difficult to understand, workers’ compensation carriers often get it wrong when deciding what medical care is reasonable and necessary, how long a disability lasts, and what type of work a person with a head or brain injury can perform. When the insurance companies get it wrong, Chicago head brain injury lawyer Mark Connolly works to make it right. Among the hundreds of cases he has resolved, Mark has successfully fought for a permanent total disability (PTD) award for a trucking company worker who suffered significant, permanent brain damage after a fall. Mark knows how to prove all the required elements of a workers’ comp claim and convince an insurance company, arbitrator, commissioner or judge of the necessity for significant and lasting compensation.

If you or a loved one has suffered a head or brain injury on the job in Cook County or Chicagoland, call Connolly Injury Law for a no-cost consultation to discuss your personal injury or workers’ compensation claim.

What are common causes of Work-Related Head and Brain Injuries?

Construction workers are especially open to head or brain injuries due to the danger of being struck in the head by a falling or swinging object or falling from a height. Workers in any occupation from construction to flight attendants can suffer a head or brain injury in a slip and fall. Car and truck accidents are also common causes of head and brain injuries. These accidents can happen to workers while on the road to pick up or drop off supplies, or who are working at a construction site and get struck by a vehicle driven onto the site. Ramp agents and airline fleet workers face a similar risk from the numerous vehicles driving near terminal gates where workers are loading and unloading baggage and cargo or guiding airplanes to the gate.

Some of these accidents are caused by third parties not associated with the employee or employer. In these cases, the injured worker has a worker’s compensation claim as well as a third-party liability claim or negligence claim against the responsible party. Attorney Mark Connolly handles both personal injury and workers’ compensation claims and can help achieve the maximum compensation by filing both types of claims when applicable.

What Kinds of Treatment Do Persons With Head or Brain Injuries Need?

A head or brain injury is often a medical emergency. Accident victims might need emergency medical care and immediate surgery to reduce swelling on the brain or remove pieces of bone or foreign objects. Surgery is followed by intensive care. Once stabilized, persons with head or brain injuries often require a significant stay in the rehabilitation wing of the hospital or at a specialty facility. Whether inpatient or outpatient, follow-up treatment often includes physical therapy and occupational therapy, psychological counseling and rehabilitation. In-home health care and medical equipment may be both reasonable and necessary as well.

Brain injuries are typically permanent and irreversible, but through intensive therapy, accident victims can often regain lost skills or learn adaptations to compensate for a lost ability.

Head and brain injuries range from mild to fatal. They include concussions and skull fractures as well as hematomas and brain hemorrhages that indicate bruising, bleeding or swelling of the brain or buildup of fluid inside the skull. Effects of a head or brain injury can include:

• Problems with memory, cognition and reasoning
• Difficulty speaking, expressing thoughts or communicating effectively
• Trouble with sensory processing
• Depression, mood disorders, personality shifts
• Coma, persistent vegetative state

What are the signs and symptoms of a head or brain injury?

If you hit your head in a workplace accident, it’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible for the appropriate tests. The following symptoms are signs that you should not delay but get to a doctor or hospital immediately:

• Any loss of consciousness after the injury, however brief
• Dilated pupils
• Blurred vision
• Slurred speech
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Numbness or paralysis
• Disorientation, confusion
• Lack of balance
• Persistent headache, ringing in the ears
• Excessive sleepiness

Help With Head and Brain Injuries in Chicago Workers’ Compensation Claims

A head or brain injury is likely to result in a short-term loss of income and possible long-term loss of earning potential. It’s essential to get a prompt and accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and a fair prognosis that indicates future needs and abilities. Chicago workers’ compensation attorney Mark Connolly works with doctors and other specialists as needed to understand his clients’ needs and build a strong case for the right amount of compensation. For help with a workers’ compensation claim in Chicago following a head or brain injury or another serious injury, call Connolly Injury Law at 312-780-0816 for a free consultation. We don’t charge a fee until we are successful in recovering compensation for you.