Brain Injury
Lawyers

FAQs

• How to file medical insurance claims?

  When it comes to insurance claims, the details are essential. Some applicants experience problems because of missed deadlines, missing documentation, or paperwork errors.

  If you are suffering from a brain injury or taking care of your loved one, wasting time is not an option. Rejections and delays can be devastating. The best course of action is to contact a Michigan brain injury attorney before you file a claim. If you are in the process or you got a rejection letter, there’s still hope. Contact Mike Morse Law Firm for a free head injury accident consultation today.

• How to Seek damages for negligence or malpractice?

  Negligence is carelessness. If other parties played a role in your brain injury accident by being negligent, you can hold them responsible. Michigan courts can order liable parties to pay financial damages for your injury.

  For example, someone’s action (or failure to take action) might have contributed to your head injury. For example, if a distracted driver hit your car and you suffered a closed head injury, he or she would be liable.

  In other cases, companies or organizations are responsible for accidents. For instance, let’s say you were in a motor vehicle accident. If your airbags failed to deploy because they were defective, you can file a lawsuit against the product manufacturer. Or if a heavy item fell on you at a repair shop, you could seek damages from the company or property owner for any open or closed head trauma.

  Similarly, malpractice happens when medical professionals cause injury to patients in some aspect of their diagnosis, treatment, or care. Michigan law dictates that malpractice injury cases have specific characteristics.

• How to Qualify for Michigan workers’ compensation insurance?

  If your brain injury accident happened at work, the Michigan Workers’ Disability Compensation Act offers protection. Michigan employers generally provide insurance that provides lost wages and healthcare benefits to workers.

  Call 855-MIKE-WINS as soon as possible after your accident so we can help you apply for your benefits. If you already filed and have since been rejected, we can investigate the reasons behind your denial and guide you through starting a formal dispute.

  You may have heard that you can’t sue for personal injury damages if you are receiving workers’ compensation benefits. According to Michigan.gov, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Our experienced brain injury lawyers offer free consultations to Michigan residents who want to ensure they get fair compensation for their work-related head injury accident claims.

• What are the Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury That I Need to Recognize?

  Any bump, blow, or jolt to the head can disrupt the function of the brain. Though you may not see blood, you may have a closed head injury.

  If you experience or observe any of the following symptoms, seek medical attention without delay:

  • Balance issues
  • Confusion (brain fog)
  • Clear or blood-tinged (cerebrospinal fluid) leakage from ears or nose
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Dilated pupils
  • Dizziness
  • Droopy eyelids
  • Facial weakness
  • Headache
  • Hearing changes or ringing in the ears
  • Inappropriate emotional responses
  • Loss of bowel or bladder control
  • Numbness or tingling
  • Paralysis
  • Seizures
  • Sleepiness, unresponsiveness, or inactivity (lethargy)
  • Slow pulse
  • Troubled breathing
  • Vomiting

  Depending on the severity, traumatic brain injuries can lead to mild, moderate, or severe brain damage. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) estimates that 13.5 Americans live with disabilities due to traumatic brain injury, such as:

  • Changes in speech (slurred speech, inability understanding or articulating words)
  • Cognitive problems (slow thinking, difficulty concentrating, disorientation)
  • Memory loss (amnesia, especially for events preceding or following the trauma)
  • Vision changes (blurred or double vision, light intolerance, loss of eye movement, blindness)
  • Muscle weakness
  • Decreased consciousness
  • Loss of consciousness

• Why are Testing and Diagnosis Are Essential For Traumatic Brain Injuries?

  To prevent further injury, medical providers must stabilize patients as soon as possible after a traumatic brain injury. First, doctors need to assess the function of the heart and lungs. From there, they will need to determine the patient’s level of consciousness.

  Examining the person’s pupils for light sensitivity and pressure can help brain injury doctors find out the extent of the damage. Often, they use a nerve assessment to test the brain injury patient’s level of consciousness. They may use CT scans, x-rays, or MRIs to detect fractures or bleeding.

  These necessary brain injury tests come at a steep price. Did you realize that an MRI costs $1,430 on average? Meanwhile, at Metro Health of the University of Michigan Health, a CT scan may range from $1,035 to $3,288.

  The Metro Health hospital’s website explains that average prices do not reflect your out-of-pocket expenses. You will also need to factor in medical transportation, emergency room fees, surgeries, anesthesia, prescription drugs, and the length of your hospital stay.

  You get the picture. The medical expenses associated with traumatic brain injuries can add up to tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

  If you suffered a traumatic brain injury, the last thing you need is crippling medical debt. As the biggest law firm in Michigan, the personal injury attorneys at Mike Morse Law Firm have the resources to fight to maximize your compensation.

  Tell us about your brain injury accident. One of our caring personal injury lawyers will investigate your head injury case in a free consultation, with no obligation or hidden fees.

• How to Treat a Traumatic Brain Injury?

  To successfully treat traumatic brain injuries, doctors have to deal with 2 medical issues, or “insults.” The first refers to the initial closed head or brain trauma (i.e. blow, bump, jolt). Secondary insults are any resulting injuries that may develop.

  For instance, decreased blood flow after a brain injury can damage nerves and tissues. Treatment for traumatic brain injury should aim to prevent or minimize the risk of secondary insults.

  Surgical procedures

  Bleeding (hematoma) and bruising (contusion) can compress the brain, increasing pressure within the patient’s skull. Surgery can relieve the symptoms. After surgery, patients will need to be monitored, usually in ICU, for swelling, bleeding, or other brain injuries.

  Non-surgical procedures

  To stabilize blood pressure, body temperature, blood glucose levels, and other issues that could worsen nerve damage, brain doctors may administer various treatments. Afterward, they may track changes in patients using devices like intracranial pressure monitors and oxygen sensors.

  An American study examined the mean adjusted hospital costs for 235 severe traumatic brain injury pediatric cases. Among pediatric patients in this study, total hospital costs ranged from $13,859 to $437,749. Total ICU costs ranged from $5,776 to $400,663. (The lower values the costs of patients who were transferred, discharged, or pronounced dead after short hospital stays.)

  Rehabilitation

  Patients suffering from brain injuries often need rehabilitation after a brain injury. Services may be provided at the hospital, or the patient may need to be transported to a rehabilitation facility. Therapists will try to help the patient recover mobility and cognitive functions affected by the accident.

  Even with brain therapy, severe head injuries can lead to long-term health problems affecting cognitive and motor function, sensation, and behavior. In the worst cases, brain injury patients may slip into a long-term coma or pass away from their injuries.

  In the United States, the CDC estimated that the nation spends approximately $76.5 billion on brain injuries as of 2010. It’s easy to see how fast it adds up; patients staying in brain rehabilitation centers for months face an average of thousands of dollars per day in charges.

  Long-term nursing care

  If healthcare providers’ best efforts fail to restore self-sufficiency, traumatic brain injury victims may require long-term care. Those with severe brain injuries may live in a nursing home or stay at home with a caregiver.

• How to Recover From a Traumatic Brain Injury?

  If you only had to cope with physical and cognitive rehabilitation after a head injury, your life would still be challenging. According to the CDC, “consequences of severe TBI can affect all aspects of an individual’s life, including relationships with family and friends, the ability to progress at school or work, doing household tasks, driving, or participating in other daily activities.”

  As medical bills begin to pile up, those who have brain injuries and their families may feel like they are drowning in debt. Time spent on doctor’s visits, tests, therapies, and surgeries only adds further stress. In Michigan, head trauma victims can take advantage of state provisions to get back on their feet financially. Getting relief can be as easy as hiring capable brain injury attorneys to file the right type of claim.