What’s the Average Payout for a Head Injury?

February 5, 2020 / Catastrophic Injuries

WHETHER IT’S A CONCUSSION, MEMORY LOSS, LOSS OF SIGHT AND SPEECH, OR A CATASTROPHIC BRAIN INJURY THAT LEAVES A PERSON IN A WHEELCHAIR, COURTS CAN AWARD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGES FOR HEAD INJURIES.

There’s nothing as frightening or devastating as a head injury caused by a car crash, work accident or other event that leaves a person unable to function in a career or even unable to walk.  Because head injuries can be so severe and life altering, courts can be sympathetic toward personal injury cases brought by parties who have been damaged.  Courts understand that not only has the plaintiff been incapacitated, but if they were the primary breadwinners, then their spouse and children are also faced with living in reduced circumstances.

If you’re asking yourself “what’s the average payout for a head injury?”, then the answer is that there really is no average.  Each case is different.  The payout is heavily dependent on the severity of the injury.  Generally, the more severe the injury, the higher the payout.  This is particularly true if the plaintiffs have dependents or if the parties who caused the injury were obviously reckless or negligent.  In addition to personal damages, courts can award punitive damages that are designed to punish the wrongdoer and prevent other parties from doing the same thing in the future.

If you or a member of your family has sustained a head injury, the most important thing you can do is talk to a lawyer for brain injury in Indiana.  The skilled and experienced attorneys at Stephenson Rife law firm have helped countless clients just like you who face the devastation of a crippling head injury.  For a free initial consultation, call us at (317) 825-5200.

You May Be Wondering What is the Average Settlement for a Brain Injury?

THIS IS A COMMON QUESTION.  THERE IS NO ANSWER THAT IS THE SAME FOR EVERYONE.

It would be great if head injuries were easily quantifiable, but they’re not.  As attorneys, we often get asked “what is the average settlement for a brain injury?”  It takes a while to answer because there are so many variables.  It can also depend on whether there is only one defendant or several.  If you have three large corporations who are defendants that have been negligent, chances are your award may be larger than if your only defendant is one driver’s auto insurance company.  Not always, but sometimes.

For example, if a person suffered catastrophic brain injury because a commercial truck driver was drunk when he smashed into the vehicle, and we later find out that the multinational vehicle manufacturer also knew that the brakes on this truck model were defective, then there are several potential defendants with deep pockets.  On the other hand, if you were hit by another car going 30 miles per hour and suffered a moderate concussion, that settlement would likely be smaller.  Not always, but sometimes.

What are Factors that Affect the Size of a Head Injury Payout?

Here are some of the most common factors that affect the amount of a head injury payout.  Of course, if several of these factors exist in a case, then a payout may be larger.

FACTORS AFFECTING PAYOUT

• Was anyone killed?
• Was anyone catastrophically injured?
• Were multiple people killed or injured?
• Was gross negligence present?
• Are there multiple large defendants?
• Was the injured party in the prime of their life and at the peak of their earning power?
• Does the injured party have dependents?
• Was there a history of safety violations on the part of the defendant(s)?
• Could the injury have been prevented if the defendant hadn’t been careless?

These are just a few of many questions personal injury attorneys explore when they are building a powerful legal case on your behalf.  Now you can begin to see why there is no average to the amount of payout in a head injury case.

What we can say is that head injuries tend to be some of the most severe injuries, and it is not uncommon for settlements and jury awards to run $100,000 or more.  In catastrophic head injury or wrongful death cases, payouts can be in the millions of dollars.  If you want to get a more precise idea about what your case could be worth, give us a call at (317) 825-5200.

Common Problems Caused by Head Injuries

IF YOU SUFFER FROM ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS AFTER AN ACCIDENT, YOU MAY HAVE SUSTAINED A HEAD INJURY.

• Dizziness, lightheadedness or loss of balance
• Slurred speech
• Double vision
• Ringing in your ears
• Loss of memory
• Inability to identify people and places that you had been familiar with before the accident
• Mood swings or change of personality
• Loss of appetite or listlessness
• Inability to concentrate
• Loss of ability to read
• Sensitivity to light
• Hallucinations
• Agoraphobia
• Unnatural reactions to crowds.

These are just a few things to watch out for if you were hit in the head during an accident.  Sometimes these symptoms can arise days or weeks after the initial injury, so ask friends and family members to monitor your behavior and speech for the first several weeks.  Also, be sure to get medical treatment right away after the accident so that injuries don’t go undetected and get worse.  You will also need medical reports to build your legal claim.

Contact a Skilled and Experienced Head Injury Attorney Today

IF YOU HAVE SUSTAINED A HEAD INJURY, ACT QUICKLY.

Don’t wait weeks or months to hire a head injury lawyer if you have been injured in an accident.  Call right away.  Evidence can be lost and the accident scene cleaned up if you delay.  The information and evidence gathered in the first hours and days immediately after the accident are crucial.  Even if you’re not sure whether you have a case, it’s worth a 5-minute phone call to find out.  If you or a family member have sustained a head injury in a car crash, work accident or other dangerous event, call the head injury lawyers at Stephenson Rife today at (317) 825-5200.  We offer a free initial consultation and can get started right away.