Austin Sports-Related Concussion Lawyer
An Austin sports-related concussions lawyer provides representation after head injuries occur. A concussion does more than just cause temporary symptoms: it can put you at risk of life-changing medical problems down the line. When you or someone you love suffers a concussion, you need to understand the implications of this injury and what your legal rights are for pursuing a claim.
The Austin personal injury lawyers at the Loewy Law Firm have extensive experience providing representation to clients who suffer concussions due to participation in sports. Whether the victim is a child hurt in peewee football or a player on a professional team, the consequences of a concussion can be dire. We are passionate about helping those who were concussed explore their options for recovering compensation. Call to schedule a free consultation to learn if you have a case. We can answer questions including:
- Who is responsible for sports-related concussions?
- What kinds of compensation can concussion victims receive?
- How can an Austin sports-related concussions lawyer help?
Who is Responsible for Sports-Related Concussions?
Concussions should not necessarily be accepted as part of playing any sport. Athletes who sustain injuries to their heads can hold sporting programs, athletic directors, schools, coaches, equipment manufacturers, and others responsible under certain circumstances.
Victims can pursue a claim for damages for sports-related concussions if they can prove their injury was the result of negligence or any failure to fulfill a legal obligation. This means players can pursue a case based on:
- Negligent supervision leading to concussions
- Failure to provide adequate warnings about the risk of concussions in sports play
- Inadequate safety equipment being provided
- Defective safety equipment
- Failure to provide prompt medical attention after a head injury
At times, It can be difficult for athletes to show that a concussion was not just part of the natural risk of participation in sports. An experienced Austin sports-related concussion lawyer can conduct an evaluation of all of the circumstances surrounding your head injury. We can help you gather the necessary evidence to show negligence led to your concussion or worsened the consequences of your head injury.
What Are the Effects of Concussions?
According to the Mayo Clinic, the brain has a consistency similar to gelatin, and is protected by cerebrospinal fluid within the skull. When a person receives a significant blow to the head or is violently shaken, their brain slides forcefully against the inside of the skull. The effects of a concussion will vary and carry the potential to be short-term or long-term.
Short-term effects occur immediately after the accident. They include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness/drowsiness
- Ringing in the ears
- Blurred vision
- Slurred speech
- Vomiting
- Amnesia
Long-term effects occur weeks or months after the accident. They include:
- Post-concussion syndrome that includes headaches, dizziness, and unclear thinking that persist longer than three months
- Post-accident vertigo that includes dizziness or a sense of spinning occurs days or weeks after the accident
- Post-accident headaches that occur up to seven days after the accident
- Second impact syndrome when a person suffers a second concussion before symptoms from the first one have resolved, which carries the fatal risk of brain swelling.
What Kinds of Compensation Can Concussion Victims Seek?
Concussions can cause immediate symptoms, including loss of consciousness. Over the weeks and months following a concussion, victims may experience cognitive impairment, memory loss, seizures, ringing in the ears, and other symptoms that affect daily living. Over the long term, concussions can put victims at risk of serious mental health problems, including a significant increased risk of dementia.
When considering appropriate damages, there are two main categories: economic damages and non-economic damages.
Victims of concussions should be compensated for the economic damages of any immediate medical treatment, loss of income, loss of future earning potential, and the non-economic damages of pain and suffering and emotional distress.
With credible proof of ongoing losses, victims should also be compensated for any financial and non-economic damages a concussion can cause in the future.
Economic damages
- The best way to track your proof of economic damages for medical costs is to secure a copy of the itemized bills for all your medical treatment. You will need to keep copies of every receipt for your medical expenses. This includes medical bills, insurance copays, and prescription costs. Also, get a copy of your medical records. Your medical records will show what your health was like before the concussion and what its like after.
- The best way to show proof of your loss of income/future earning potential is to get copies of your check stubs before the accident, and copies from after the accident, if possible. Document the days that you had to miss for therapies or doctor appointments. If you were disabled, provide disability paperwork and any partial pay you were able to earn during that time, or disability check stubs, if any.
Tracking the disparities in your health, check stubs, and potential disability will provide clear proof of what the accident has cost both now and in the future.
Non-economic damages
- Pain and suffering/emotional distress are common legal expressions used to define the physical and emotional pain of surviving an accident. When building your case, documentation is the most valuable tool you have to prove your damages. For pain and suffering, a daily journal is an effective tool. If you record how the injury occurred in your own words, your treatment, your physical and emotional pain, and how the concussion and its aftermath has affected your ability to enjoy life. Should your case go to court, this journal will be persuasive evidence for the jury.
How Can an Austin Sports-Related Concussion Lawyer Help?
Dealing with the challenges of recovering from any injury is hard enough before adding in all of the extra steps it takes to file a claim. But when you’re suffering from an Austin sports-related concussion, the mind is physically struggling to function properly as it is. With so much on the line, you need a caring, personalized, and tenacious Austin sports-related concussion lawyer by your side.
At Loewy Law Firm, that is exactly who we are. We understand what must be proved under Texas law for sports-accident victims to get compensation for concussions and the issues they can cause. We can deal on your behalf with insurers, the parties responsible for your injury, and we can make a strong case to help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
Call today to speak with an Austin sports-related concussion lawyer to learn more about how we help victims of brain injuries sustained in sports play.