November 15, 2016 | Brain and Spinal Injury
Any trauma to your head can cause serious injuries, including skull fractures, concussions, or moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Victims of such head injuries require medical attention and often must remain in the hospital for an extended period of time due to coma or other unconsciousness or to be properly monitored to prevent complications. Many head trauma victims face long-lasting challenges and effects of their injury long after they have been released from the hospital. In some particularly tragic situations, head injury victims are unable to survive their injuries.
One recent motorcycle accident on an Indiana highway illustrates how head injuries can often be fatal. According to reports, a 65-year-old man was riding his motorcycle when a 75-year-old driver of a Hyundai Accent fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into the motorcyclist head-on. The motorcyclist suffered severe head injuries and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital one day after the accident. Following a fatal collision like this, the family of the deceased motorcyclist likely has the right to hold the negligently fatigued driver liable for wrongful death.
Causes of Head Injury Deaths
Many different complications of severe head injuries can lead to death, including the following:
● Skull fragments piercing vital parts of the brain
● Damage to the part of the brain that controls major organ functioning, resulting in organ failure
● Swelling of the brain inside the skull leading to excessive intracranial pressure
● Hemorrhaging in the brain leading to excessive intracranial pressure
Even if the head injury does not directly lead to death, it can cause varying degrees of unconsciousness, such as a prolonged coma. Brain injuries can leave a patient in a vegetative state with no hope for future cognitive functioning or can even cause brain death. These situations may lead family members to choose to discontinue life-sustaining treatment and allow the patient to pass away.
If your loved one died as a result of a head injury in any type of accident, you should discuss your legal rights with an experienced wrongful death lawyer in Indiana as soon as possible.
Discuss Your Situation with a Compassionate Indianapolis Attorney Today
At the Fountain Law Firm, P.C., we have successfully helped many head injury victims obtain the compensation they deserve for their injuries and related losses. To make sure that you receive all of the compensation to which you are entitled, it is important to have an experienced head injury attorney handling your case. Attorney Merry Fountain can help you today by meeting in her office or by meeting in your home. Call Merry Fountain anytime at 1-888-242-HURT (4878) for a free consultation.
[1] https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Traumatic-Brain-Injury-Information-Page
[2] http://www.wbiw.com/local/archive/2016/10/motorcyclist-dies-from-injuries-suffered-in-head-on-collision-on-ind-446.php