Wisconsin Worker’s Compensation for Brain Injuries

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is one of the most devastating injuries a person can suffer. Unlike a herniated disc or torn tendon, a traumatic brain injury is not always easily detected, yet it can affect the injured person in profound and life-changing ways.

When a brain injury happens on the job, the injured worker is entitled to benefits through the worker’s compensation system. However, proving the extent of a work-related TBI is rarely straightforward. The worker’s compensation team at Kingree Law Firm can help. We are a premier worker’s compensation law firm in Wisconsin that exclusively represents injured workers in claims for worker’s compensation benefits.

If you or someone you love experienced a traumatic brain injury at work, contact Kingree Law Firm today to schedule a confidential appointment to discuss your situation.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury can occur when physical trauma or a blow to the head causes damage to the brain. A TBI can range in severity from a mild concussion to a severe, debilitating injury that will require lifelong medical care and treatment. Signs and symptoms of a TBI can be immediate or may develop over time.

Many TBIs are actually the result of two distinct events.

• The initial trauma, or primary impact, occurs when the brain moves violently inside the skull, causing bruising and bleeding of the delicate nerve fibers in the brain.
• After the primary impact, the brain tissue may experience a secondary injury when it swells inside the skull, resulting in delayed trauma that occurs when the brain is starved of oxygen-rich blood. This secondary trauma may evolve in the hours, days, and weeks after the initial injury.

Common Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Doctors have identified four different types of TBI. Understanding the type of TBI you experienced can help you understand your symptoms and how to proceed.

• A concussion is one of the most common forms of TBI. It occurs when the brain strikes the inside of the skull, often due to a direct blow to the head or when the head is violently shaken, such as in a car accident or slip and fall on ice.
• A contusion refers to bleeding of the brain tissue, often following a blow to the head. Treating a brain contusion often requires surgical intervention.
• Diffuse axonal injuries are caused by shaking or rotational forces that stretch or tear the brain’s connecting fibers.
• Brain penetration injuries occur when a foreign object penetrates the skull and brain.

Common Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury is a serious and complex medical condition. Nonetheless, identifying a TBI can be challenging and often requires medical intervention. The signs and symptoms of a TBI fall into four general categories:

• Thinking. Difficulty with memory, reasoning, concentration, focus, and memory loss or impairment.
• Sensation. Difficulty with balance, vision, hearing, and other sensory experiences like loss of taste or sensation, particularly in the arms and legs.
• Communication. Difficulty with language processes or speaking.
• Emotions. Depression and other behavioral issues like aggression, changes in emotion and mood, anxiety or depression, a change in personality, or engaging inappropriately with others.

The effects of a TBI can be short- or long-term, and many individuals never fully recover.

What Are Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries at Work?

Workers may suffer head trauma at work due to a variety of causes, including equipment malfunction, falls, being struck by an object, or being involved in a car accident while on the job. Individuals working in construction, manufacturing, agriculture, law enforcement, and healthcare are at increased risk of experiencing a TBI at work.

Act Quickly to Document a Work-Related Head Injury

Individuals who experience a head injury while on the job should report the injury to their supervisor as soon as possible and seek immediate medical care to document the injury and begin medical treatment.

Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury may not appear for days or weeks after a traumatic event. In some cases, they go unnoticed by the injured person and instead are observed by family members or friends. Individuals who suffer a head injury on the job should be sure to report their initial symptoms to their doctor and keep their care team up to date with any fluctuation in symptoms. Brain trauma is a serious, debilitating injury that may require ongoing medical care and result in substantial wage loss, time off from work, and other expenses. Unfortunately, many employers and insurance companies do not take head trauma seriously enough and will only approve treatment and other worker’s compensation benefits if the injuries are labeled as a “traumatic brain injury” as opposed to a “concussion.” Our worker’s compensation attorneys can work to ensure your brain injury is identified properly so you receive the medical care you need and the benefits you deserve.

Kingree Law Firm Helps Workers Who Suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury While On the Job

Kingree Law Firm is a premier worker’s compensation law firm in Wisconsin. Our team of skilled and experienced worker’s compensation attorneys exclusively represents injured workers in claims for worker’s compensation benefits. We primarily represent injured workers outside the Milwaukee area and have earned a reputation as one of the top worker’s compensation law firms in the state.

Contact Kingree Law Firm Today

If you experienced a workplace accident or suffered an occupational injury that caused significant lost time from work, permanent disability, permanent wage loss, or if your claim for worker’s compensation benefits was denied, contact Kingree Law Firm today to schedule an appointment to discuss your situation and how we can assist you.