Local Representation For Your Workplace Injury Case

Des Moines Work-Related Head Injury Attorney

I am attorney Nicholas Platt, and I’ve been representing injured workers in workers’ compensation disputes across Des Moines and central Iowa since 2008. If you’ve suffered a concussion or brain injury on the job, I want you to know that you’re not going to get lost in a system here. At my Urbandale-based law office, Platt Law Firm P.C. I personally handle each client’s case from start to finish. That means when something happens with your claim, you hear it from me directly.

I also believe the intake process matters. When you call our office, a real person answers the phone. We don’t use automated systems or call centers. If you’d like to sit down and talk through what happened, we do intake interviews in person. We have two Spanish-speaking staff members on our team, so if Spanish is your preferred language, we can help you in the way that feels most comfortable. Whether you’re in Des Moines, Ames, Ankeny, or anywhere else in central Iowa, our door is open to you.

If you suffered a head injury in the workplace, kindly contact me. I will review your case for free to determine how to get the proper treatment and compensation for your claim.

About Concussions and Head Injuries

Head injuries and concussions are among the most serious types of work injuries.. These injuries can affect mental capacity, vision, memory, motor function and emotional state. Post concussion syndrome can also result from head injuries suffered at work.

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that occurs after one significant blow or a series of repeated blows to the head. Blunt impact pushes the brain and skull back and forth, but the damage caused by the concussion may not be immediately understood.

Some common causes of concussion include falls, impact from heavy machinery, car accidents, getting hit on the head by a falling object, etc.

As soon as you get injured, inform your employer if you are able and ask them to send you to a doctor. If it is an emergency, you can visit the closest emergency center. If your symptoms progress, you will need to see a doctor that specializes in head trauma.

Short-term symptoms of concussion include headache, bleeding or pain in the head and short-term memory loss. Long-term symptoms of concussion can be far more severe. They include:

Physical symptoms: Headaches, nausea, weakness and fatigue. Victims may also experience a loss of senses.
Mental/emotional symptoms: Injuries to the brain affect every aspect of a person’s life, including their emotions, personality, and mental health. These side effects could cause victims to suffer from anxiety, anger, depression, or make them irrational.
Cognitive symptoms: Traumatic brain injuries can also affect a person’s cognitive function. This means victims may find it harder to concentrate, decrease motor skills, have memory loss, slurred speech and confusion.

Other Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Concussions are the most common type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) workers experience. As a worker injury lawyer, I’ve helped clients dealing with a range of TBIs that go well beyond a simple concussion. Understanding what type of injury you have is important, because it affects your treatment, your recovery, and the compensation you may be owed.

Other types of traumatic brain injuries that can happen on the job include:

Contusion: A bruise on the brain tissue itself, usually caused by a direct impact. Contusions can be serious and may require surgery if bleeding is significant.
Diffuse axonal injury (DAI): This type of TBI happens when the brain shifts rapidly inside the skull, tearing nerve fibers. It is common in high-speed accidents and can cause long-term cognitive impairment.
Penetrating brain injury: This occurs when an object breaks through the skull and enters brain tissue. Construction sites and industrial workplaces carry a higher risk for this type of injury.
Coup-contrecoup injury: This involves damage on both the side of the head that was struck and the opposite side, as the brain bounces inside the skull. These injuries are often more severe than they first appear.
Second impact syndrome: This happens when a worker suffers a second brain injury before a first one has fully healed. Even a mild second blow can cause rapid and dangerous brain swelling.
Acquired brain injury (ABI): Not all work-related brain injuries come from physical impact. Exposure to toxic chemicals, oxygen deprivation, or extreme heat can also cause serious brain damage.

If you’re unsure what type of brain injury you’ve suffered, that’s okay. Part of what I do as your central Iowa workers’ comp attorney is help connect you with the right medical specialists who can properly diagnose and document your injury. That documentation is critical to your claim.

What Workers' Compensation Benefits You May Be Entitled to After a Brain Injury

The workers’ compensation benefits available to you depend on how serious your brain injury is and how long it affects your ability to work and live your life. Here is a general breakdown of the types of benefits that may apply to your situation.

Medical benefits: Workers’ comp should cover all reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to your brain injury. This includes emergency care, specialist visits, imaging such as MRIs and CT scans, physical therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, and prescription medications. As your Des Moines workers’ compensation attorney, I work to make sure the insurance company does not cut off your medical care too soon.
Temporary total disability (TTD): If your brain injury keeps you out of work entirely while you recover, you may be entitled to TTD benefits. These benefits replace a portion of your lost wages during the period you are unable to work.
Temporary partial disability (TPD): If you are able to return to work in a limited capacity but are earning less than you did before your injury, TPD benefits can help make up the difference in pay.
Permanent partial disability (PPD): Many brain injuries cause lasting effects even after a worker has reached maximum medical improvement. If your injury results in a permanent impairment, you may be entitled to a PPD award based on the nature and extent of that impairment.
Permanent total disability (PTD): In the most severe cases, a traumatic brain injury may leave a worker permanently unable to return to any form of gainful employment. PTD benefits are designed to provide ongoing wage replacement in those situations.
Loss of earning capacity: Even if you are able to return to some kind of work, a serious brain injury may limit the type of work you can do and the income you can earn going forward. Iowa workers’ compensation law allows for loss of earning capacity claims in appropriate cases, and this can significantly affect the value of your claim.
Death benefits: In cases where a work-related brain injury results in death, surviving dependents may be entitled to death benefits under Iowa workers’ compensation law.

Workers' Compensation for Concussion

Workers’ compensation coverage is a right provided to employees to compensate employees for workplace-related injuries. The amount of compensation you could get in a concussion case is determined by the medical treatment you need, the time that you miss from work, any permanent damage done to your body and the impact on your ability to work. Workers’ compensation usually pays for the medical costs, lost wages, any percentage of permanent disability, and in some cases loss of earning capacity.

If you have suffered a work-related head injury or concussion, give me a call at Platt Law Firm P.C. on 515-278-1522. I will help you understand your rights and work with you on your case if necessary.

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