Brain Injury Awareness Month
Personal injury attorneys see devastating injuries daily, but some of the most tragic cases involve traumatic brain injury (TBI). Our brains control our speech, thoughts, emotions, and actions, so even a mild TBI should cause concern. In honor of Brain Injury Awareness Month in March, we want to share some important facts about TBIs.
Traumatic brain injuries occur when someone receives a blow or jolt to the head. TBIs can happen even when there’s no direct impact on the head; sudden stopping, as in a car accident, can cause injury to the brain as it jostles inside a person’s skull. Falls are the most common cause of brain injuries, followed by motor vehicle crashes. TBIs are also possible due to violence, sports injury, or proximity to an explosion.
Brain injuries fall on a spectrum. Concussions are generally mild, and symptoms usually resolve entirely in first-time instances. Repeated concussions, however, can cause permanent damage. Moderate to severe TBIs can cause lifelong disability or even death. Anyone who loses consciousness, even briefly, has suffered from a brain injury, but some people stay awake during concussions.
Symptoms of a TBI can take days or weeks to appear. The physical signs include headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and difficulty with speech. Many people also experience mental or emotional problems like confusion, difficulty concentrating, depression, mood swings, and changes in sleep habits. Sensitivity to light, blurred vision, and ringing in the ears are not uncommon, and people with severe TBIs can suffer from seizures.
Patients see the best outcomes when they seek medical attention quickly after the accident and when symptoms appear. But even with the best treatment, some TBIs can have long-term effects, including memory loss, mood changes, difficulty learning new tasks, and reduced language abilities. Rehabilitation programs often help restore function, but some people’s lives are changed forever.
Brain injuries are complex, and their effects can be far-reaching. It’s also frequently more difficult to adequately assess the appropriate level of compensation for TBIs than for other types of injuries. Therefore, you should retain a personal injury attorney experienced in brain injury cases as soon as possible after an accident. If you or someone you love has experienced a TBI due to someone else’s negligence, the attorneys at Evans Moore, LLC would be honored to provide a free, impartial assessment of your case.