A traumatic brain injury can be hard to diagnose, but should be considered whenever you’ve been involved in a car accident.
A brain injury is one of the most serious — and possibly fatal— medical incidents that a person can experience. In the United States, brain injuries result in more than 50,000 deaths each year. Beyond death, brain injuries can lead to a lifetime of symptoms and issues, requiring ongoing care and treatment.
An experienced personal injury attorney can help you if you have suffered a brain injury in a car accident, slip and fall, or any other type of accident.
What Causes Brain Injuries?
Brain injuries often happen when a person has a sudden blow to the head. A brain injury can happen in a variety of ways—from a car accident, medical malpractice, a slip and fall, a bike accident or a truck or bus collision. If a person’s head strikes a solid object, a brain injury could occur. Medical malpractice victims may suffer from brain injuries if they are not treated quickly enough for blood loss, concussion, or hemorrhage of the brain, or from a lack of oxygen (such as during birth).
Signs of Traumatic Brain Injuries
No matter what causes a traumatic brain injury, it can have significant effects on the quality of a person’s life. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to permanent disability and either mild or severe impairments in a person’s mental and physical functions. It can be hard to diagnose a brain injury, because symptoms often do not appear for weeks or months after an accident.
There are two main types of traumatic brain injury. Mild TBI is harder to detect, because patients generally do not experience symptoms immediately after an accident. These symptoms may include:
- Confusion
- Headache
- Nausea
- Memory problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Depression
- Sleepiness
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Vertigo
- Changes in sight, smell, sound, taste, or touch
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Anxiety
All of these symptoms may be signs of other diseases or conditions, which can make it difficult to diagnose. People with mild TBI may spend years trying to determine the cause of these symptoms. Immediate treatment is critical to recovering from mild TBI. If you have been in an accident involving a blow to the head, watch for any of these symptoms and ask loved ones to do the same. Tell your doctor if you have received a blow to the head, and make sure to contact a medical professional if you notice any of the above signs of a brain injury. You should also contact a skilled personal injury attorney with experience handling TBI cases to make sure that you get the money you deserve for your injuries.
Severe traumatic brain injury is far easier to diagnose because its symptoms are much more obvious. A person with severe TBI may be unconscious after an accident, or if they are conscious, they may be agitated, confused, or have difficulty speaking. If a person has suffered a severe brain injury, they will likely need medical treatment, rehabilitation, and even long-term care. The cost of this treatment may be impossible for families, especially if a family member has to stop work to take care of the injured person, and/or if the injured person has to stop work. The damages for a traumatic brain injury can include all of these expenses and lost wages, plus compensation for pain and suffering.
If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury, contact the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker today at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com. We have decades of experience handling all types of personal injury cases, and we are known for our ability to obtain compensation on behalf of our clients. We offer free consultations and never charge a fee unless we recover money for you!
