What is traumatic brain injury?
Traumatic brain injury (also known as also known as TBI or intracranial injury) happens when a person has a sudden or violent blow/jolt to the head. From there, the brain collides with the inside of the skull, which may cause brain bruising, nerve fiber tearing, and bleeding.
According to TraumaticBrainInjury.com, there are two different levels of severity in regards to traumatic brain injury: mild and severe.
Mild traumatic brain injury is typically characterized by a loss of consciousness or disorientation that lasts less than 30 minutes after the traumatic situation. Severe traumatic brain injury is characterized by a loss of consciousness or disorientation that lasts more than 30 minutes, in addition to short-term memory loss.
What causes traumatic brain injury?
Traumatic brain injury can be caused by a number of different situations. The Mayo Clinic provides a few common possibilities:
- Falls
- Violence
- Sports injuries
- Vehicle-related collisions
In many of these general categories, you may have a case for personal injury, premises liability, or another similar legal situation, depending on who was at fault or if someone was acting negligently.
How can you prevent it?
Although there’s really no guaranteed way to prevent traumatic brain injury, there are a couple best practices that would be smart to adopt when driving.
- Practice defensive driving. Defensive driving is all about being proactive and extra careful when driving. You can’t control everyone else on the road, but you can be careful with your own driving practices.
- Be extra cautious when riding a motorcycle. Don’t go out in bad weather, and wear a helmet. Listen to your instincts and follow the law!
What are some of the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury?
Obviously, traumatic brain injury can be very painful and damaging in the short term, but what’s more concerning is how it affects people in the long-term. The long-term effects of traumatic brain injury are usually associated with a severe, not mild case.
A change in basic brain function as a result of traumatic brain injury can have drastic effects on family, your job, and social interaction.
Brainline.org describes the different dimensions relating to determining the severity of traumatic brain injury as being:
1) Severity of initial injury
2) Rate/completeness of physiological healing
3) Types of functions affected
4) Meaning of dysfunction in the individual’s life
5) Resources available to aid recovery of function
The most notable long-term effects of traumatic brain injury tend to relate to cognitive skills, especially as they relate to learning new things or a change in routine. Another large negative effect of traumatic brain injury is the impact on the brain’s socio-emotional processing. These things can have a dramatic effect on social interactions, not to mention pursuing new and different things in life.
Some people with traumatic brain injury can recognize what’s happening to them and fight to change it. Others suffer from a heavy amount of denial that can be insurmountable.
In addition to the way, people think and interact, some more obvious problems may persist as a result of traumatic brain injury, including vision problems, paralysis, and seizures (to name a few possibilities).
Everyone is different in how traumatic brain injury affects them, and the long-term effects relate back to the initial injury and how it was sustained.
What are your options if you have traumatic brain injury?
Obviously, you can’t change the past.
If you’ve been in an accident, go to the doctor – even if you don’t immediately feel pain. Sometimes adrenaline from shock covers up pain immediately following an accident.
Your doctor will be able to tell you the extent of your injuries, and how they will affect your next weeks, months, or years. A lot of cognitive functions can be restored with proper brain training and other strategies.
Once you have this information, it may be a good time to meet with a personal injury lawyer to determine if you have a case for personal injury or premises liability. Besides covering medical and auto insurance, you may also have a case for damages relating to not being able to do your job or hobbies that are a regular part of your life.
Attorney Big Al handles cases like these on a regular basis. Give him a call at 1-800-HURT-123, or get in touch online for a FREE consultation.
Our experienced team is always ready to assist you and protect your legal rights during this challenging time. Contact Barzakay Law Firm.