A traumatic brain injury is one of the most debilitating injuries you can suffer in an accident. In fact, any concussion is a Traumatic Brain Injury by definition. That means any blow or hit to the head can be a concussion or Traumatic Brain Injury. Furthermore, even without an impact to the head, you can suffer a Traumatic Brain Injury or concussion merely by the way your head is jolted back and forth in an accident. This is called a coup-contrecoup injury.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported over 223,000 Americans are hospitalized for TBIs annually, and around 176 Americans die from TBI-related injuries daily. This means that millions of Americans experience TBIs for which they are NOT hospitalized, or possibly not properly diagnosed and treated. Traumatic brain injuries may vary in severity depending on the type of injury, type of accident, and the location of the damage.
It is important to know that Traumatic Brain Injuries and concussions very often do not show up on standard diagnostic imaging tests such as MRIs, X-rays, or even CT Scans.
Even more importantly, in our practice we have learned that Traumatic Brain Injuries and concussion injuries are very often overlooked and not diagnosed in Emergency Departments and Urgent Care facilities, because they are difficult to diagnose and spot. This is especially true if a patient is in the Emergency or Trauma Department experiencing numerous other injuries, such as broken bones and lacerations that require immediate surgical and life saving measures.
If you’ve been involved in an accident, pay close attention to any potential Traumatic Brain Injury or concussion symptoms that may follow.
A TBI affects how the brain works, and while a person may look fine on the outside, they may suffer severe symptoms from the damage. Depending on the location of the injury, a TBI can affect your reasoning, emotions, mood, and behavior. You may have headaches, sensitivity to sound, light, noise, difficulty with sleeping or performing routine daily tasks. The changes can be subtle, or profound.
For example, someone with a mild TBI may suffer from short term memory loss and have difficulty concentrating on the tasks in front of them. If you believe you may suffer from a TBI, seek the appropriate medical attention immediately. The longer a person waits for a diagnosis and treatment, the more likely the injury will be difficult to treat and diagnose.
Spotting the Signs of a Traumatic Brain Injury
While some immediately receive a diagnosis of a traumatic brain injury, others may have difficulty spotting the signs and are unaware of their injury. Discovering the symptoms may be difficult when unfamiliar with how a TBI affects the brain, or if you do not receive the proper medical care from the right specialty physician.
If you’re questioning whether you have a traumatic brain injury, consider the following symptoms a person with a TBI may experience:
- Any loss of consciousness or altered consciousness, including feeling “dazed” or “stunned”
- Impaired coordination
- Seizures
- Severe or persistent headache
- Emotional, mood and mental changes
- Speech pattern changes
- Nausea or vomiting
- Confusion
- Difficulty walking
- Lapses in memory
- Issues with balance
- Unusual behavior
- Weakness or numbness
- Dilated pupils
- Double vision
- Clear fluid draining from the nose or ears
- Complications with motor functions
There are various types of traumatic brain injuries depending on which part of the brain the accident damaged. You may have trouble going about your daily life and wonder why you have these issues. If you suffer any of the above symptoms after an accident resulting from someone else’s negligence, speak with a medical professional and personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. You may be eligible to recover compensation for your losses.
Can I Recover Compensation After Suffering a TBI in a Personal Injury Accident?
When you suffer a traumatic brain injury, the activities you once enjoyed may become challenging. Even completing simple tasks can be a challenge, including performing your job functions that you previously performed without problems. Paying attention in a meeting, remembering to take out the trash, and even staying awake throughout the day may become difficult with a TBI. When someone else’s careless behavior causes your life to turn upside down, you have the right to recover compensation for your losses.
Consider a few examples of some losses you may recover with the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer:
- Pain and suffering
- Hospital and treatment costs
- Emergency medical transportation bills
- Lost income or wages
- Prescription medication costs
- Future medical expenses
- Psychological and psychiatric care
- Neuropsychological and cognitive rehabilitation
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation expenses
- Property damage
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Punitive damages
Not only are the physical and financial losses burdensome, but navigating the emotional challenges is difficult. Losing the ability to focus and remember small pieces of information may feel frustrating and cause your social interactions, personal and professional relationships to suffer. You deserve to recover compensation for all your losses and TBI symptoms.
Speak With Attorney Jassim for Professional Legal Representation in California
With 20 years of experience protecting California clients and obtaining full civil justice for our clients, Attorney Jassim will work relentlessly to recover the full compensation and justice you deserve. While you may feel hesitant to take legal action, your only recourse lies within the civil justice system to be made whole for your harms and losses. Our team at Jassim Law understands how challenging the situation can be, we understand the complexities and nuances involved in proving a concussion or Traumatic Brain Injury case, and will do what is required to obtain the compensation you deserve.
Call (619) 630-2680 or complete our contact form to schedule a free phone consultation with Attorney Jassim today.