Have I suffered a traumatic brain injury?
Accidents can have a wide range of consequences, some of them quite severe and to the brain. Among the most severe and debilitating injuries an accident can cause are traumatic brain injuries.
A traumatic brain injury, can be broadly defined as any trauma or blow to the head that causes a disruption in the normal functioning of your brain. It can occur in the form of a concussion, mild trauma, or a more severe injury.
We have learned a great deal of information about brain injuries in the past 20 years including how they are caused. Most importantly, we have learned that the brain is much more vulnerable to injury than we had previously thought. It is important to watch out for symptoms that may mean you have sustained a traumatic brain injury, disrupting the function of the brain, without ever having lost consciousness.
A traumatic brain injury can be classified as mild if loss of consciousness and/or confusion and disorientation is shorter than 30 minutes. While MRI and CAT scans are often normal, the individual has cognitive problems such as headache, difficulty thinking, memory problems, attention deficits, mood swings and frustration. These injuries are commonly overlooked. Even though this type of traumatic brain injury is called “mild”, the effect on the family and the injured person can be devastating.
Common symptoms of mild brain injury can include any of the following:
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Visual disturbances
- Ringing in ears
- Memory loss
- Poor attention/concentration
- Sleep disturbances
- Dizziness/loss of balance
- Irritability-emotional disturbances
- Feelings of depression
- Seizures
- Nausea
These symptoms may not be present or noticed at the time of injury. They may be delayed days or weeks before they appear. The symptoms are often subtle and are often missed by the injured person, family and sometimes even doctors. The person may look and feel normal, may move normally, in spite of not feeling normal. This is what makes a brain injuries so difficult to diagnose.
If your severe brain injury was caused by someone else’s negligence or misconduct, you have a right to pursue compensation. Not only do severe brain injuries immediately cause significant pain and discomfort, it can cause long term emotional injuries, and treating it is very expensive. You should not have to pay that price when you were a victim and your injury was caused by someone else’s wrongdoing.
If you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident and need an experienced traumatic brain injury attorney, please call Adams & Corzine today at 916-983-3900 for a free consultation.
