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Few injuries are as terrifying and life-altering as a brain injury. It can change a person’s personality, disrupt their ability to move, work or enjoy life, in the most serious cases, kill. And the damage can be insidious—sometimes taking months, and even years to become fully apparent.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can occur in all sorts of incidents. Some of the most common include:
- Motor vehicle accidents (motorcycle, ATV, car, etc.)
- Bicycle, skateboard, roller skate, snowboard, and ski accidents
- Slips and falls
- Contact sports injuries
- Work accidents
- Assaults and fights
The problem is that while our brains are safely encased in the hard shell of our heads, they are soft organs. And when you suffer a sudden jar or blow or to the head, the brain can literally be slammed against that hard shell. Resulting damage can include:
- Bruising
- Bleeding
- Swelling
- Over-stretching damage to the nerve fibers in deeper tissues due to a whiplash injury (diffuse axonal injury)
- Shock or pressure wave force, such as seen in veterans who survive explosions
- Displaced and penetrating fractures of the skull
- Severe shaking, such as with Shaken Baby Syndrome
What Kind of Damage Can a Brain Injury Do?
The effects of a brain injury can be extensive and profoundly disabling. With even mild injury, they can include, headache, confusion, dizziness, sensitivity to noise or light, ringing in the ears, blurred or double vision, restlessness and insomnia. More serious injuries may also result in:
- Physical disabilities, loss of motor control, paralysis
- Seizures and convulsions
- Persistent nausea or vomiting
- Speech problems
- Loss of coordination
- Trouble thinking clearly and impaired judgment
- Emotional and behavioral issues, such as depression and aggression
- Changes in personality
- Death
Recovery for a brain injury victim may take years, and some are never again their “old selves.”
Facing the Challenges
As you can imagine, brain injuries can be extremely difficult for victims and families—emotionally, physically, and financially. There is a very real risk to families that rehabilitation needs outlive insurance payments. And that the victim may never again be able to work as they once had. , or work up to their old capabilities.
For many, that means that the only way they can get the care they need is to file a personal injury claim against the party or parties responsible for the injury.
If you or a loved one has had a brain injury, it would be wise to talk about your options with a personal injury attorney experienced in prosecuting brain injury claims.
To prosecute a negligence claim, the attorney will have to show that the actions or failure to act by another party or parties was in some way responsible for the accident and your injuries. Your attorney will fight to ensure that you win full and fair compensation for your short- and long-term needs, including:
- Medical expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional damages
- Punitive damages
Recovery from a brain injury requires time, financial resources, and the team support of a team of medical and rehabilitative experts. A brain injury attorney can help ensure you have access to that team for as long as you need it.
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