The Dangers of a Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) has the potential to change the course of a victim’s life in an instant. Since the injury involves the most complex system in the body—the brain—it can affect victims’ movement, emotion, personality, and more.

Additionally, TBIs are particularly dangerous because their symptoms may be “invisible” to modern imaging equipment for quite some time, which can lead to a delayed diagnosis and a worse prognosis for recovery.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A TBI occurs as a result of a blow or jolt to the head. Many TBIs happen when the head experiences a sudden acceleration or deceleration, like in a car accident. The head moves forward while the brain stays in place. Then, the sudden momentum shift causes the brain to bounce forward or backward against the skull, leading to an injury.

Depending on the severity of the injury, the victim may experience different symptoms and prognoses for recovery. Generally, TBIs are classified into three categories: mild, moderate, and severe.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries

A mild TBI, while not as complex as moderate to severe TBIs, can still leave a victim with life-long symptoms if it is not treated quickly and effectively. The symptoms of a mild TBI include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Loss of consciousness for a few seconds to a few minutes

• Headache

• Nausea or vomiting

• Fatigue or drowsiness

• Problems with speech

• Difficulty sleeping

Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries

Moderate to severe TBIs often cause more prolonged symptoms, including the following:

• Loss of consciousness from several minutes to hours

• Persistent headache or a headache that gets worse

• Repeated nausea or vomiting

• Seizures

• Inability to awaken from sleep

• Weakness or numbness in the extremities

While the severity of a TBI greatly affects a victim’s recovery prognosis, it’s important to keep in mind that it cannot directly predict their resulting quality of life.

Some severe TBI victims have made significant strides in their recovery, while certain mild TBI victims experience symptoms for the remainder of their lives.

What Causes a Traumatic Brain Injury?

TBIs can happen in any situation where the head and brain experience sudden acceleration or deceleration, including the following:

• Car accidents

• Truck accidents

• Motorcycle accidents

• Industrial accidents

• Sports and recreational injuries

Since most TBIs happen as a result of an accident, it can be determined that many of them could have been prevented had a negligent party been acting responsibly. This is why it’s in your best interest to contact an experienced personal injury attorney in the wake of such an accident to ensure you recover the compensation you deserve.

Can You Recover from a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Given the complex nature of a TBI, it’s difficult to predict whether victims will make a full recovery. One of the most important things that victims can do to protect their health in the wake of any accident or blow to the head is to visit a doctor.

Many TBI symptoms do not present themselves until much later and, at that point, may become more difficult to treat. It’s vital to get a medical examination soon after your head injury, even if you do not experience any symptoms.

The sooner a potential TBI victim receives a proper diagnosis for their injury, the better their chances of making a significant recovery.

Received a Traumatic Brain Injury? We’re Here to Help

If you or someone you love has received a TBI in an accident, our Mobile personal injury attorneys are here to help. Such a devastating injury may amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills and lost wages. You should not have to foot the bill because someone else acted negligently.

At Cunningham Bounds, we’re prepared to build a strong case against the responsible parties and help you recover the maximum possible compensation.

Contact our team today at (844) 417-0930 to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.