What to Do if You Have Been Affected by a Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries rank among the most serious and debilitating medical conditions.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the medical diagnosis of a TBI patient’s condition is often accomplished using the Glasgow Coma Scale. This 15-point test measures the severity of the injury by checking various abilities to move the eyes and limbs. Doctors also test for coherence in speech. Each part of the 15-part test receives a score of between 3 and 15. The higher the score, the less severe the injury in that test. Total scores can run between 45 and 225. Answers to the following questions might improve the diagnosis:

• How did the injury happen?
• Were there other signs of injury such as changes in alertness level, difficulty speaking, coordination problems, or other signs of injuries?
• Did the patient lose consciousness?
• Did the patient suffer from a head injury?
• Was the patient’s body whipped around during the accident?
• Was the patient thrown from a vehicle or severely jarred?

Treatments for Traumatic Brain Injuries

People suffering from traumatic brain injuries may require a friend or family caregiver to help in treatment. Therapy usually begins in the hospital and continues as an in-patient or outpatient, depending on the severity of the injury. Every patient gets a unique rehabilitation therapy program based on injury severity, speed of progress, and where the brain injury is centered.

Surgical treatment often requires delicate brain surgery. Common specialists for traumatic brain injuries include psychiatrists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech and language therapists, social workers, and rehab nurses.

Mild to Severe Damages

According to medical experts, traumatic brain injuries can be defined as damage to the brain caused by a sudden blow, bump, or concussion to the head. In addition, it is defined as a closed head injury, but injuries can also occur with open head injuries caused by penetrating objects.

The injury symptoms can range from mild to severe, and severe injuries can cause serious physical and psychological damages, comas, and death.

Symptoms of TBI include ringing in the ears, neck pain, confusion, blurry vision, slower reflexes, and losses of consciousness. More severe symptoms include long-lasting nausea, vomiting, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the arms, lasting headaches, dilated pupils, trouble waking up and speaking, and seizures.

Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries

The most common causes of traumatic brain injuries include the following:

• Severe or even minor falls.
• Motor vehicle crashes, especially motorcycle crashes, when not wearing a helmet.
• Being struck by a fast-moving ball or other projectiles.
• Various kinds of child abuse, including severe shaking.
• Sports-related injuries.
• Blast concussions caused by explosions.
• Bullet or bullet shrapnel.
• Being hit in the head with a heavy object like a hammer, knife, gun, or baseball bat.

Statistics show that men run a higher risk of traumatic brain injuries than women, and older people also run higher risks because of falls.

Traumatic brain injuries also have a legal aspect, especially when the causes stem from traffic accidents, work accidents, slip and falls, medical errors, and more. As one of the most severe and expensive diseases to treat, traumatic brain injuries are serious, with lifelong consequences. If you suspect your brain injury resulted from an accident, get medical help and legal advice right away. Consult experienced traumatic brain injury lawyers for advice on winning a personal injury lawsuit to cover the treatment costs and other losses.

Taking Action is Crucial

Scientists agree that your TBI could be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the level of damage. Treatment tends to be expensive, and victims may need permanent care. Concussions are mild forms of TBI with symptoms that usually disappear quickly. The most severe cases of TBI can cause permanent brain damage and reduce the victim to a virtual vegetative state. For this reason, it is important to take legal action and seek damages, especially if your injuries resulted from someone else’s negligence.

Author:

Early in his journalism college years, Kerry had a revelation: there were not nearly enough law communicators. Peoples’ difficulties in understanding the law, procedures, and how the justice system worked stemmed from the fact that no one took the patience to explain complicated matters to them. Therefore, he took upon him the task of helping people navigate legal matters easier. He works with attorneys and other legal journalists, and spends time doing research so that everyone – from a mother whose child got a bike injury to a company needing insurance counsel – to find the actionable answers they are looking for.