Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) stems from head injuries.  Not all head injuries result in traumatic brain injury, but all traumatic brain injuries stem from head injuries.  Traumatic brain injuries can happen as a result of a blow to the head, or a sudden severe movement of the head during an accident.

There are many kinds of accidents that cause a TBI, such as when someone trips or slips and falls on a hard floor surface or pavement; or they are hit by an 18-wheeler as a pedestrian; or an object at a construction site that falls from a higher floor; or when someone is struck by someone or something, such as a fist or a baseball bat.

Traumatic brain injury can also stem from striking an object, such as hitting the interior of the car like a dashboard or steering wheel in a car accident, or sometimes even the headrest when someone suffers a severe whiplash.  A Traumatic brain injury can occur when dropped during a bed transfer in a nursing home.  A nearby blast or explosion may also cause a traumatic brain injury.  Even minor accidents, can cause traumatic brain injuries, depending on the specifics of the accident.

Degrees of Traumatic Brain Injury

Like many injuries, traumatic brain injury varies in degree.  Medical professionals determine the severity of a TBI by evaluating the following symptoms:

  • Length of the loss of consciousness or disorientation immediately after the accident;
  • Consideration of any subsequent memory loss or other Post traumatic concussion symptoms, or cognitive impairments experienced; and
  • Degree of responsiveness displayed after the initial injury.

The severity of a traumatic brain injury ranges from mild, to moderate, to severe.   A mild traumatic brain injury includes some concussions, but the effects can last a lifetime and this type of an injury should never be considered mild, although the classification may call it that.

At the other end of the spectrum, a severe traumatic brain injury may require surgery to reduce the impact of bleeding and brain swelling, and often, a person may be in a coma or an induced coma to help with the initial healing process. These injuries are often quite debilitating, and an extensive recovery and rehabilitation period is required to try and restore a person’s brain function as close to normal as they can.

Not all people recover completely from traumatic brain injuries. More often than not, once a person’s brain has been injured, there are lifelong effects suffered as residuals from the injury, no matter which classification they fall under.

Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury

The changes people experience can have far reaching effects on the individual. They can range from physical changes, difficulty using their limbs, changes in their thinking skills, changes in their short term or long-term memory, changes in their coordination, balance, visual or hearing changes, sensory changes, as well as changes in behavior and moods.

After a traumatic brain injury, a person may suffer from headaches, dizziness, difficulty walking, irritability, fatigue, difficulty paying attention, blurred vision, seizures, hearing loss, and memory challenges and other cognitive impairments.  They may also include trouble speaking, swallowing, and a lack of bladder or bowel control. Your brain controls all of your body’s functions and depending on the nature of the injury, the effects can be devastating to the person who suffers from a TBI.

Persons with traumatic brain injury may notice personality changes, difficulty in choosing vocabulary, confusion, memory impairments, depression, mood swings, difficulty remembering conversations, difficulty recalling where they put things, and inappropriate behavior.

The symptoms one displays after a traumatic brain injury are based, in part, on the location of the injury within the brain.  For example, the frontal lobes govern problem-solving, the ability to pay attention, and impulse control.  As the largest part of the brain, frontal lobe injuries are most common.

Traumatic Brain Injury Changes Lives

Regardless of the extent of your traumatic brain injury, or the traumatic brain injury of your loved one, this kind of an injury changes lives.

You and your family need an experienced advocate on your side, helping you recover for your losses.  From medical bills to compensation for no longer being able to do what you love, the New Jersey traumatic brain injury attorneys at Rosner &Tucker are available to discuss your situation.

At Rosner Law Offices, P.C., we believe each case is unique.  You won’t be treated like “just another number” at Rosner Law Offices, P.C..  We look forward to meeting with you and your family to talk about how we can help.  Contact us today at (856) 502-1655.

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