Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) refers to brain damage that is caused by physical trauma. TBI can occur when there is a blow to the head or violent shaking (resulting in a closed brain injury) or when something penetrates the head and damages the brain tissue (causing an open head injury).
There are a number of causes of brain injury, including car and motorcycle accidents, slips and falls, sports injuries, and assault. Brain injuries resulting form near-drowning, strokes, aneurisms and seizures can also occur when a victim experiences air deprivation or certain medical conditions. These are called Acquired Brain Injuries (ABIs). The effects of an ABI are similar to or the same as those of TBIs, but the cause is internal, as opposed to an external force to the head.
Symptoms and Effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injuries can range in severity from a mild concussion to extreme disability with symptoms presenting accordingly. Symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury may include headache, dizziness, confusion, blurred vision, and inability to concentrate. A moderate or severe traumatic brain injury can result in serious physical, mental and behavioral impairments. Patients who do not die or become permanently comatose from brain injuries may have long recovery periods and may never recover to their pre-injury state.
Finding Help for Traumatic Brain Injury
According to the Brain Injury Association of America, 1.4 million people sustain brain injuries every year in the United States. Of those, 50,000 die and another 80,000 are left permanently disabled. Currently, there are 5.3 million United States citizens that require life-long care and assistance due to a traumatic brain injury. The lifetime cost of care for a TBI victim can be well over a million dollars.
If you feel that your traumatic brain injury, or that of a loved one, may have been caused by the negligence of another person, company, or entity, please contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.