Traumatic brain injuries range widely in severity, which means the symptoms and effects can be very different for each case. Functional impact to the brain and body can be long or short term and generally involves how a person things, speaks, feels or moves.
Severe traumatic brain injury can cause someone to be unconscious for a prolonged period of time. In some cases, a person even enters a coma state or experiences amnesia upon waking. Amnesia episodes can be long or short with various memory faculties being impacted.
Minor brain injury can result in a brief change in how a person communications or thinks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 75 percent of brain injuries that occur annually are mild and only result in a brief concussion. The other quarter of injuries, however, can cause serious issues for the future.
Brain injury can impact the way a person reasons, how they touch, taste and smell, how a person communicates with others and the emotions a person feels. Sometimes, brain injury can cause anxiety, depression and personality disorders. Some individuals with severe TBIs act out and cannot determine the appropriate behavior in social settings.
The CDC notes that brain injuries can increase a person’s risk for cognitive and nerve disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. TBIs can also cause epilepsy.
If you or someone you love has experienced head trauma, whether during a car accident, a sports injury or another event, you may be able to seek recovery for medical expenses and other losses. Understanding your rights and how to seek compensation is just one way to facilitate recovery from a brain injury.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “What are the Potential Effects of TBI?,” accessed July 03, 2015