Sometimes a person in Burlington County who is involved in a car accident will suffer a concussion. This type of brain injury might initially be written off as being not too serious. However, research has shown that not only do concussions cause physical damage, but they could also cause long-lasting harm to a victim’s mental health.
The study examined service members who suffered mild concussions in training or combat situations. It found that the service members studied reported a worsening of symptoms as many as 12 months or more after the incident that caused the concussion. In addition, recent media reports have focused on athletes who suffered concussions and went on to develop Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Some of these victims ended up taking their own lives.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a traumatic brain injury takes place when a person’s head is bumped, hit, jolted, or penetrated, leading to a disruption in the normal function of the person’s brain. According to researchers, mental health symptoms in those who suffer TBIs can be more severe than the symptoms suffered by those who did not suffer a TBI.
While this recent study examined service members, and other research focuses on athletes, the fact of the matter is that anyone could suffer a brain injury that affects their mental health. Even after the initial symptoms of a brain injury subside, a person could still find that they suffer from delayed responses to questions, mood changes, and memory loss. Brain injuries caused by another person’s negligence, such as a car crash or slip-and-fall accident, can be financially devastating. Therefore, those who find themselves in such situations will want to explore their legal options for seeking compensation.