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Home Personal Injury TBI Life-Altering Effects

effects after traumatic brain injuryThe brain regulates everything from our muscle movements to our heartbeat. It stores precious memories, controls our emotions, and maintains our unique personalities. Any traumatic injury to the brain can cause life-altering effects on an individual as well as changes to the lives of family members.

At Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A., our experienced personal injury attorneys understand the significant impact a traumatic brain injury can have on a person’s physical and financial well-being. Our compassionate legal team is committed to help people facing catastrophic injuries seek the full compensation available by law.

Has someone else’s carelessness or negligence caused you or a loved one to suffer a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury? Motor vehicle accidents cause many serious head injuries.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury to the head that affects brain function. Penetrating wounds, combat injuries, and violent jolts to the head are the most common causes of TBIs.

Many traumatic brain injuries result from impacts caused by falls, motor vehicle crashes, and contact sports. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows traumatic brain injuries are one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States today.

Medical professionals categorize traumatic brain injuries in two ways:

  • Closed Head Injury – Closed brain injuries occur when the head either sustains blunt force trauma, such as a forceful jolt, or is moving rapidly and is suddenly stopped, causing the brain to collide with the inside of the skull, bruising or damaging brain tissue. The head may collide with a hard surface, such as the ground or a windshield, causing bleeding, swelling, and tissue damage. Athletes may suffer severe traumatic brain injury in sports injuries. A closed head injury can also occur when a violent force propels the head forward and backward, such as a front-end or rear-end motor vehicle collision. Infants and small children who are shaken violently may sustain brain trauma, referred to as shaken baby syndrome.
  • Open Head Injury – Gunshot wounds are one of the most common causes of penetrating brain injuries. Foreign objects such as broken pieces of bone from a skull fracture, tools, motor vehicle shrapnel, and industrial equipment can also cause penetrating brain injuries and severe traumatic brain injury.

Signs of a Traumatic Brain Injury

Doctors classify traumatic brain injuries from mild to severe depending on the extent of damage to the brain and the brain regions injured. Concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries. Concussion symptoms usually appear within a few minutes or hours, but occasionally they can manifest even days after a car accident or other accident. A severe TBI causes loss of consciousness.

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury can include:

  • Loss of consciousness
  • Seizures
  • Headache
  • Pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Slurred speech
  • Sensitivity to light or sound
  • Changes in hearing or vision
  • Double vision
  • Loss of coordination or mobility
  • Poor balance
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Changes in eating patterns
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Changes in mood
  • Short or long-term memory problems
  • Behavioral changes
  • Loss of bladder or bowel control

Following a traumatic event, it is vital to seek immediate medical attention to check for signs of traumatic brain injury. Immediate intervention by a medical professional can significantly affect an individual’s prognosis and recovery.

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The Short-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries

People diagnosed with mild or moderate traumatic brain injuries often experience some short-term effects, such as confusion, dizziness, and headaches. Other short-term consequences of a traumatic brain injury can include:

  • Vertigo
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of coordination or balance
  • Frequent headaches
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Sensitivity to sound
  • Temporary memory loss

These short-term side effects tend to last anywhere from 30 to 90 days, depending on the severity of the TBI.

Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries can cause blood clots and brain swelling, causing damage to brain cells. These injuries require emergency medical care. Severe injuries can cause long-lasting effects, including physical, emotional, and cognitive disabilities and significant ongoing medical expenses. Determining the extent of the harm and the potential complications associated with a traumatic brain injury can be challenging. A person who suffers severe brain trauma may have future medical needs.

Family members will need to explore all the financial resources available to manage the expenses of a loved one who has a severe brain injury. A knowledgeable personal injury attorney can help you understand your legal options, such as filing a personal injury claim and seeking an insurance settlement to cover medical expenses from the insurer financially liable for the injury.

Evaluating the life-long impact and prognosis of a severe traumatic brain injury can be difficult. Some of the long-term effects of a serious traumatic brain injury can include:

  • Coma
  • Minimally conscious state
  • Severely altered consciousness
  • Chronic pain
  • Loss of hearing
  • Loss of vision
  • Muscle weakness
  • Seizures
  • Frequent headaches
  • Memory loss

Traumatic brain injuries can lead to significant physical disabilities. In conjunction with the spinal cord, the brain sends and receives nerve signals that tell the body how and when to move. It also controls involuntary functions such as breathing and heartbeat. Some of the physical long-term effects associated with a serious traumatic brain injury include:

  • Paralysis
  • Seizures
  • Muscle weakness
  • Spasticity
  • Poor balance and coordination
  • Tremors
  • Changes in sensory perception

Head injuries can lead to changes in cognitive function that affect how a person interacts with the world around them. Cognitive impairments can increase the amount of time it takes a brain injury survivor to process information, learn new information, and communicate with others.

Cognitive impairments can also affect a person’s ability to solve problems, express emotions, and affect overall judgment. The long-term effects of a traumatic brain injury can include cognitive complications, such as:

  • Amnesia
  • Memory problems
  • Changes in attention span
  • Problem-solving deficits
  • Problems with judgment
  • Problems controlling emotions
  • Inability to understand abstract concepts
  • Confusion
  • Trouble communicating
  • Trouble choosing words
  • Learning disabilities
  • Issues with organization

Managing the physical, cognitive, and behavioral consequences of a traumatic brain injury is challenging. However, researchers also uncovered evidence of other potential long-term complications associated with TBIs. Studies link traumatic brain injury to an increased risk of developing cognitive and motor diseases and the eventual long-term loss of brain function. A traumatic brain injury diagnosis may increase the chances of developing dementia and Parkinson’s Disease.

The attorneys at Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks can guide you through the process of seeking compensation for your present and future losses and expenses associated with a traumatic brain injury.

Treatment and Recovery After a TBI

Treatment options for a traumatic brain injury diagnosis depend on numerous factors, including the severity of the injury and the location of the injury in the brain. A mild TBI may require only time and ample rest for an individual to recover fully. Other types of brain injuries may require extensive medical intervention and lead to long-term complications.

Many medical providers use the Glasgow Coma Scale to help them assess the initial severity of a potential brain injury. This medical evaluation technique relies on a person’s ability to follow directions and answer specific questions. The higher the Glasgow Coma Scale score, the less severe the brain injury. The best testing for mild to moderate brain injuries is often done by neuropsychologists as cognitive testing.

Treatment options for traumatic brain injuries may include anti-seizure drugs, coma-inducing medications, and diuretics to help control bleeding and swelling in the skull and surrounding brain tissues. In severe brain injury cases, surgical intervention may be necessary to remove blood clots, prevent further swelling, repair skull fractures, or remove foreign objects.

Rehabilitation may also be a necessary part of the recovery process. Physical therapy can help address mobility issues, while cognitive, behavioral, and psychological therapies may be needed to help an individual work through other traumatic brain injury complications. Some TBI patients need speech therapy.

Changes in Emotions and Personality After Traumatic Brain Injury

One of the most devastating consequences of a traumatic brain injury can be the changes that occur in a person’s personality. The brain controls how we think and feel. Damage to some areas of the brain can effectively change how individuals express themselves and act around friends and family.

Behavioral changes following a traumatic brain injury are possible. Personality and psychiatric complications from a TBI can manifest in numerous ways, such as:

  • Personality changes
  • Difficulty controlling impulsive behavior
  • Mood swings
  • Emotional problems
  • Lack of self-awareness
  • Obsessive habits
  • Child-like behavior
  • Egocentric behavior
  • Engaging in risky behaviors

Coping with these changes can be difficult for family and friends to accept. However, there are resources available to help brain injury survivors and their families navigate the challenges associated with significant mood and personality changes.

There are North Carolina organizations dedicated to advocacy and support programs to assist brain injury survivors and their family members in navigating life following a traumatic brain injury.

If you are experiencing signs of emotional, behavioral, or personality changes after suffering head trauma, talk to your healthcare provider or a mental health professional as soon as possible. If you have questions about your legal rights, a compassionate personal injury attorney at Younce Vtipil, Baznik & Banks is available to review the circumstances in which your head injury occurred and discuss your legal options.

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Get in Touch with Our Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers

Traumatic brain injuries can impact nearly every aspect of a person’s life, including their financial future. A TBI can also cause significant financial stress and hardship. If a careless individual caused a motor vehicle accident that led to your traumatic brain injury diagnosis, you may be entitled to demand compensation to cover your medical expenses. Talk to a compassionate personal injury lawyer with Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks.

We work to help TBI patients in North Carolina’s Triangle area rebuild their lives and regain financial stability after a traumatic injury. Contact our Raleigh office today to request a free consultation.

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