Minor brain injuries can affect you for a short time. More severe complications, however, can be quite terrifying. These include seizures, fluid buildup on the brain, infections, and vertigo. Let us begin this blog with education.
The CDC defines a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a disruption in the brain’s normal function caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or penetrating head injury. Everyone is at risk for a TBI, especially children, and older adults.
A slip and fall, car wreck, truck accident, or not being appropriately monitored in a skilled level facility or hospital, boating accident, stroke, and a birth injury are some common ways to obtain a TBI.
As an experienced nurse, Ms. Mitchell furthered her education to become an attorney to serve and do justice for her community’s friends and family. The founder of Clark & Associates, Steven, is a family man who believes in assisting his clients in obtaining the rights they deserve when they fall victim due to another’s negligence. Being a small firm, they evaluate and accept cases because they believe in justice.
Though we have given TBI the definition, we would like to dissect this injury a little further to help those who are not confident in signs and the symptoms that accompany the diagnosis and the seriousness of seeking medical treatment.
A traumatic brain injury is any form of severe contact or trauma to the head, disrupting the brain’s normal functioning. Depending on the severity, a TBI can range from a mild concussion to moderate and severe. The majority of TBIs are benign, with only a brief change in mental status or consciousness. However, a severe TBI can cause a more extended time spent unconscious and other neurologic changes that may be lifelong.
More than a million Americans experience a brain injury each year, whether a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), closed head injury, skull fracture, depressed skull injury, brain bleed, and 80,000 people have long-term disabilities as a result of their injury.
Here are some of the symptoms that you need to be on the lookout for after your accident:
- Mild to severe headaches or migraines
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Seizures
- Pupil dilation
- Loss of consciousness
- Loss of your smell or taste
- Ringing in the ears
Also, behavioral changes that can occur with a TBI include depression, mood swings, restlessness, irritability, agitation, frustration, lack of empathy, inappropriate and aggressive behavior, and an inability to control one’s emotions. If you were involved in an accident and are not sure yet if you suffered a traumatic brain injury, the first thing you need to do is seek immediate medical attention. Your well-being is the most important thing.
What do I do next?
Consult with an experienced lawyer, such as Clark & Associates to decide if filing a lawsuit is in your best interest. Because brain injuries and closed head injuries may be difficult to ascertain from how a person looks, how they act as well.It is crucial to rely on attorneys with experience addressing the severe effects of TBI. Cognitive testing is imperative in the prompt diagnosis of this serious injury, and this silent injury needs to be considered in the appropriate cases.
Do I have a lawsuit, and should I file for one?
There are strict limitations on when a lawsuit may be filed, which can vary among different states. For this reason, if you suspect that you or someone you know may have suffered a traumatic brain injury, it is best to seek legal counsel immediately before those time limits expire. In many cases, those with a TBI must make do with the limited financial resources they have available, which could have a detrimental effect on their eventual outcome. A successful lawsuit will, at the very least, help support you financially as you navigate your way through your recovery. If you have suffered from a head injury, Clark & Associates is here to assist you! Contact us today for a zero-obligation, compassionate, confidential consultation. You can call us at 405-235-8488.