Traumatic Brain Injury, TBI for short is a very delicate issue, because it affects one of the most sensitive and delicate organs of the human body- the brain. The brain is responsible for all our physical and social functions, and even the slightest damage could prove to be life-threatening or life changing.

What is TBI?

TBI is a blunt and unnatural damage to the brain caused by an external mechanical force and impact to the head. Depending on the severity of the hit, it may lead to permanent or temporary distortion in cognitive reasoning, physical incoordination, and psychological degeneration.

Unfortunately, it is a common occurrence, and a leading cause of disability and death among children and young adults in the United States.

According to the CDC, an estimated amount of 1.5 million Americans sustain a TBI yearly, and an estimated 5.3 million are currently living with the condition. About 230,000 Americans get hospitalized, but survive. 50,000 don’t survive at all, and about 90,000 experience long-term disabilities. All from TBI in just the space of a year. All this is for you to understand how dangerous TBI is and how well you can protect yourself from it, manage the effects if it occurs, and how to get justice if someone else was responsible for it.

Types of TBI

The types of TBI are based on level and severity. The symptoms and signs of these forms of TBI are unique, but they are all potentially dangerous, and every case, including the seemingly mild ones should be handled with utmost care. The types of TBI include:

Primary TBI

These injuries are sustained immediately on impact. They include:

• Intracranial hematomas: This describes the rupturing of blood vessels in the brain, which leads to the accummulation of blood in brain tissues or unfilled sacs in the brain. It may subsequently lead to blood clots outside and inside the brain, bleeding of brain tissues, etc.
• Skull Fractures: This is a major injury because the skull/crainium holds the brain, and is almost in direct contact with it. Disruption of the integrity of the skull may lead to piercing injuries or expose the brain to external infections or both.
• Contusions: This describes bruising of brain tissues. is also associated with microhaemorrhaging of small brain tissues.
• Concussion: This describes the rattling and unnatural movement of the brain in the skull. This may lead to bruising and disruption of brain cells and fluids. It is generally regarded as the mildest form of TBI.

Secondary TBI

These are changes or injuries that occur and set in immediately after impact, and may start to show days or hours after initial injuries. They include:

• Secondary impact injury: This rare form of secondary TBI is caused as a result of a second concussion before the symptoms and injuries from an earlier one subside.
• Hypoxia: An absence of enough oxygen in the brain tissues to sustain body functions.
• Hydrocephalus: A build-up of fluid deep in the cavities deep within the tissues of the brain.
• Cerebral edema: This term describes a condition of increased intracranial pressure caused by the buildup of fluids around the brain.

Causes of TBI

It has been established that blunt and unreceding impact to the head is responsible for TBI, but what could lead to such a force?

• Car accidents or collisions
• Explosions from bombs
• Physical abuse or violence
• Falls
• Sports-related injuries
• Symptoms of TBI

Diagnosis of TBI in could be tricky sometimes, but in most cases, they are apparent and obvious to a medical health specialist. Some of the symptoms of TBI include:

• Confusion
• Blurry vision
• Amnesia
• Blackout and fainting
• Dizziness and fatigue
• Irritability and slurred speech
• Dilated pupils
• Photophobia
• Loss of smell
• Bruise, cuts, and other superficial injuries

Treatment of TBI

Modes of treatment of TBI differ based on the level and severity of injuries. They include:

• Rest and diuretic medication to reduce water content of the body in cases of mild injury.
• Decompressive craniotomy: A surgical procedure which involves the removal of a part of the skull to increase the space available for an injured and swelling brain. This is done to prevent squeezing by the walls of the skull.
• Therapy: This is done to correct the damage done by the injuries to the brain. It involves rehabilitation to retrain the brain to perform certain mental and physical functions after a period of injury or distortion. It also involves anger management therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and counseling psychology.

These treatment procedures could be quite expensive, and it may lead to short or long-term financial problems. That is why it is important to receive compensation funds that will help get you the financial power to get the best medical help and keep you afloat while recovering from your injury. Our lawyers can help you get full compensation funds from the party that caused your injuries. It is your right and we can help you get it.

What to do after

Beverly Law 877-427-2752 helps brain injury victims. Most times, victims may be unable to coordinate themselves to perform any activity. If you find yourself in this situation, scream for help and ask responders to reach out to emergences health services to come to your aid. If you’re conscious, and still have proper cognitive functions, you can call emergency services yourself. Victims of TBI’s may not show any symptoms at first. If you experience this, don’t go home and sleep it over. Make sure you contact or visit a medical professional to check you out for proper diagnosis and proffer treatment procedures. 

If you can, contact your attorney or law firm to explain the situation at hand, so that you can claim compensations for the harm, pain, and medical bills you will have to bear if the injuries were caused by the negligence or intention of another individual.

Traumatic brain injury attorneys will help you through the case and help you make your case, either during a settlement or during trial. Either way, they will ensure that your due compensations are paid in full, without any form of foul play. 

Lawyers will come in very handy especially when you want to prove that the brain injury occurred and that it was as a result of negligence or intention by the defendant. 

You can help your case by acquiring legitimate doctor’s reports that prove that you were diagnosed and treated, or are being treated for a traumatic brain injury. To further make your claim fool-proof, you can acquire reports from two different doctors, that way, there’s no chance the insurance company and lawyers of the other party can deny the incident. 

Proving that the brain injury was as a result of negligent or intentional behavior by the defendant could also be a tricky one, but with proper evidence and a solid attorney, your case will be rock solid. If the incident that led to the injury was as a result of a road accident, you can prove that the defendant was at fault by retrieving a police report that affirms that. If it occurred in form of physical abuse, witnesses, street cameras or CCTV will clearly show guilt on the part of your assailant. These processes have to be mediated by a qualified and experienced attorney in order to prevent amateur mistakes that may cost you your compensations. 

Contact an injury attorney today to help you win a legal concussion case. You deserve compensations for your losses and pain, and we can help you secure it.