Every year, 1.7 million American citizens suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury (SCI). The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that in excess of 3.5 million Americans suffer from a permanent type of brain injury, and 52,000 people die from brain injuries annually. Yet, many don’t realize there are compensation options for your injuries.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a blow or jolt to the head that disrupts brain function. The severity can be mild to severe. Severe TBI causes unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. TBIs don’t even just bring physical injury but also psychological, social and even spiritual issues.
These injuries can change a person’s personality, thought process and communication. There are 15% of people who never heal from their TBI. Then, any other head injury no matter how slight can result in daily headaches, agitated moods, or periods of sleeplessness. Some even forget his or her name or causes mood swings.
TBIs are the leading cause of death for Americans under age 45. Every 15 seconds, someone develops a TBI. In fact, 5 million suffer from TBI disability. The most common causes of TBI are falls, auto accidents, struck by an object, athletes, and assaults. Military personnel can also suffer from TBI from explosive blasts.
Bleeding
Soft tissue of the brain slamming hard against the bone of the skull can cause brain bruising. Then, the brain tissue is compressed and distorted against the skull and that force may cause blood vessels to tear. If blood vessels tear, they will release blood into areas of the brain in a rapid and erratic way. This can cause bleeding in the brain.
Tearing
When the brain snaps forward and backward, the brain can tear. Tearing in the brain severed neurons. However, this may not show up in medical tests. CT scans and MRIs can see blood flow to the brain but not neurological damage.
Swelling
If a heavy object hits your skull, your brain could swell. The pressure of your brain swelling against your skull damages cells. Stopping this pressure immediately is important. If a doctor does not, damage can be permanent.
A qualified doctor needs to run tests to diagnose a TBI. However, pay attention to a few symptoms following a head injury:
- Frequent headaches
- Pain in the temple
- Worsening memory
- Sharp, stabbing pains in the head
- Difficulty communicating
- Difficulty performing simple tasks
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Loss of smell or sight
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
Treating TBI
These are the common treatment options for TBI, but it is important to discuss these with your doctor or medical professional since The Michael Brady Lynch Firm are not doctors.
After a TBI diagnosis, it is important to start 6-12 weeks of nonsurgical treatment. This could be physical therapy, steroid medication, or epidural injections for anti-inflammatory. However, you can only get 3 epidurals per year.
After 12 weeks without relief, surgery may be the answer. However, even surgery may not relieve the symptoms. Sometimes, insurance won’t even pay for it. Now, victims are faced with a 50/50 chance of getting better and mountains of debt.
Free Consultation
In the event of a possible head trauma, one is often rushed to the nearest emergency room. Hopefully the emergency room doctor runs all the standard procedures and tests in place to diagnose a TBI. Even so, MRIs and CT scans will not always provide the conclusive evidence needed to confidently diagnose a TBI. Qualified traumatic brain injury attorneys like those found at The Michael Brady Lynch Firm know the best technologies and tests for TBIs. We even know the relationships between a potential closed head injury and whiplash even if practitioners mistake the danger between head injury and whiplash. Let our 20 years of getting justice for those who have been injured bring you justice. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation case review.