A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, can worsen over time, although many patients improve with treatment and rehabilitation efforts. CDC data on TBI patients showed that five years post-brain injury, the condition of about 30 percent of patients had declined, while 22 percent of patients remained the same and 26 percent improved. The remaining 22 percent of patients were deceased. The CDC’s research on those who remained alive five years post-injury found that more than half (57 percent) were moderately or severely disabled, and 55 percent no longer had a job if they had one before their injury.
TBI is also associated with an increased risk of premature death and other conditions. People with at least one TBI are at higher risk of specific issues as they age, including dementia or Parkinson’s Disease. They’re also 50 percent more likely to have seizures or develop epilepsy (chronic seizures needing medication).
Do You Need a Brain Injury Lawyer?
Because even a single TBI can cause an increased risk of many health problems, and your ability to seek compensation for your injuries is limited to two years in most cases, we recommend talking to a Georgia personal injury lawyer sooner rather than later. Medical bills can cause financial strain, even for some people with higher incomes. Missing time at work or being unable to return to your job can add to your economic losses. At the same time, you now have an increased risk of several conditions that could require more healthcare and assistance. If another party was at fault for your head injury, it’s a good idea to seek compensation now.
Brain Injury Long-Term Effects
While you are more likely to develop other health problems later on, you may also have significant difficulties immediately after your head injury. Sometimes these symptoms subside with treatment or rest, but in other cases, they may become chronic. Long-term problems may include:
- Cognitive issues. Some patients struggle with planning, organizing, remembering what they are doing, paying attention, thinking critically, or using sound judgment. As a result, they may struggle to do basic mental tasks that they previously did without issue.
- Language difficulties. From time to time, you may feel that a word is on the tip of your tongue, but you can’t recall what it is. Having this problem occasionally is normal, but it might happen all the time for a person recovering from a TBI. They may constantly struggle to think of the right word, have difficulty reading and understanding information, or have challenges organizing their thoughts into sentences.
- Problems with movement, balance, and coordination. These issues are often linked together. If you struggle with balance and coordination, for example, this could make it difficult to walk or do other activities. Some people experience paralysis, weakness, or difficulty with movement on an entire side of their body, while others might have trouble with only one area of the body.
- Mental health conditions. While patients may become depressed or anxious due to the trauma of their accident or the circumstances of their injuries, there may also be physical causes for their mental health concerns. An injury can affect the brain’s ability to regulate mood, leading to mood swings, constant anxiety, or debilitating depression.
- Perceptual or sensory issues. Many patients experience vision changes, including double vision or being unaware of the left or right side of their visual field. Others may find that their hearing or sense of smell, taste, or touch becomes more or less sensitive after a TBI.
- Social difficulties. These often cause problems with making friends or maintaining relationships. The patient might struggle with interrupting others or staying on the subject during a conversation or have difficulty reading social cues.
- Functional deficits. Some people find that they need to re-learn how to do tasks like getting out of bed or dressed. Difficulties may be related to cognitive or movement issues or both.
Can You Reverse Brain Damage?
The damage done to neurons by a TBI is permanent, as these neurons cannot be repaired or replaced. However, it is sometimes possible to regain lost function resulting from permanent brain damage because the brain can reroute impulses to healthy neurons. Rehabilitation specialists use multiple therapies designed to reinforce this rewiring in the brain to improve the patient’s chances of regaining lost function.
Why are some people able to fully recover, but others have permanent difficulties or disabilities? Usually, this depends on the severity of the injury. The more damaged neurons there are, the harder it will be for your brain to route around damaged areas because fewer healthy neurons will struggle to do more work. Due to the limits of the remaining healthy neurons, severe TBIs result in more pronounced permanent deficits than milder ones. However, in many cases, it is still possible to regain some function with rehabilitation therapy, even if a full recovery isn’t possible.
For this reason, doing rehabilitation therapy as soon as your doctor advises it also improves your chances of recovery. If you wait too long, you may lose the opportunity to make new connections in the brain. Sometimes people put off going to rehab because of financial concerns, but this could mean a permanent loss of function. If you don’t know how to pay for neurological rehabilitation after a TBI, please contact a brain injury attorney in Georgia to learn if there are other options for covering the costs.
How Can a Brain Injury Law Firm Help?
Two of the most common causes of TBIs are motor vehicle accidents and falls. In these situations, liability insurance policies often cover the injured party’s medical expenses and other damages.
What If You Are at Fault?
First, speak with a lawyer before deciding that you’re at fault in an accident, especially if you had a head injury that could affect your memory of what happened. Even if you do remember the events clearly, you may not know all the facts based on your perspective alone. Police reports are often inconclusive and may be based on the limited evidence available to the responding officer. An experienced attorney will study the accident report and look for other evidence to determine what happened. Frequently we’re able to find evidence that another party was at fault.
What if it really was your fault? If you have certain types of insurance policies called MedPay and Collision insurance, you may still be able to get coverage for your medical bills and repair costs. (Liability insurance does not cover your costs because it’s intended to pay for your liability to another injured party.)
Additionally, other parties may contribute to your injuries, even if the accident itself was your fault. For example, maybe you made an error in judgment while driving and crashed into a tree. The accident would be your responsibility, but if your airbag didn’t deploy, causing you to hit your head on the steering wheel, you might be able to seek compensation from the airbag’s manufacturer.
If you or a loved one have suffered a TBI, please contact the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm for a free consultation. If there is a way to get coverage for your medical bills and other damages, we’ll find it. There is no obligation and no fee until we win or settle your case, so please call us today to learn your options.
