What Are the Causes and Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries?
Traumatic Brain Injuries or TBIs are common injuries sustained from car accidents. People who sustain TBIs as a result of a car crash are likely to be hospitalized due to those injuries. People who experience TBIs are also likely to have long-term disabilities or even die from these injuries.
Types of Brain Injuries
There are many different types of brain injuries. These can include:
- Tissue strains
- Compression injuries
- Shearing injuries
- Tension injuries
- Skull fractures
- Hemorrhage of the brain
- Various levels of bleeding on the brain (subdural, epidural, etc.)
- Contusions and lacerations
- Concussion and loss of consciousness
- Coma
- Brain stem dysfunction
- Anesthesia
- Mental impairment
- Psychomotor agitation
- Confusion and disorientation
Although any brain injury can be considered serious, some injuries are more life-threatening than others.
Contusion to the Head
If a person suffers a contusion to the head, this rarely affects the brain, but it can. A contusion to the head is the same type of contusion or bruise that can be experienced on the body. In most cases, it is not serious at all. But in the case of a head injury, there can be contusions that directly cause a bruise to the person’s brain.
Concussions Affecting the Brain
If a person experiences a concussion, it is typically a mild head injury shown as a brief loss of consciousness. People who have concussions are usually “out” or without consciousness for a short period of time, usually only a few seconds to minutes. Sometimes these short windows are not noticed by the person who experiences them! It is only noted by other people nearby who saw the accident and talked to the injured person and got no response.
Brain Hematomas and Bleeding on the Brain
A brain hematoma is a brain injury where a blood vessel can rupture in a person’s brain due to the head hitting something in the vehicle during a car accident. A hematoma is a blood clot that can grow in the person’s brain and will usually require a surgeon to remove it to preserve the person’s brain function. Another type of bleeding on the brain can be brain hemorrhaging, which is where the brain arteries can start to tear and cause a TBI. In these cases, surgery is required to save the person’s life.
Permanent Disability Following a Traumatic Brain Injuries
A person who experiences Traumatic Brain Injuries may not have any signs of the brain injury and can make a full recovery. Some people have major brain injuries, and these individuals have a more difficult time making a full recovery after that type of loss. Some other lingering results of a TBI can be:
- Blurred vision
- Headaches
- Migraines
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Speech problems
- Insomnia
- Tiredness
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Mood swings
- Depression
- Fear of accidents in the future
- Sensitivity to lights
- Disorientation
- Feeling dazed
- Problems concentrating or focusing
Individual Responses to TBIs Can Vary
It is important to remember that an individual suffering from a TBI due to a car accident can respond in different ways. Although TBIs are classified into similar categories for similar accidents, no two accidents to the brain are the same for different individuals. There is no standard TBI. They are all unique.
Some people will need care for the rest of their lives as a result of a TBI. This is because the person’s ability to care for themselves is taken away by the trauma to the person’s brain. In some ways, the brain can recover from a serious injury to allow the person to have a near-normal lifestyle again. However, in others, a TBI will prevent the person from ever living a “normal” life again.
Rehabilitation and Therapies for Care After a TBI
If a person suffers a Traumatic Brain Injuries and can survive the brain injury, there may be the opportunity for care in the form of rehabilitation. If a person is sent to rehabilitation after a brain injury, the individual can start relearning how to do everyday tasks again. Most people don’t realize that if a person is sent to rehabilitation after experiencing a TBI, that individual is only sent if the person has a chance to recover normal functions again. For example, if an individual has a serious brain injury that results in a coma, the person may not be given the chance to go to rehabilitation, if there is no diagnosis that the person can “come out of” the coma and resume a normal lifestyle.
A Word on Comas, They Are Not What You Think!
It is appropriate to say a word on comas, especially after discussing a person’s opportunities for rehabilitation services after a TBI. Hollywood, television shows, and movies have done a disservice to explaining what happens to a person who experiences a coma. Let’s review the hard truth about comas for a few minutes, and it may not be what you have thought at all. First, people are tested and assessed for their brain function after a TBI. These tests include brain wave testing to determine if there is any brain wave left in the person’s brain. At bedside in the hospital or intensive care unit (ICU), the doctor will determine the person’s ability to communicate with the outside world and if the individual is aware of their surroundings. If the person cannot come out of a coma in a few days or weeks, the chances of ever coming out are seriously reduced.
When you are suffering from a severe injury that has come as the result of a traumatic brain injury, or have a loved one in this position as the result of the negligence of someone else, give us a call at the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm. We are here for you and will help you to get the recovery that you deserve. We will give you peace of mind to know that your concerns are being heard, and we will get you the compensation that you should have as a result of being injured from the wrongful actions of other parties. Just give our injury and accident attorneys a call today at (833) 254-2923.