Is a Stroke a Traumatic Brain Injury?

No, but the two conditions can cause many of the same long-term effects. A stroke occurs when there is an interruption in blood flow to the brain, most often caused by a blood clot. However, a small percentage of strokes are hemorrhagic, from bleeding in the brain. A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is caused by an outside force causing trauma to the brain. The most frequent cause is a hard blow to the head, but a penetrating wound or a strong jolt can also cause a TBI. It’s also important to note that the damage caused by a TBI can increase your risk of stroke.

Both TBI and stroke can cause damage to the brain. Neurons may die if you hit your head during a car accident or if your brain isn’t getting enough oxygen because of a blood clot. Depending on which area of the brain is damaged, you could have many different symptoms, some of which may be permanent or chronic. These may include cognitive challenges, motor or movement difficulties, balance and coordination problems, changes in mood or personality, mental health effects, seizures, and other health challenges. Some of these issues may improve with therapy or medication, but you may need to try several different drugs or treatments before finding one that helps.

Stroke and TBI both have the potential to be fatal or to cause permanent damage and disability, and delaying treatment may make things worse. If you have symptoms of a stroke or have suffered a head injury (even if it seems minor), please seek medical attention immediately.

Should You Contact a Brain Injury Lawyer?

Many people struggle after suffering a brain injury. You may need assistance with everyday tasks, in-patient or outpatient medical care, and physical or occupational therapy to work on your recovery. Your health insurance could be used up quickly, and you might be unable to work while recovering. This can be a frustrating and stressful situation for you and your family, and you may find that you can’t afford to continue treatment, which reduces your chances of recovery.

What can you do to ensure you get the treatment you need and can pay your bills? A Georgia brain injury lawyer may be able to help. In many cases, brain injuries are caused by another party’s negligence – for example, a driver who caused a car accident or a store that failed to clean up a spill leading to a fall. Often we can locate a liability insurance policy that covers an injured person’s damages, like medical bills and lost income. Filing a lawsuit against the responsible party may also be an option. Your attorney will walk you through the potential remedies in your case so you can make an informed decision about how to proceed.

What If You Have a Stroke Brain Injury?

There are some situations where your lawyer may be able to get you compensation for damage caused by a stroke. Here are some potential reasons that you may have a case:

Your Stroke Was Caused by a TBI, and Your TBI Was Caused by Another Party’s Negligence

If your stroke occurred as a complication of a TBI, please consult with a brain injury attorney about how the original injury happened. Don’t assume you know who or what caused your injury – the facts are not always clear after an accident, but our investigative team will get to the bottom of what transpired.

Car accidents and falls are two leading causes of TBIs. If you were in a car accident and suffered a TBI, with or without a stroke, please have your case reviewed by a brain injury lawyer. Police reports are not always conclusive and may be based on limited data. Our investigators will look for witnesses, video, and other evidence to tell us how the crash happened.

Falls are often caused by some type of hazard on the ground or floor when a person is walking. This could be a puddle that makes the person slip or a solid object that trips them. If your fall happened in a public place, business liability insurance might cover your damages. If you were in a private residence, homeowner’s insurance could also be available to cover your costs. Your attorney will help ensure you receive a fair settlement from the insurance company.

Your Stroke Was Made Worse by Medical Negligence

The American Heart and Stroke Association says that when you’re having a stroke, “Time lost is brain lost.” Frequently stroke symptoms can be reversed if the patient gets treatment before permanent brain damage occurs. That’s why people are encouraged to learn the signs of stroke and act quickly to call 911 if they or a loved one experience these symptoms.

But what if your efforts were wasted because a doctor failed to diagnose and treat your stroke properly? For example, what if you went to the emergency room with a severe headache, received a diagnosis of migraines, and were sent home – but you were actually having a stroke? If your doctor didn’t run tests to rule out a stroke and acted outside the “standard of care” for their profession, they may have been negligent, and you could have suffered preventable brain damage.

Your Stroke Was Caused by a Dangerous Drug or Defective Medical Device

Sometimes medications or devices intended to treat a health problem end up causing another. In some cases, certain medications have been associated with an increased risk of blood clots and strokes. This doesn’t necessarily mean a drug should be recalled, but it should carry appropriate warnings so physicians can make an informed decision when prescribing. For example, they might not prescribe such medication to patients with other risk factors for blood clots or stroke, like uncontrolled high blood pressure or a family or personal history of clotting problems. If this risk is not known or clearly stated in the drug facts, doctors cannot make good prescribing decisions, and patients may be harmed.

Some medical devices may also lead to strokes. One example is a defective IVC filter, a device placed in the inferior vena cava, the body’s most prominent vein, to catch small clots before they can reach the heart or brain. It’s sometimes used in situations where the patient is at risk of clots but blood thinners can’t be used or are ineffective. Some of these devices function well, but several have been found to break down and fail. When this happens, the IVC filter may cause damage to surrounding tissues, but it can also miss a clot, leading to the patient suffering a stroke or heart attack.

If you believe a defective drug or medical device may have caused your stroke, please contact a brain injury lawyer for a free consultation.

How Do You Find a Brain Injury Law Firm?

Please contact the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm for a free, no-obligation consultation about your injury. Attorney Ali Awad and his experienced team will consider all options for covering your medical costs and other expenses. The initial consultation is free, and if we take your case, you won’t pay any fees until we achieve a settlement in your favor.