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What should I know about a traumatic brain injury?

On Behalf of | May 18, 2017 | Brain Injuries

Brain injuries can occur from a variety of different accidents, including car accidents and other types of accidents. Victims likely have many questions following such an incident and suffering a major injury. Victims of brain injuries, including traumatic brain injuries or TBI, can experience cognitive challenges, perceptual challenges, physical challenges and behavioral and emotional challenges following a traumatic brain injury. Approximately 2.6 million victims suffer brain injuries in the United States each year. Approximately 52,000 victims in the U.S. die as a result of TBI.

The cognitive impact of a traumatic brain injury can include difficulty processing information, difficulty expressing thoughts, difficulty understanding what others are communicating, impaired decision making, memory loss, shortened attention span and an inability to comprehend abstract concepts. The perceptual impact of a traumatic brain injury can include changes in vision, hearing and the sense of touch, balance issues, disorders of smell and taste, inability to sense time, spatial disorientation and heightened sensitivity to pain.

The behavioral and emotional impact of a traumatic brain injury can include irritability and impatience, reduced ability to tolerate stress, increased aggressiveness and sluggishness. The physical impact of a traumatic brain injury includes headaches, extreme mental or physical fatigue, sleep disorders, seizures, sensitivity to light and a variety of other physical symptoms. The treatment of a brain injury depends on the severity of the injury but may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and psychological therapy.

Greater than 5 million victims in the U.S. who have suffered a traumatic brain injury require assistance performing daily activities. Even among victims of a mild brain injury, 15 percent may suffer problems related to the brain injury they have suffered a year following their injury. Because TBIs result in debilitating injuries, legal options are available for brain injuries negligently suffered to help assist victims with the physical, financial and emotional damages associated with a brain injury.

Source: Webmd.com, “Brain Damage: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments,” Accessed May 15, 2017

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