A serious accident can cause a normal, healthy individual in Virginia to suddenly become disabled. An injury to the brain can significantly disrupt a person’s ability to function normally. This could mean not being able to think clearly, control emotions or even walk. Because it causes the injured person to no longer function as he or she once could, it is likely that victims of an accident causing a brain injury could need compensation for their treatment, recovery and other losses.
Initially, it might be obvious that a victim of an accident suffered a head trauma; however, over time, it is often the least outwardly visible injury. Over the past few years, public awareness of this often-deadly injury has expanded. But this does not change the fact that this is a complex condition that requires a wide range of treatments.
The most common culprit of a traumatic brain injury is a motor vehicle accident. And because of the high velocity impacts frequently involved in an automobile collision, these injuries are often severe. A TBI can range from a mild concussion to a fatality, with a large grey area between them. This grey area means difficult to predict, treat and repair a TBI, or even give a prognosis.
Even when it comes to milder TBIs, major consequences could result if this trauma is repeated. Concussions, although believed to not be a severe as other TBIs, could have serious outcomes if a victim has had past concussions. A head trauma could cause damage on the micro level, which causes structures to break and even vessels to bleed. It could also result in damage on the micro level, which is when neurons that make up the brain tissue are damaged. As a result, victims of a TBI could suffer tremendously.
While no injury following an accident should be treated lightly, victims suffering a TBI should understand that they could seek legal recourses for the damages suffered. A personal injury claim could help with the recovery of compensation for medical bills, rehabilitation, temporary or permanent disability, lost wages and other related losses.
Source: Psychology Today, “Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury,” Jean Kim, Sept. 27, 2017