Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury occurs when the brain in jarred within the skull and bleeding is caused. This usually happens when the head forcefully hits an object.

Commonly this can occur in an auto accident when the head hits a steering wheel, dashboard, or windshield. A TBI can also occur when the skull is pierced by an object such as a bullet or knife wound to the head (penetrating head injury). Falls are also a common cause of TBI.

Traumatic brain injuries are complex and there are many symptoms and disabilities related to TBI. We know first hand that the impact on a person and his or her family is devastating. Often we find that traumatic brain injuries are invisible and have no obvious external signs. In those cases, even diagnostic procedures like a CAT scan or MRIs may produce normal results.

Most traumatic brain injury fit into one of two categories: mild or severe. The injury is mild if the loss of consciousness and/or confusion and disorientation is shorter than 30 minutes. If the loss of consciousness and/or confusion and disorientation is exceeds 30 minutes, the injury is severe. In a mild injury, the victim has cognitive problems such as headache, difficulty thinking, memory problems, attention deficits, mood swings and frustration. In severe injuries, the deficits range from impairment of higher level cognitive functions to comatose states. The victims have limited function of arms or legs, abnormal speech or language, loss of thinking ability or emotional problems. The victim may appear physically fine and yet have sustained a brain injury that impacts that person's ability to resume his or her normal life.

The common causes of traumatic brain injuries are vehicle accidents, falls at home and in occupational settings, and assaults.

If you or one of your loved ones suffered from a traumatic brain injury, you may be entitled to compensation.