Recently, a lot of attention has been paid to the effects of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, especially in the field of personal injury. Statistics released by the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center indicate that as many as a million people or more are diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury every year.
There are a vast number of ways that someone can injure their head such as a car accident or being on the playing field, but not all of the injuries surfaces right away. There are cases where a TBI can go undiagnosed for a long period of time.
A TBI is caused by swelling, bruising or bleeding in the brain, but it doesn’t always show immediately, which can pose a problem for someone who suffers from one and doesn’t know until after the fact. If a person doesn’t seek medical attention immediately following an accident and the effects of TBI don’t show until weeks or months later, there is no chain of causation to hold anyone accountable for the costs of the injury.
If you are in an accident where your head has been hit, it is imperative to know what the signs of TBI are to ensure that you get the medical care necessary and that you get the documentation needed for car accident lawyers in Santa Ana to hold the negligent party responsible for paying for the injuries that you suffer.
How do you know if you have a brain injury?
Due to the concerning nature of traumatic brain injuries, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put together a list of symptoms to look for if you suspect that you have a brain injury.
Although not a fail-safe option, if you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed, you should seek medical care immediately. Since the symptoms might not be apparent right away, if you hit your head in any fashion, it is a good idea to have a medical professional examine you to rule a brain injury out.
Some of the symptoms of a brain injury include:
- Lethargy or lack of energy
- Feeling like you have been slowed down
- Being more emotional than usual
- Anxiety or nervousness
- Difficulty with concentration (“brain fog”)
- Changes in your sleeping patterns or habits
If a TBI is severe enough, you might also have symptoms that are much more alarming like slurred speech, coordination difficulties, nausea or vomiting or problems with balance. If you notice any of those signs that don’t go away, seek medical care immediately.
Why TBIs are so difficult to tackle
The reason that TBI is so difficult to treat is that no two accidents are alike. Unlike other injuries, when you sustain a brain injury, there is no specific course that the injury takes or any kind of predictability about what will happen.
Sometimes TBIs go away without any lasting effects, but other times they can have long-standing and devastating consequences for the individuals experiencing them. Statistics indicate that as many as 17 percent of all brain injuries are related to car accidents, and slips and falls are responsible for about 35 percent, which, in the construction field, are very prevalent.
With a brain injury, you just never know what the outcome is going to be, and since you can’t spot them immediately, in all cases, they tend to create a lot of gray area in the personal injury field.
How to ensure that you are compensated for your brain injury
The only way to ensure that you are fairly compensated for your TBI is to have things as well documented as possible. That means that if you even suspect that you have injured your head, you should immediately seek medical attention.
Even if you think your symptoms are nothing serious, things that seem like nothing can turn into something major very quickly. Developing a chain of causation involves proper documentation. Therefore, it is always best to err on the side of caution and rule out a TBI if you have been injured. Above all else, don’t ignore TBI symptoms.
If you have sustained a TBI, it is always a good idea to have a Santa Ana attorney in your corner to ensure that you get all the compensation that you are entitled to, not just for the here and now, but to ensure that you are compensated for any potential consequences that you might face in your future.
