Someone in the United States sustains a brain injury every 9 seconds. Although many make a full recovery, there are more than 5 million individuals in the US living with a permanent brain injury related disability. That’s one in 60 Americans.
The Brain Injury Association of American (BIAA) observes Brain Injury Awareness Month each March. Every brain injury is different, just as everyone experiencing a brain injury is unique. Common causes include falls, motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, and assaults.
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
BIAA defines an acquired brain injury as any injury to the brain that isn’t hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a type of ABI. TBI is caused by trauma to the brain from an external force.
Typical ABI causes include electric shock, infectious disease, lightning strike, toxic exposure, near drowning, seizure disorder, tumor, stroke, oxygen deprivation (hypoxia/anoxia), and substance abuse/overdose.
TBI Symptoms
According to the Mayo Clinic, mild TBI may temporarily affect brain cells. More serious injuries can cause bruising, torn tissues, bleeding, and other physical damage to the brain, which can result in long-term complications or fatality.
TBI can have wide-ranging effects. Some symptoms might appear immediately after the injury, while others may appear days or weeks later. Mild symptoms can include headache, nausea or vomiting, fatigue, speech problems, dizziness, loss of balance, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, sensitivity to light or sound, memory problems, mood swings, difficulty sleeping, and sleeping more than usual. Moderate to severe symptoms can include mild symptoms as well as loss of consciousness from several minutes to hours, repeated vomiting, persistent headache, convulsions, seizures, dilations of one or both pupils, clear fluids draining from nose or ears, loss of coordination, profound confusion, agitation, slurred speech, and coma.
Seek Medical Care
See a doctor right away if you or your child has received a blow to the head or body that concerns you or causes changes to behavior. Get emergency care if there are any signs of TBI following a recent traumatic injury to the head.
If you or a loved one experiences a TBI as a result of a car crash, fall, or defective product, you might have a personal injury case. Speak to an experienced personal injury attorney to determine next steps.
If you or a loved one has been injured, contact the Schuerman Law office today. Schuerman Law has been working with personal injury claims for over 40 years. John Schuerman will compassionately advocate for injured individuals as well as their families while fighting for full compensation of their claims. Schuerman Law offers evening and weekend appointments in addition to home and hospital visits. Schedule a free consultation today by calling 1-800-274-0045.
