The area around Shasta Lake is breathtaking and peaceful. Yet, despite living within what looks like nature’s reserve, residents still face the possibility of a traumatic accident. While all sorts of injuries can occur, one of the worst is a traumatic brain injury, usually resulting from falls and traffic accidents. A TBI affects the injured party physically and may make it difficult to perform routine tasks or rely on cognitive skills.

Loss of cognition and physical ability makes it difficult for the injured person to work temporarily or permanently. When another person or entity is responsible for an accident, a Shasta Lake brain injury lawyer can help recover the financial damages frequently associated with a physical injury. Let’s explore TBIs, their incidence and types, and how an attorney can help.

It is challenging to deal with negligence-based accidents, particularly if you are injured. Your attorney has the experience to build a strong case against an at-fault party, deal with the insurer, and investigate the accident to procure evidence.

The difficulties and monetary loss could be staggering if the accident caused a traumatic brain injury. Call (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400 to receive the free and friendly advice the legal team at AutoAccident.com can provide. You can schedule a free case review, where our legal team will answer your questions and give you options. Since we operate on a contingency basis, you will not pay a fee until you win.

A traumatic brain injury disrupts brain function in one way or another. It usually results from a blow to the head that either penetrates the skull or causes an accumulation of blood on the brain’s surface or within it. Sometimes, the TBI damages brain cell transmissions, interrupting normal processes.

Overall, the location and extent of damage determine the brain injury characteristics. Doctors describe a brain injury as being mild, moderate, or severe. However, even mild TBIs are capable of causing serious problems that may interfere with the person’s life for a time.

There are, on average, about 3 million brain injuries in the United States annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most TBIs happen to adults, with 870,000 occurring in children. Approximately 13 million individuals live with a TBI-induced disability. Read the following facts about TBIs in the United States:

• 288,000 people with brain injuries are hospitalized yearly
• Since 2006, there has been a 53 percent increase in reported brain injuries, deaths, and hospitalizations
• Approximately 90,000 individuals are disabled by a head injury yearly
• The highest number of TBI injuries occur in males (78.8 percent)
• More than 2,500 children die yearly
• Older adults suffer the majority of brain injuries
• 30 out of 100,000 individuals with a TBI die

Some of the most frequent symptoms of brain injury include:

• Paralysis
• Confusion
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Loss of consciousness
• Coma
• Blurred and double vision
• Bloody discharge from the ears or nose
• Dizziness
• Balance issues
• Cognitive difficulties
• Problems breathing and swallowing
• Speech problems

Some of the most commonly seen types of TBIs are:

• Concussion: This is caused when the brain is thrust upon the inner, rough surface of the skull. It usually resolves within six months with rest and analgesics. Some people with a concussion have continuing symptoms for 12 or more months.
• A hematoma is a blood clot on the surface of or within the brain. There are two surface types – a subdural and an epidural hematoma. For example, the subdural hematoma occurs between the dura mater (one of three membranous layers protecting the brain) and the subarachnoid membrane. On the other hand, the epidural is a blood clot between the epidural membrane and the inside of the skull. The blood clots can pressure the brain and are often surgically removed.
• Bleeding within the brain: This is referred to as an intracerebral hemorrhage. The size and locations of an ICH differ and determine the symptoms and possibility of surgical removal.
• Diffuse axonal injury: This brain injury impairs transmissions from one nerve cell to another as their communicating axons are sheared off. When this happens, the nerve cells can no longer communicate with one another, leaving them unable to send messages to different parts of the body. This can result in severe disability.

The type of treatment for brain injury depends on the type, location, and severity of the TBI. For many such injuries, the effects of pressure on the brain demand surgical intervention, without which the patient will perish. On occasion, the brain-injured patient will be placed in the ICU while the size of a hematoma is monitored. If it enlarges, they will require surgical removal of the clot.

After surgery or other types of treatment, the patient is continually evaluated using the Glasgow Outcome Scale. Mild TBIs usually show gradual improvement. However, those with mild TBIs show a different pattern.

Sixty percent of mild TBI patients show an improvement over time. However, 25 percent are moderately disabled, and another 10 percent do not recover. Of those with severe TBIs, only 25 percent recover, with a negative survival rate of 33 percent.

All individuals who suffer a brain injury due to negligence or wrongful intent have the right to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. The damages are generally severe, and claims from $100,000 to several million are expected. This is due to the cost of treating and monitoring a brain injury and the disabling effect on the injured party.

Your attorney can help obtain the compensation you deserve in a brain injury case. Some examples of monetary recovery are:

• The cost of long-term medical care for a TBI, which is astronomical, is covered due to a claim against the at-fault party.
• Patients with a TBI may be unable to engage in work-related activities they did in the past, live alone, or care for themselves.
• Wage loss from the time of the accident and extending into the future is likewise covered in a lawsuit song with bonuses and perks associated with the job.
• Pain and suffering are recoverable.
• A spouse may claim loss of affection and other activities due to the injury.
• In addition, if the injured person dies due to the TBI, the family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Your Shasta Lake brain injury lawyer will be able to answer any questions you may have in this regard.

Call our legal team for free and friendly advice if you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury due to negligence or wrongful intent. We can be reached at (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400. See our past cases of Settlements and Verdicts.

^{Editor’s Note: updated [cha 9.12.23] Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels cd [1185] cha}