Brain Injury Accidents

A head injury or traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common consequence of injury-related accidents. The significant forces involved in catastrophic crashes can produce the apparent results of major head trauma and the less obvious but more frequent results of concussions, minor TBIs, and long-term TBI symptoms.

Every case of mild, moderate, or severe TBI is different. As such, there are many damages a Sacramento TBI attorney can recover on behalf of their client. These include:

• Past and future medical bills for ambulance services, emergency room visits, doctor appointments, medical imaging, transcranial electrical stimulation, therapy, and prescription medications.
• Lost wages for time missed at work to recover from a traumatic brain injury or attend a medical appointment.
• Loss of consortium for damage to a marital relationship as a result of a brain injury.
• Loss of earning potential for a severe TBI resulting in permanent disability.
• Pain and suffering due to the emotional and psychological harms caused by a severe head trauma.

In an accident involving a blow to the head, awareness is key. The injured party and their family and friends should be alert for any changes in mental or emotional status. An injured party should report significant or lasting changes immediately to a physician.

Even in those instances where a direct blow to the head has not occurred, it is wise to be careful. It has been shown, for example, that acceleration/deceleration injuries can be caused to the brain in cases where rapid speed changes occurred, even if there was no apparent striking of the head on other objects — the medical evidence is that the brain can be “bruised” in these instances merely by impacting the inside of the skull when a sudden speed change happens.

Experienced medical personnel can evaluate a mild, moderate, or severe traumatic brain injury and provide input on prognosis. This includes neuropsychologists, neurologists, and neuroradiologists.

In this video, doctors from Shirley Ryan Ability Lab discuss TBI treatment with new technology and therapies.

Rates of improvement vary for each TBI patient. Optimal improvement rates typically occur within the first six months. As time progresses, the recovery speed may gradually decrease. The patient may experience improvement for years following brain damage. Physicians recommend TBI patients to maintain their brain health throughout their lifetimes. Healthy behaviors sustain brain health. These include diet, exercise, and avoidance of alcohol and drugs.

Temporary impairment of brain function may occur after a minor head injury, such as a concussion. This type of injury may lead to complications, including headaches, fatigue, dizziness, depression, and memory problems. Such symptoms may last months or years. TBI patients are likely to face challenging and uncertain futures, even with family support and medical care.

The most common type of traumatic brain injury is a concussion. A concussion occurs when there is trauma to the brain from a sudden movement change or impact. The cranial nerves in the brain may sustain damage causing stretching of the blood vessels. Not all concussion cases involve loss of consciousness, but some individuals may experience it.