Santa Barbara, California, is home to outstanding schools, beautiful mountains, and gorgeous weather that attracts people worldwide; however, these positive features could become less critical for those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury. Brain injuries are serious matters that can occur due to various accidents and place significant stress on the patient and their loved ones in various ways.

Like other traumatic injuries, brain injuries can vary in severity from one injury to the next. Sometimes, people may only experience a mild headache that escalates from a crescendo to more severe pain. Other times, people may lose consciousness immediately, suffer a penetrating injury, or suffer blunt force trauma to the head in a dramatic accident. Regardless of the cause, people should know that any contact with the head can be severe and merits medical attention. Symptoms include:

• Headache
• Double vision
• Loss of sight
• Loss of hearing
• Loss of memory
• Loss of consciousness
• Severe bleeding
• Lack of orientation to person, place, time, or purpose

Sometimes, brain injuries can have delayed symptom onset, and it could be too late by the time the symptoms start.

The educational video below discusses the signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury.

When someone suffers a brain injury, much attention is placed on their medical recovery and prognosis. While this concern is due, it is easy to forget several other problems arising from a traumatic brain injury that impacts the patient and their loved ones.

• Financial Stress: A brain injury can financially place even the most comfortable family in dire circumstances. Even if a family has health insurance, their deductible alone could be enough to significantly strain their finances. If the patient requires a stay in the intensive care unit or brain surgery, this can quickly exceed the lifetime limit on their health insurance policy. This could be substantial, leaving the family on the hook for the rest of the bills.
• Emotional Stress: Brain injuries are unique because they impact a person’s cognitive abilities. Much of a person’s identity is in their personality, mental skills, and consciousness. If a severe brain injury occurs, this could be taken away even if the patient survives. The prognosis is unknown until the patient wakes up, creating a certain amount of emotional stress from the uncertain future.
• Logistical Stress: Whenever a patient stays in the hospital for an extended period, it can be difficult for a family to figure out who will stay and support the patient. At the same time, life continues outside of the hospital. This can strain relationships with family and friends as people find their own ways to cope and continue.

Brain injuries are difficult, and nobody should have to deal with a brain injury alone. Patients and their families should know it is acceptable to ask for help from friends, the medical community, religious providers, and others. Anyone having trouble navigating the waters of a severe brain injury shouldn’t be afraid to reach out.

Regardless of the mechanism behind the accident, brain injuries are always a serious matter. If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, please call Santa Barbara brain injury lawyers at (805) 372-0200 or (800) 404-5400 for friendly, free advice. See our past cases on our Verdicts and Settlements page.

^{Editor’s Note: updated [cha 10.11.23] Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay dr bw [cs 704]}