A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is a serious type of injury that may occur in a car accident, motorcycle accident, bicycle accident, fall or another type of incident. Any level of TBI, mild to severe, can have major symptoms that impact various aspects of a victim’s life. If you’ve been diagnosed with a brain injury after an accident in Glendale, discuss your specific case and prognosis with your doctor. Below is general information about how TBIs can impact survivors.
Short-Term Symptoms
The short-term symptoms of a TBI may be immediately apparent to a victim or appear within a few hours or days of the accident. They can be painful, uncomfortable and enough to take a victim temporarily out of work. Although each case is unique, some of the most common short-term symptoms associated with a traumatic brain injury are:
- Headache
- Sensitivity to noise or light
- Dizziness, vertigo or loss of balance
- Nausea or vomiting
- Temporary memory loss
- Brief loss of consciousness
- Confusion or disorientation
- Sleep changes
- Feelings of anxiety or depression
Most physicians recommend rest, proper nutrition and hydration to treat a mild traumatic brain injury. Most short-term symptoms go away on their own without needing additional medical treatments. In some cases, however, a victim may benefit from treatments such as hot or cold therapy or physical rehabilitation.
Long-Term or Permanent Symptoms
In some cases, especially those involving moderate to severe TBIs, a victim will experience long-term symptoms that last several weeks, months or even years. These symptoms can range in severity from mild to debilitating. Long-term TBI symptoms can impact a victim’s ability to fully enjoy life or engage in daily activities. They may include:
- Mild to severe headaches
- Cognitive challenges
- Trouble communicating
- Difficulty talking or eating
- Muscle stiffness or spasticity
- Trouble walking or incoordination
- Loss of fine motor skills
- Vision problems
- Sleep disorders
- Paralysis
- Increased risk of dementia
- Increased risk of mortality
There is a chance that long-term symptoms from a traumatic brain injury will never fully dissipate. Although it is possible to make a full recovery from a TBI – even one that causes long-term symptoms – some patients live with brain injuries for life. Severe TBIs can inflict irreversible damage on the brain. A permanent TBI can cause reduced quality of life, difficulty partaking in activities, reduced self-esteem, lost capacity to earn a living, loss of companionship and society, loss of reputation, and significant mental anguish.
Settlements for Brain Injury Survivors
The brain is responsible for controlling everything from thoughts and emotions to temperature and motor skills. Any injury or damage to the brain can cause an enormous range of symptoms – many of which are life-changing. A traumatic brain injury could alter virtually all aspects of your life, from how you think and communicate to your physical capabilities and earning potential.
You may require ongoing medical care, therapies, rehabilitation and other treatments temporarily or permanently as a TBI survivor. Although no amount of money can ever make up for such a serious injury, securing a fair settlement or judgment award for a TBI could allow you and your family to pay for related medical costs and other losses. You may be eligible for financial compensation if someone else carelessly or recklessly caused your brain injury, such as in a car accident case.
The value of your brain injury claim will depend on how significantly the injury impacted you, including the current issues you are living with as well as foreseeable latent or future symptoms. The financial compensation awarded to a TBI victim in Arizona could pay for hospital bills, lost earnings, permanent disability, diminished enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, and more. Discuss the potential value of your TBI claim with a personal injury attorney in Glendale for more information.
