Simply stated, Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) are unique. These injuries are quite unlike other types of injuries, and not just because of the high fatality rate. Other physical wounds, such as broken bones, may eventually heal, given time and treatment, but a traumatic brain injury is often permanent because once brain cells die, they never regenerate.
Furthermore, brain injuries are degenerative. Initial symptoms, like nausea, dizziness, and unconsciousness, can often give way to more serious symptoms, such as personality changes, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms make it difficult or even impossible to function at work, school, or anyplace else.
Eventually, unless the victim receives intensive and targeted physical therapy, dementia-like symptoms can develop. At this point, the brain injury survival rate drops dramatically. However, brain injury physical therapy can prolong life and quality of life. A good therapist can train uninjured areas of the brain to assume lost functions.
The lifelong treatment of a traumatic brain injury can be very expensive, and due to the serious nature of these injuries, an experienced Kansas City personal injury attorney might be able to obtain substantial compensation for these injuries. This compensation includes payment for medical treatment (such as vestibular therapy, prism lenses, and other medical bills), lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Lately, sports-related concussions have been in the headlines, but many TBIs are caused in car accidents and after a person falls. And many mistakenly believe that a person must hit their head in order to suffer a TBI, but that simply is not true. Any sudden movement of the head back and forth can result in a TBI (sadly, this is often what occurs with babies that are abused and shaken by their caregivers). The symptoms of a TBI can sometimes be lifelong, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease caused by multiple concussions.
Motor vehicle collisions are, by far, the leading cause of TBIs in Missouri. These incidents combine all three common TBI causes, which are:
- Trauma: A vehicle restraint system can only absorb so much force. The brain often responds to TBIs by swelling, which makes the injury even more severe.
- Motion: The brain does not fit snugly against the skull. Instead, the skull is like a water tank which suspends the brain in cerebrospinal fluid. The sudden motion of a car wreck causes the brain to slam against the inside of the skull.
- Noise: Car crash witnesses often say that the noise sounded like an explosion. These sudden loud noises create shock waves which can disrupt brain functions.
Connect with an Assertive Attorney
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury because of another person’s negligence, call Aaron M. House at 816-875-4260 today for a free consultation. There is no fee until we obtain a settlement or judgment on your behalf.
Tags: brain injury, traumatic brain injury
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