Understanding TBI: What is a Traumatic Brain Injury and How Does It Impact You?
Abeyta Nelson Injury Law attorneys are experts in negotiating claims for those who have had a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Call us today for a free consultation.
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is an injury to the brain caused by either a single traumatic event or a series of events occurring over time. From mild and temporary to serious and life-altering, TBI can be difficult to diagnose and treat depending on the nature of the injury and the force and type of impact. Sometimes, the effects of a TBI are felt immediately, while other times, the effects of a TBI are delayed and not felt until days or weeks after the traumatic event.
TBI can have lasting effects that may significantly impact a person’s daily activities, quality of life, and those around them. TBI may negatively impact an injured person’s mental health, causing personality changes such as depression, anxiety, mood swings, or inability to self-regulate. In severe or chronic cases, A traumatic brain injury may require ongoing and costly care throughout an injured person’s life, affecting not only the individual but significantly impacting their family members as well. Consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney is especially important in these types of cases.
Are Traumatic Brain Injuries Common?
While one may think that traumatic brain injuries are relatively uncommon, quite the opposite is true. TBI is a public health issue contributing to disability and death, and as a society, TBI and concussions remain an under-studied and unmet medical need. These types of injuries will continue to become even more prevalent due to many factors, including an aging population prone to falls and injury. According to the Capitol Hill news source Roll Call, in 2023, it was estimated that TBI claimed the lives of over 64,000 people in the United States, and the direct and indirect costs of TBI totaled over $76 billion.
Individuals and families must understand the medical implications of TBI and the importance of hiring legal counsel experienced in handling TBI after a serious accident.
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), a TBI is either caused by a closed injury, such as a blow or jolt to the head, which shakes the brain inside the skull, or an open or penetrating injury, such as a gunshot. A closed injury may range from mild to severe, while a penetrating injury is always serious. The terms mild, moderate, and severe are all used to describe the effect of the injury on the brain. However, professionals recognize that even a mild brain injury, also known as a concussion, should be taken seriously and warrant prompt medical attention. Patients are highly encouraged to consult with a physician to diagnose and treat even what is suspected to be a less severe condition.
Leading Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury
Falls are the leading cause of TBI in the United States. They most frequently affect older adults and young children and are typically the result of falling from a ladder, in a bathtub, or downstairs, for example.
Other common causes of traumatic brain injury are motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, assaults, or as the result of combat. Typically, these types of injuries “refer to the sudden and profound injury to the brain that is considered to be more or less complete at the time of impact”. In other words, primary injuries usually consist of rapid or violent force at the time of a serious accident and often results in bruising and tearing of brain tissue and blood vessels.
Secondary Brain Injury
According to Stanford Medicine, a secondary brain injury refers to the changes that evolve over a period of time (from hours to days) after the primary brain injury. Secondary brain injuries include “an entire cascade of cellular, chemical, tissue or blood vessel changes in the brain that contribute to further destruction of brain tissue.”
Symptoms and Diagnosis of TBI
As with all injuries, TBI affects everyone differently, depending on the age and gender of the person affected and the severity or type of injury. While some may receive brief treatment and make a full recovery after a mild concussion, others may experience significant changes in their daily life following a TBI.
Physical Symptoms
The physical symptoms of a traumatic brain injury may include headaches, vomiting, nausea, vision or hearing impairment, dizziness, and issues maintaining balance. Other symptoms may affect mobility and coordination issues. Others may experience chronic pain and fatigue, dramatically affecting their overall quality of life.
Cognitive Symptoms
Cognitive symptoms related to TBI may include executive function difficulties, confusion, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, challenges in learning or retaining new information, and memory loss.
Behavioral Symptoms
TBI may also impact an individual’s emotions and behavior, such as increasing mood swings, irritability, depression, and anxiety. TBI may also pose relationship challenges or cause the affected person to become socially isolated.
Over time, there is a risk that a person with TBI may experience long-term effects and complications, and research has shown that concussions are linked to an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases later in life, including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and CTE, a degenerative brain disease.
TBI may also impact a person’s lifespan and overall quality of life. If an injured person presents with any of these symptoms, a diagnosis should be made by a trained medical professional who is experienced in administering neurological exams, cognitive assessments, or imaging tests like CT or MRI to determine the severity of the symptoms and create a plan to address them.
Treatment and Rehabilitation for TBI
The time following a TBI is critical. Even a person with a suspected concussion or mild TBI should seek immediate medical intervention. A serious TBI should be diagnosed and treated in emergency care, where physicians are trained to diagnose and treat all types of brain injury. In severe cases, surgery may be required.
Following diagnosis and treatment, a medical provider will send the patient home with a plan for treatment or rehabilitation. Depending on the type and severity of the TBI, this may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech and language therapy.
A treatment plan may also include psychological support for the injured person, such as counseling, therapy, or support groups.
Although there is still much to learn about TBI, innovations in these types of brain injury are constantly advancing and improving. Emerging therapies and technologies provide individuals with more effective treatment options, less downtime, and faster results. Finally, new research and clinical trials offer hope for those suffering from TBI and a second chance at returning to a healthy quality of life.
The Importance of Legal Representation
It is often difficult for individuals or families to know when to talk with an attorney. Following an accident, most people contact their auto or medical insurance company. While one may think getting help from their insurance agent is straightforward, this is rarely the case. Insurance agents work on behalf of and in the best interest of their company, not for the individual who has experienced a loss.
Whether an injured person is seeking compensation for damages, medical expenses, lost wages, or pain and suffering, insurance representatives may delay or stall the negotiation process or offer a much lower monetary settlement than necessary to make an individual whole again. In addition, an insurance agent may pressure the accident victim to accept a low offer so they can quickly close out the claim. However, once the claim is closed, it cannot be re-opened, and the insured may regret accepting that offer before consulting with an attorney who is likely to negotiate a higher settlement.
Working with the Personal Injury Lawyers at Abeyta Nelson Injury Law
Understanding insurance policies and navigating personal injury claims are challenging for most non-attorneys. That’s why consulting with an experienced TBI attorney like those at Abeyta Nelson Injury Law is essential, especially before signing any agreement with an insurance company.
Past TBI clients and their family members who hired the attorneys of Abeyta Nelson say that at the time of their injury, they didn’t think their case was serious enough to warrant legal representation. However, after their case was resolved, most were relieved to have had an attorney who advocated for them every step of the way, diminishing the stress and confusion of navigating a personal injury claim on their own.
Hiring a Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney in Yakima, WA
Choosing the right personal injury attorney for a TBI case is critical. With 42 years in business and over 100 years combined experience, Abeyta Nelson Injury Law attorneys have handled and successfully settled multiple TBI cases resulting from serious auto accidents. In addition, Abeyta Nelson Injury Law resolved the largest settlement in Yakima County history, $6.9M, involving an infant who fell from unsafe bleachers at a Yakima Valley high school.
Every year, medical research reveals valuable information about the dangers and impact of TBI, but there is still much to learn. More than brain injury awareness, more effective TBI treatment is needed. With hundreds of TBI-related hospitalizations each day, there are hundreds more who go undiagnosed and still others who remain untreated due to an inability to access or afford proper medical care. Awareness and action are key following a brain injury.
If you or a loved one is the victim of brain injury following a fall or an accident, it is critical to take swift action, get a medical diagnosis, and then follow all prescribed treatment options from a physician. The attorneys of Abeyta Nelson Injury Law have 100 years of combined experience in handling TBI cases, and they can help your family put the pieces back together after a serious accident.
Contact our attorneys today for a free, no-obligation personal injury consultation.