California residents faced with a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, often experience a drastic change in their lives. They may have to go through extensive therapy and might never be able to work again in some cases. The carelessness and negligence of others may be responsible for the TBI.
Common causes of traumatic brain injury
A TBI is a personal injury caused by a blow to the head. The blow can either result from blunt or penetrating trauma. Concussions are the most well-known example of TBIs. Injury occurs not so much with the initial blow but with the swelling of the brain that follows. In addition to concussions, other types of TBIs are:
- Contusions or injuries to specific areas of the brain
- Diffuse axonal injury, a stretching of the nerve cells
- Traumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, which is bleeding into the space surrounding the brain
- Hematomas, or blood clots that form when a blood vessel ruptures
About 1.5 to 2 million individuals suffer TBIs annually. These injuries are either mild, moderate or severe, with the latter resulting in loss of consciousness for more than six hours.
Brain injuries often occur with other trauma
TBIs aren’t always readily apparent as they often take time to develop. Those who have suffered trauma that included a blow to the head should look out for secondary brain injuries that could develop as part of the body’s response to the original incident. Symptoms that can indicate a TBI but may not be readily apparent include:
- Confusion and disorientation
- Amnesia
- Fatigue
- Visual problems
- Poor concentration
- Sleep disturbances
- Loss of balance
- Irritability
- Seizures
- Depression
- Vomiting
To definitively diagnose a TBI, the victim will need to go through a Glasgow Coma Score point test used to grade a patient’s level of consciousness. A doctor may also use imaging tests like Computed Tomography or Magnetic Resonance Imaging to diagnose a TBI.
Most often, negligence resulting from an accident is the culprit. When negligence occurs, the victim may be able to receive compensation for injuries, suffering, medical treatments, loss of income and more.
