Traumatic brain injuries, also known as TBIs, can happen in the blink of an eye, changing the future of the victim in profound, lasting ways. While many other catastrophic injuries have a good chance of healing over time with the right medical care and therapy, many TBIs are permanent and lead to a lifetime of disability. And sadly, brain injuries are very common. There are around 1.7 million victims of brain injuries each year, notes the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than a quarter-million hospital admissions result from TBIs each year, and more than 50,000 people lose their lives because of TBIs on an annual basis. Contact our Auburn traumatic brain injury attorney right away if you or a loved one have experienced a TBI.
The typical cause of traumatic brain injury is blunt or sudden force to the head. In most cases, the victim experiences a blow to the head with violent force that resulted in the brain hitting the skull’s interior and then bouncing back. This type of TBI is not unusual with whiplash injuries. Sudden rotational force that tears the structure of the brain and then causes swelling can also cause traumatic brain injury. TBIs are often seen with:
Brain injuries can be unpredictable, mainly because their symptoms sometimes fail to be evident right away. It is not uncommon for brain injury symptoms to crop up weeks or months following an accident, even when multiple diagnostic exams have revealed no injury at all. Regardless of the severity of the brain injury, even the mildest brain injuries can lead to a bevy of different problems as time progresses.
In many cases, the symptoms of TBI go away without treatment, while others may require medical treatment to resolve. Significant brain injuries, however, may be too substantial for treatment, leading to serious complications that can forever impact the victim’s everyday life. The most serious of these complications include locked-in syndrome, being in a vegetative state, experiencing minimal consciousness, and brain death.
The victim of traumatic brain injury is left oftentimes impaired cognitively and experiences reduced mobility. They may find it hard to provide care for themselves, much less retain employment. In many cases, the victim of TBI requires lifetime assistance in activities of daily living such as bathing, grooming, dressing, cooking and so on. For this reason, it is often the case that in-home care or moving to a personal care home may be necessary. The cost of treatment in brain injuries can soar into the millions over the course of the person’s lifetime.
Your TBI injury is unique, and the circumstances surrounding it are also unique. There are so many factors that go into a successful TBI claim. Having an advocate in your corner who understands the nuances of this type of injury is crucial to getting a positive outcome for your claim. Contact our Auburn personal injury attorneys right away to discuss your case and devise a path forward with your TBI claim.
