Traumatic Brain Injuries and Your Personal Injury Claim
It comes as no surprise that the area of the body that’s injury often results in some of the worst fallout for victims is the brain. The human skull and head, in general, is one of our most naturally tough parts of the body. Yet it is still remarkably susceptible to significant injuries in the form of traumatic brain injuries.
The term traumatic brain injury is an umbrella term that covers injuries where the brain suffers damage due to a violent force acting on the head. Injuries ranging from concussions to full blown skull penetration can be considered traumatic brain injuries. As one can imagine, the nature of traumatic brain injuries means that some severe damage can be done to a person’s cognitive functions.
It is this kind of damage that can often prove to be more debilitating than most people can imagine. Those that have suffered traumatic brain injuries will often have to contend with a degree of cognitive damage that sometimes may get better with time. In the worse of cases, the brain injury will lead to degeneration.
Minnesota Personal Injury Claims
Someone that suffers a traumatic brain injury because of an accident caused by a liable party’s negligence can seek compensation for the damages they sustained through a personal injury claim. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you may be able to prove a liable party’s negligence and pursue a claim successfully.
The success of a claim is often dependant on the understanding of the legal process, thorough investigation, skilled negotiation, and familiarity with the mechanics of pursuing a claim. By hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer like Sand Law, you will ensure that your case is handled by lawyers with a proven track record of aggressively pursuing compensation for their clients.
Common Traumatic Brain Injuries
These injuries rank among the most common that people involved in accidents ranging from motorcycle collisions to construction accidents experience. Regardless of how serious you may think a blow to the head is, it’s always better to play it safe and see a doctor rather than realize down the line you have suffered a traumatic brain injury that has gotten worse without treatment. Many of these injuries cause significant cognitive damage and disability. These effects can alter your finances, career, and quality of life in general.
Concussion Traumatic Brain Injuries
The concussion is probably the most common of all traumatic brain injuries and is on the more mild part of the brain injury spectrum. However, this should not detract from how serious one should take such an injury. Concussions if neglected can develop complications that can easily cause significantly more damage to a person and lead to lifelong disability.
Concussions can be caused by almost any kind of accident but motor vehicle, as well as slip and fall accidents, seem to contribute the most concussions of all. A concussion is essentially when physical trauma to the brain results in a disruption of its cognitive functions. Concussions almost always end up recovering on their own over time. Hence they tend to be among the milder brain injuries one can suffer.
A concussion should always be examined by a medical professional ASAP to avoid complications. You will also ensure you receive proper treatment by doing so. It is also imperative since your claim can be affected by how soon you seek medical attention after an accident.
Coup-Contrecoup Traumatic Brain Injuries
A coup-contrecoup traumatic brain injury is when the brain impacts the inside of the skull when the head is impacted by forces that jerk it very quickly. The coup part meaning that the brain impacts the area of the injury impact. Contrecoup means it impacts the opposite side of the head with regard to the injury impact. For example, if you hit your head on a steering wheel when rear-ended, a coup brain injury would be at your forehead. And contrecoup would be the back of the head.
Diffuse Axonal Injury Traumatic Brain Injuries
A diffuse axonal traumatic brain injury is when the brain is damaged due to it scraping across the bony inside of the skull due to a significant force that acts upon the head. When the brain scrapes across the inside of the skull, it shears the axons of the brain. These are nerve fibers essential to your brain’s ability to send signals.
This is among one of the more severe brain injuries that an accident victim can sustain. Victims of a diffuse axonal injury can have severe cognitive impairment. Or they can slip into a vegetative state and become totally unresponsive. This kind of injury is typically characterized by an injury victim losing consciousness for days or longer.
Intracranial Hemorrhage Traumatic Brain Injuries
An intracranial hemorrhage is when the brain suffers internal bleeding due to a significant trauma acting upon the skull. The significant force that acts on the head can rupture a blood vessel or cause it to leak somehow. Intracranial hemorrhage can easily lead to death and significant complication if not treated via surgery right away. The buildup of blood inside the skull and brain can lead to pressure that may further harm and injure the brain if not addressed.
Common Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms
- Headaches
- Memory loss
- Depression
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Fatigue
- Inattentiveness
- Inability to concentrate
- Insomnia
- Mood Swings
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Loss of concentration
- Loss of balance
- Vision issues
- Change in sense of smell or taste
- Mood changes
- Nausea
- Seizures
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Slurred speech
CONTACT EXPERIENCED MINNESOTA PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS
If you’ve been involved in an accident and are experiencing a traumatic brain injury, you could be entitled to compensation. With a personal injury claim, you can seek compensation for a variety of damages that a traumatic brain injury can cause. If you believe an accident that you were involved in resulted in you suffering a traumatic brain injury then do not hesitate to seek medical care. And contact Sand Law for a free consultation on how to proceed with taking legal action.
Consider contacting Sand Law about a possible personal injury claim and how we can assist you in seeking compensation for your injuries. Your primary concern should be recovery and we understand that balancing that with an injury claim can be difficult. Allow us to represent you and help secure a settlement you are comfortable with while you heal.