Since 2006, the number of TBI-related deaths has jumped 53%. Traumatic brain injuries (and even mild concussions) are serious because, as outlined below, they are hard to diagnose and difficult to treat.
TBIs usually mean a lifetime of pain and suffering for both victims and their families. As a result, an experienced Kansas City personal injury attorney can normally obtain substantial compensation in these cases. These families need this compensation to pay medical bills and also live somewhat normal post-injury lives.
What Causes Head Injuries?
Vehicle collisions are the leading cause of Traumatic Brain Injuries. High-speed collisions combine all three TBI causes, which are:
- Trauma: Seatbelts, airbags, and other restraint systems can only absorb so much force. In many high-speed wrecks, these restraint systems cannot fully prevent trauma injuries, especially to the head.
- Noise: Frequently, car crash witnesses say they sounded like explosions. Sudden loud noises like these trigger shock waves which disrupt brain functions.
- Motion: The sudden, violent motion of a car crash might cause as many TBIs as the other two aforementioned causes. Just like it is possible to shake an egg and scramble it, it is possible to shake the head and scramble the brain.
Falls cause a number of TBIs as well. These incidents could cause a motion or trauma-related brain injury.
Third-party assaults also cause a number of brain injuries. Landowners could be legally responsible for these damages, under a theory like negligent security.
If an attorney proves negligence, or a lack of care, the available compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.
Treating Brain Injuries
Head injuries are difficult to diagnose, and unfortunately, many medical professionals, including emergency room physicians, are not trained to adequately screen for and diagnose head injuries. As a result, many people with head injuries are not treated soon after the injury was incurred. For example, football players who sustain concussions often want to go right back in the game. Neither they nor their coaches usually realize how badly hurt they are.
Coaches and even doctors often do not recognize head injuries. Many victims may not experience nausea or vomiting or even a loss of consciousness. Other times, doctors of other professionals ascribe head injury symptoms to shock from the accident or another cause. As a result, many victims do not get the treatment they need when they need it. So, their conditions deteriorate.
By the time victims show more advanced symptoms, like personality changes and headaches, their injuries have progressed. These TBIs are more difficult to treat. Sometimes, doctors must use a combination of surgery to reduce swelling and physical therapy to help victims regain lost functions.
Reach Out to an Assertive Attorney
If you have been injured due to another person’s negligence, call Aaron M. House at 816-875-4260 today for a free consultation.
Tags: traumatic brain injury
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