Advances in medicine let many people return to work quickly after being injured. Even though fractures, abrasions, and lacerations can result in aches and pain, some also heal completely over time. Some accident victims suffer injuries that impact them for the rest of their lives. Those victims that suffer traumatic brain injuries in accidents may never live the same life as they did before.
Symptoms of a “mild” concussion / “mild” traumatic brain injury
When referring to concussions, the medical community agrees that the term “mild” is a misnomer. No brain trauma is ever a mild matter. And a concussion is, by definition, a traumatic brain injury. The majority of concussions are mild traumatic brain injuries. The following are some common symptoms of mild traumatic brain injuries. Some of these symptoms linger for years, even lifetimes.
- Mild traumatic brain injuries can result in alterations in the patterns of a person’s mental state and behavior.
- A common symptom of traumatic brain injuries is a period of confusion during which an individual has trouble understanding what recently happened or what is going on in the present moment. This is often associated with gaps in a person’s memory. These are alterations in consciousness.
- In some cases, mild traumatic brain injuries start with a loss of consciousness that immediately follows an accident. A return to consciousness often occurs several seconds or minutes later.
Long-Term Impact of Traumatic Brain Injuries
The ramifications of a traumatic brain injury often manifest in less visible ways. Medical professionals have only just begun to appreciate the full extent of traumatic brain injuries. For many years, injuries that result in physical disabilities including paralysis were viewed as “body diseases” that lead to disabilities including mood disorders, personality changes, insomnia, anxiety, and difficulty with memory and concentration. Medical professionals, however, agree that traumatic brain injuries impact the entirety of the nervous system and that even though scars are not visible in the same way as other injuries, these wounds certainly stick around long after a patient has received treatment and allegedly recovered.
Devastating Nature
The Centers for Disease Control reports that approximately 2.5 million individuals experience traumatic brain injuries each year. 52,000 of these individuals pass away, while 280,000 individuals are hospitalized. Over 2.2 million people receive treatment and are released from emergency rooms. The impact, however, can be felt long after the hospital visit has ended. Without adequate attention and ongoing therapy, a brain injury can end up altering the course of a person’s life.
A Changing Landscape for TBI Victims
Just a decade ago, it was common for traumatic brain injury patients to be sent home without any follow-up or continued resources, or medical attention. These days, most brain injury patients will pursue follow-up care with a specialist. In the old days, a traumatic brain injury patient would be deemed healed just a few short months after the accident. Any lingering side effects were deemed to be unrelated issues associated with mental health.
While care for traumatic brain injury patients is certainly improving, it is still an imperfect process. If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury, having an experienced personal injury attorney at your side can help ensure that you are receiving all the necessary medical treatment and ongoing therapies.
Contact an Experienced Accident Attorney in Kansas City
If you or a loved one was impacted by an accident, you can suddenly find yourself facing countless hardships due to a traumatic brain injury. Fortunately, an experienced accident attorney can fight for the results you deserve. Contact House Law Office PLLC today to schedule a free case evaluation.
Tags: brain injury, personal injury, traumatic brain injury
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