Home / Practice Areas / Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a brain injury or a brain injury is suspected, call the offices of Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys. Regardless of whether your injury was the result of an accident or someone’s negligent action, struggling with an insurance company that is trying to limit the medical care and therapy to which you are legally entitled is extremely stressful. Your main focus should be your rehabilitation and your recovery.

When you call us, we will meet with you free of charge to learn about your case. After getting to know you and learning about the situation you are in, we will be better able to determine how we can best help you.

As your legal representatives, our goal will be to get you all the compensation you are entitled to in the eyes of the law to make you whole. We will attempt to reach a reasonable settlement with the insurance companies involved regarding your traumatic brain injury. If they are unwilling to provide a reasonable settlement, we will file the case to have the matter decided at trial.

Whether you or your loved one’s brain injury was the result of a single traumatic injury or multiple exposures to head trauma, the result is the same. Without access to ongoing treatments and occupational therapy, rehabilitation is unlikely and your life is forever changed.

Unfortunately, brain injuries are often initially misdiagnosed and insurance companies are frequently unwilling to pay for the treatment necessary for a return to a more normal life.

What Is Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury is a head injury that results in damage to the brain. There are two basic types of head injuries that can lead to damage within the brain – closed head and penetrating head injuries.

Closed Head Injury – Occurs when the head is suddenly stopped while in motion and the brain hits the inside of the skull. This happens, for example, when the head hits the windshield during an auto accident. A closed head injury can also occur without external trauma to the head, such as when the brain moves forward and backward during whiplash. There does not need to be a loss of consciousness to suffer a traumatic brain injury.

Penetrating Head Injury – Occurs when an object penetrates the skull.

Damage can occur in three ways: bruising (bleeding), tearing, and swelling.

Bruising (bleeding) – Blood vessels can tear when the brain is injured. When this occurs, the blood pools within the brain and begins to press on sensitive brain tissue. The brain tissue will die off and critical parts of the brain may stop functioning.

Tearing – Tiny tears can occur when the brain is injured. These tears are microscopic and usually cannot be observed with a CT scan or MRI.

Swelling – Swelling occurs when the body realizes the brain has been injured. Extra help is sent to help it heal, but because there is very little room within the skull, pressure begins to build up and damages parts of the brain. Critical areas within the brain may stop functioning.

Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

Brain injuries can be caused by car accidents, assaults, and even serious falls. A brain injury can also occur as the result of repeated head injuries and concussions. Research is showing that these types of brain injuries may be more common than first thought, especially among professional sports players.

Car accidents account for over 50% of all traumatic brain injuries.

Falls are the major cause of brain injuries in older people.

Sports injuries account for 1% of all traumatic brain injuries.

Danger Signs and Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Adults

Sometimes brain injuries are not obvious. An injury such as a concussion, stroke, or whiplash can cause brain damage without showing evidence of serious trauma. The following is a list of common TBI symptoms that victims of brain injury may manifest:

Persistent mild headaches
Poor memory
Poor concentration
Poor organizational ability
Poor decision making
Slow speech
Slow reading
Confusion
Neck pain
Lack of energy
Change in sleep patterns, such as insomnia or oversleeping
Loss of balance or coordination
Sensitivity to light
Blurred vision
Loss of senses
Ringing in the ears
Loss of sex drive
Mood changes

Children

Noticing signs of brain injury in children may be more difficult because they have less developed communication skills. The child may feel some symptoms but cannot express them. If you observe any of the following changes in your child, a brain injury is possible:

A lack of energy
Crankiness or an increase in temper tantrums
Changes in their eating habits
Changes in the way they play
Altered performance in school
Loss of interest in favorite toys
Loss of skills, such as toilet training, reading, or writing
Loss of coordination and balance

Call Alexander Shunnarah Personal Injury Attorneys today at 1-800-229-7989 to schedule your free consultation.