Category Archives: Brain Injuries

The Long-Term Effects of an Untreated Head Injury

Friday, December 30, 2022

Brain injuries can be very serious. One of the most important organs in the human body, the brain is responsible for controlling critical functions like movement, mood, and memory. When you suffer any type of trauma to the head, the brain can be damaged, resulting in both short-term symptoms and long-term complications.

The long-term effects of an untreated head injury can be severe, ranging from ongoing headaches to seizures and degenerative diseases. If you suffer a blow to the head, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as you can—and to speak with a personal injury lawyer about your legal options.

Ongoing Headaches and Migraines

A brain injury often results in persistent, frequent headaches and migraines. These chronic headaches can become worse over time, impacting your quality of life for weeks, months, or even permanently. Even with treatment, it is very common for brain injury victims to suffer from headaches.

Seizures and Post-Traumatic Epilepsy

It is common for untreated head injuries to result in ongoing seizures or even post-traumatic epilepsy. For some patients, these symptoms may begin immediately following the brain trauma. For others, seizures may not develop until months or years following the incident.

These episodes can be terrifying and come on suddenly without warning. Seizures and epileptic disorders are especially common among patients who show anomalies on their brain scans. In some cases, these seizures are permanent.

Mental Health Disorders

Many head injury victims suffer from emotional and cognitive problems in addition to physical complications. Failure to seek medical care can increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and many other mental health disorders. Patients may also experience changes in personality, mood swings, and feelings of aggression.

Sleep Problems

Many people with head or brain trauma can experience sleep problems. If you have suffered this injury, you may experience ongoing insomnia or an inability to fall asleep. You may wake up frequently during the night and experience excessive daytime sleepiness. Lack of sleep can cause significant emotional and mental health problems, resulting in further hardship.

Higher Risk of Death

Without proper medical care, an untreated head injury can result in a higher risk of death. This is especially true if you experience moderate to severe brain trauma. Fatal complications such as sepsis and embolisms may arise. Additionally, the mental and cognitive effects of trauma can increase the risk of suicide.

Degenerative Brain Diseases

According to some scientific studies, people who suffer traumatic brain injuries are more likely to suffer degenerative brain diseases like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s. If you seek emergency medical care after a head injury, you can reduce the risk of long-term diseases and help brain cells heal. Without treatment, however, the brain cells will continue to degenerate, impairing brain function.

Speak to an Attorney About an Untreated Head Injury

Often, head injuries are the result of accidents caused by someone else, like motor vehicle collisions and hazardous property conditions. If you suffered brain trauma at the hands of another person, you may be eligible for legal action.

Depending on the facts of your case, you could pursue an insurance claim or lawsuit against the at-fault party. A California personal injury attorney can guide you through the litigation process and recover the compensation that you deserve. Contact a lawyer as soon as possible after your accident to discuss your legal options and plan your next steps.

Posted by highrank at 4:40 pm

What Is Secondary Brain Injury Prevention?

Saturday, October 22, 2022

The brain is responsible for controlling our thoughts, emotions, movement, speech, and more. Any damage to the brain can lead to complications and lifelong impairments. One of these complications is known as secondary brain injury, a serious condition that develops after the initial brain damage.

If you suffered a brain injury, it is critical to take steps to monitor and prevent secondary brain damage. Going to the doctor and receiving prompt medical attention are only some of the ways that you can avoid this dangerous condition.

Signs and Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury occurs when you suffer a sudden, profound injury to your head. This brain damage can be caused by a sudden jolt or blow to the head, violent shaking, or objects that penetrate the skull. Car accidents, falls, gunshot wounds, and other accidents often lead to serious brain injuries.

Symptoms of a brain injury can vary based on the location, severity, and type of damage. Below are some of the most common signs of this dangerous medical condition:

Persistent headache
Loss of consciousness
Nausea or vomiting
Fatigue or drowsiness
Speech changes
Loss of balance
Dizziness
Light and sound sensitivity
Weakness or numbness

What Is Secondary Brain Injury?

After a primary brain injury occurs, the brain starts to experience changes in its tissue, blood vessels, cells, and chemicals. These changes can cause further injury and destruction in the brain and may develop over the minutes, hours, days, or even weeks following the initial damage. This phenomenon is known as secondary brain injury.

How to Prevent Secondary Brain Injury

Secondary brain injuries can lead to disability and even death without treatment. However, early management of these symptoms can help reduce the impact of the condition. Doctors must ensure that the patient gets enough oxygen and maintains stable blood pressure. By stabilizing the patient and monitoring his or her heart rate or blood pressure, the risk of secondary brain injury decreases.

What to Do If You Suffer Traumatic Brain Damage

Suffering from traumatic brain damage can be extremely distressing and scary, regardless of whether you experienced a primary or secondary injury. If you suffer any type of injury to the head, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible, even if you do not feel any symptoms. Brain injuries may not cause any pain or discomfort for some time following the initial impact.

If someone else was responsible for your brain injury, you may have the right to pursue legal action against the at-fault party. Depending on the cause of your accident, you could file an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit.

After receiving medical care, you should try to gather as much evidence about the accident as you can. Obtain the police report that was taken at the scene of the accident. Collect any photographs or videos from the incident and try to get in touch with any witnesses who saw it happen.

Once you have gathered this information, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. A Bakersfield TBI lawyer can assess these pieces of evidence and determine whether you have a case. Then, he or she will help you take your first steps toward recovering the compensation that you deserve.

Posted by highrank at 9:50 pm

5 Types of Brain Injuries Sustained in Car Accidents

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

When a car accident happens, it is common for the vehicle occupants to suffer forceful blows, jolts, or bumps to the head. This trauma can cause serious damage to the brain and lead to painful, sometimes life-altering effects like persistent headaches, loss of function, or even a coma.

Brain damage can range in severity and can lead to significant financial, physical, and emotional hardships. There are many types of brain injuries that a person could sustain in a car accident, including concussions, skull fractures, and contusions.

#1: Concussion

Concussions are one of the most common types of brain injuries in traumatic accidents. This injury is typically caused by a blow to the head and results in symptoms like nausea, headache, vomiting, blurred vision, and ringing in the ears.

Concussions are relatively mild, but some injuries can lead to dangerous complications and long-lasting effects. Some patients experience a temporary change in mental function and could suffer compounded symptoms if they have another concussion before the first one is healed.

#2: Skull Fracture

During a car accident, the skull surrounding your brain can fracture or crack. Because they can happen any time that you hit your head, skull fractures usually occur in addition to other injuries like concussions. Symptoms of this condition include bruising, swelling, severe head pain, and bleeding from the ears or nose.

#3: Coup-Contrecoup Injury

A coup-contrecoup injury occurs when your brain is injured in two places. During a car accident, you could suffer a blow to the head that severely injures the brain at the site of impact. However, the force can be so great that it causes your brain to slide to the other side of your skull and suffer an injury on the opposite end. Coup-contrecoup injuries can be very painful and lead to bleeding, swelling, and bruising.

#4: Brain Contusion

Contusion is another word for bruise. When the brain suffers a violent jolt or blow during a car accident, it is very common for contusions to develop. In some cases, brain contusions heal without major medical intervention. However, these injuries can lead to extremely dangerous complications like blood clots and bleeding.

#5: Diffuse Axonal Injuries

Axons are cables that connect different neurons in the brain together, allowing electrical impulses to travel from cell to cell. Extreme forces exerted during a car accident can cause the axons to tear or shear, leading to a diffuse axonal injury. This type of brain injury is extremely severe and often results in devastating injuries, comas, or death.

Contact a California Brain Injury Attorney

If your brain was damaged in a motor vehicle collision, you deserve fair compensation for the harm that you suffered. By filing a brain injury lawsuit or car insurance claim, you could secure a settlement to help pay for medical care, property damage, disability accommodations, and other losses.

If you have suffered a brain injury in California, you should retain the services of an attorney who will fight for the full value of your compensation. Your brain injury lawyer can help you navigate the legal process and work to protect your rights and best interests.

Get in touch with an attorney as soon as possible after your car accident to initiate an insurance claim or lawsuit. Your lawyer will evaluate your case and help you begin the process of obtaining the settlement you deserve.

Posted by highrank at 8:53 pm

What Are the Leading Causes of Concussions?

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

A concussion is one of the most common types of brain injuries. This condition occurs when the brain experiences an immediate and transient alteration in function, leading to a temporary loss of normal brain mechanics.

Many incidents can lead to a concussion, from sports injuries and motor vehicle accidents to acts of violence like assault. If you believe that you have a concussion, it is critical to seek medical care immediately to avoid potentially dangerous complications.

What Are Top Causes of Concussion Injuries?

Concussions occur due to trauma to the head. The brain tissue is soft and delicate, protected by the hard skull or cranium. The cerebrospinal fluid surrounds the brain, acting as a cushion between the organ and the skull.

During a moment of severe impact or force, the brain can bounce and move around inside of the skull. The brain can collide with the sides of the skull at dangerous force, causes the brain cells to stretch and become damaged. As a result, the brain experiences chemical changes that impact its function.

There are many incidents that could lead to a concussion. Some of the leading causes of this injury include the following.

Motor vehicle accidents
Falls on the same level or from high places
Injuries sustained during sports or on the playground
Being assaulted or hit on the head by another person

Concussion injuries can affect brain function for a brief period before healing with rest and medical care. However, some people experience lasting complications from these injuries, such as persistent post-concussive symptoms and post-traumatic headaches.

Common Symptoms of a Concussion

It can be difficult to know when you have a concussion. Symptoms of this condition may not appear for a few hours following the initial injury. However, any damage to the brain can lead to serious complications like bleeding or swelling. It is important to go to the doctor after experiencing any blow or jolt to the head.

Symptoms of concussions can be subtle and difficult to spot at first. In most cases, people experience headache, temporary amnesia, and confusion.

Additional symptoms of concussions include the following.

Ringing in the ears
Nausea and vomiting
Fatigue or drowsiness
Blurry vision
Feeling in a fog
Dizziness
Temporary loss of consciousness
Slurred speech
Sleep disturbances
Irritability and mood swings
Sensitivity to light and sound

What to Do If You Suspect That You Have a Concussion

If you believe that you have a concussion, it is critical to receive emergency medical attention as soon as possible. Without treatment, concussions can become very dangerous and result in serious complications in the future. Seek medical care and save all records related to your injury.

In many cases, concussions occur due to the negligence of another person. If you sustain a concussion in an accident caused by someone else, you may be eligible for legal action against the at-fault party. In these situations, it is important to consult with a Bakersfield brain injury attorney about your options.

Concussions can be serious and painful conditions that affect your daily life. If someone else’s actions are responsible for your injury, you deserve justice. Contact a California brain injury lawyer as soon as possible following the accident to discuss your case and strategize your next steps.

Posted by highrank at 5:32 pm

What Are Coup and Contrecoup Brain Injuries?

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

The brain is responsible for controlling our body’s most important functions, from memory and concentration to movement and speech. If you sustain any injury to the brain, you can sustain severe, long-term damage and permanent disability. Some of the most serious brain injuries are coup and contrecoup injuries, which occur when the brain hits the side of the skull. Without prompt treatment, a coup or contrecoup brain injury can be life-threatening. If you or your loved one was injured, a Bakersfield brain injury lawyer can help.

Symptoms of a Coup and Contrecoup Brain Injury

A coup brain injury occurs when your brain collides into one side of your skull, while a coup-contrecoup brain injury occurs both at the site of the initial trauma and on the opposite side of the skull. During a coup-contrecoup injury, the brain hits one side of the skull, slides to the other side, and sustains trauma on the opposite side of the initial trauma.

These injuries can be severe and result in painful symptoms, including the following.

Headaches
Loss of consciousness
Slurred speech
Confusion
Dizziness
Light or noise sensitivity
Coma

If you believe that you sustained a brain injury, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. Without treatment, you can sustain permanent and life-threatening damage to the neurons, blood vessels, and other structures in the brain.

Legal Options After a Coup or Contrecoup Brain Injury

A brain injury can occur due to many acts, including motor vehicle collisions, falls from high places, and acts of violence. If you sustain a coup or contrecoup brain injury due to another person’s negligence, however, you may be eligible for financial compensation. You could file an insurance claim or lawsuit against the at-fault party.

To establish your right to this compensation, you will need to prove that the at-fault party was responsible for your injury and committed an act of negligence. In a personal injury lawsuit, you will need to provide sufficient evidence to prove the following four elements.

The at-fault party owed you a duty of care. For example, drivers have a duty to follow traffic laws and drive safely.
The at-fault party breached his or her duty of care. For example, a driver who runs a red light or drives while drunk breaches his or her duty.
The at-fault party’s breach of duty caused the accident and your coup or contrecoup brain injury.
You sustained damages that you can recover in the lawsuit.

You can use many pieces of evidence to prove your right to compensation, such as medical records, surveillance footage, witness testimony, and police reports.

What to Do If You Experience a Coup or Contrecoup Brain Injury

If you experience a coup or contrecoup brain injury, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. Not only can emergency care help reduce the risk of life-threatening complications, but your medical records will be valuable for your future claim. Save all records related to your treatment and injuries.

Once you receive medical attention, contact a Bakersfield brain injury attorney as soon as possible. A lawyer can evaluate your case and determine whether or not you are eligible for a personal injury lawsuit. If you have grounds for a claim, your attorney will initiate your first steps toward compensation. Contact an attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal options.

Posted by highrank at 1:11 pm

What Is a Hematoma and What Causes It?

Friday, April 30, 2021

Our brains serve as the command system for our bodies. Any damage to this vital organ can lead to long-term complications, including memory loss, chronic pain, seizures, and difficulty speaking or writing. Unfortunately, thousands of people suffer from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) each year.

There are many types of TBI, which range in severity from mild damage to severe, life-threatening conditions. One type of serious brain injury is an intracranial hematoma, or bleeding in the brain.

What Is Intracranial Hematoma?

The term hematoma refers to a collection of blood outside of a blood vessel. Hematomas can occur in many locations, including under the nail bed, in the ear, and in the liver. Some of the most serious forms of hematoma occur in the brain.

Intracranial hematoma is a condition where blood collects inside of the skull. This condition occurs when a blood vessel inside of the brain ruptures or when a patient sustains a head injury during an accident. Symptoms of intracranial hematoma include the following.

Vomiting
Slurred speech
Loss of movement
Unequal pupil size
Confusion and dizziness
Loss of consciousness
Drowsiness
Vomiting
Worsening headache

If you believe you have an intracranial hematoma, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. Without prompt treatment, this condition can lead to permanent brain damage, coma, or death.

Common Causes of Intracranial Hematoma

You can develop a hematoma in the brain for several reasons. Aneurysms, poorly developed arteries or veins, high blood pressure, and tumors can all contribute to this condition. However, hematoma often develops after you suffer a head injury in an accident. In many cases, someone else’s negligent actions cause brain injuries.

Car accidents often contribute to hematoma. You may hit your head or have an object penetrate your skull during a forceful collision, leading to bleeding in the brain and long-term brain damage. Any accident that results in a head injury can cause a hematoma, including slip and falls on someone else’s property and dangerous conditions on construction sites, such as falling debris.

The Long-Term Cost of Hematoma

Intracranial hematoma can be expensive to treat and painful to live with. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the lifetime economic cost of a severe brain injury could be as high as $76.5 billion.

Brain injuries often require thousands of dollars in medical care, long-term treatment and disability accommodations, and specialized therapy. Depending on the severity of your injury, you may be unable to work for a period of time or unable to return to your job at all.

The emotional and physical impact of hematoma can also be difficult, especially if you developed permanent complications or lost a loved one to a hematoma. If someone you loved died from a hematoma, you will also need to account for funeral and burial expenses, lost income and benefits, and the loss of his or her support, care, companionship, and love.

Legal Options for Hematoma Victims

If someone else’s actions caused you or a loved one to develop an intracranial hematoma, you may have grounds for a lawsuit or insurance claim. However, you will need to prove that the at-fault party caused the accident and the subsequent hematoma to occur. This involves collecting evidence, speaking to witnesses, and negotiating with insurance companies or defense attorneys.

In these situations, you need a California brain injury lawyer on your side. A brain injury attorney has the skills and resources you need to hold the at-fault party accountable. As soon as you receive medical attention for your hematoma, contact a California personal injury lawyer to discuss your optimal path to recovery.

Posted by highrank at 2:21 pm

What Is an Anoxic Brain Injury?

Friday, June 5, 2020

During an accident, one of the most serious injuries you can endure is a brain injury. Our brain is responsible for controlling many of our body’s functions, from our thoughts and emotions to sending messages between our brain and muscles so that we can move. One of the most severe types of brain injuries you can sustain is an anoxic brain injury, which occurs when something cuts off the oxygen flow to your brain.

How Do Anoxic Brain Injuries Occur?

Our brains need a steady supply of oxygen to function. When an adverse event cuts off oxygen flow to the brain, we can develop severe complications, depending on how long the oxygen loss takes place for. The longer we go without oxygen, the more brain cells die, disrupting important bodily functions and processes.

Many types of accidents and emergencies can lead to anoxic brain injuries, including the following.

Car accidents
Drug overdoses
Improper medical care or monitoring
Drowning
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Cardiac arrest

Symptoms of Anoxic Brain Injury

When you sustain an anoxic brain injury, you will initially lose consciousness for a certain period of time, depending on how long you go without oxygen. Prior to the loss of consciousness, you may experience slurred speech, confusion, and loss of control of your facial muscles.

Once you regain consciousness, you will likely experience certain effects due to the brain damage, which may include the following.

Memory impairment
Difficulty with coordination and balance
Headaches
Blurred vision
Motor skill impairment
Difficulty communicating or forming sentences
Depression and mood swings
Difficulty concentrating
Loss of bowel and bladder control
Seizures
Personality changes

A full recovery from a severe anoxic brain injury is rare, but it is possible to recover from a mild anoxic brain injury with physical therapy and a comprehensive treatment regimen.

Anoxic Brain Injury Complications

Anoxic brain injuries can lead to significant physical consequences. People with severe anoxic brain injury may enter a coma during the loss of consciousness, or enter a vegetative state upon regaining consciousness. Many cases of severe anoxic brain injury result in death.

In addition, anoxic brain injuries can have an impact on your daily life. You may have trouble performing simple tasks or communicating with the people around you. You may experience personality changes or mood swings that can place a strain on your relationships.

You may develop mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. You may suffer a reduced quality of life and an inability to maintain self-sufficiency, depending on the nature of your injuries.

The financial implications can be just as difficult as the physical ones. If you suffer an anoxic brain injury during an accident, you will likely require years of intensive medical care and physical therapy, as well as disability accommodations. You may also lose wages during your recovery time, or your injury can prevent you from returning to work altogether.

Your Legal Options After an Anoxic Brain Injury

If someone else’s negligence or recklessness caused the accident that resulted in your (or a loved one’s) anoxic brain injury, you have legal options available to seek justice. You or your loved one may be eligible for compensation through a personal injury lawsuit or insurance claim, if applicable.

Contact a Bakersfield brain injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your case and determine whether you have grounds for legal action.

Posted by highrank at 9:44 pm

Can Social Media Impact My Case?

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Today’s personal injury cases have several unique considerations that yesterday’s did not. With the advent of social media, it’s easy to share sensitive details of our personal lives in what we believe is a private forum.

However, your social media posts may be accessible to the defendant, members of the defendant’s legal team, and other individuals involved in your claim. What you post online can have a significant impact on your personal injury case — and likely not a positive one.

Social Media and Personal Injury Cases

Although your intentions may not be harmful, social media posts can be very detrimental to a personal injury case. If you are pursuing a personal injury claim, you suffered an injury that you claim that someone else caused, and are seeking compensatory damages to help you recover. These damages can include payment for medical bills, long-term care and disability accommodations, and lost wages during recovery time.

If something you post online raises suspicion about the nature of your injuries, the extent of your treatment plan or medical expenses, or your recovery timeline, you could lose your chance at receiving your settlement. The type of content that could lead to loss of credibility is not always obvious.

For example, say that you suffered a broken leg in a car accident. The at-fault driver caused this car accident by speeding through a red light and striking the side of your car. While you can easily prove that the at-fault driver was responsible for the accident by examining surveillance footage and police reports, proving your need for compensation is a bit more difficult.

You file your claim and ask for $50,000 to cover your damages, which includes ongoing medical treatment for at least four months. During your case, you attend a party while using your crutches. A friend takes a picture with you at the party, and your crutches are outside of the shot.

If you post this picture onto social media, it will raise suspicion about your need for medical treatment and the credibility of your injuries. The insurance company or the defense attorney could use this photo as justification that your treatment costs do not need to be as high as you claim — potentially leading to a reduction in your overall settlement and a loss of the funds you need to recover.

Social Media Tips for Personal Injury Victims

Although you must be careful about what you say online, it can be difficult to quit social media cold turkey and you may still want to be active on your accounts. However, it is important to be smart, be cautious, and think before you post.

Set all of your social media accounts to private and limit your posts as much as possible during the extent of your case. Something as simple as sharing a funny picture could be evidence against you. Keep your profiles locked and only post when necessary.
Do not accept any friend or follower requests from people you do not know in real life. Although many states consider this practice unethical, some attorneys or even insurance representatives may attempt to follow or friend you. It is best not to accept any new requests during your case.
When you do make a post on social media, do not post anything about your case. Remember, anything you post online could be evidence against you. If you make a contradicting statement, you can lose your chance at collecting the compensation you need.
In addition to the above tip, do not post about your injuries, doctor’s visits, treatment progress, travel, or anything related to the harm you suffered. These statements could become evidence against you.

Personal injury cases can be complex, especially in today’s digital age. You must take extra caution when sharing details of your case online, or even with family and friends. If you say or share something that could harm your credibility, you can lose your chance at collecting the settlement you need to recover.

For best results and to avoid accidental harm, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Your Bakersfield personal injury attorney can advise you on the best practices of posting on social media, helping you preserve your credibility and increase your chances of a successful outcome.

Posted by highrank at 5:15 pm

What Is Second Impact Syndrome?

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Concussions are common injuries from vehicle accidents, violence, and sports accidents. These injuries can range in severity and cause a host of unpredictable symptoms, some of which may impact the victim’s quality of life for months or even years.

A concussion occurs when an external force causes the brain to hit the inside of the skull. This may cause swelling or even bleeding, and the victim may experience unpleasant symptoms for several days, but most concussion victims make full recoveries within a few weeks.

Symptoms of a concussion can include short-term and long-term headaches, personality changes, symptoms of depression, and more symptoms that vary from person to person. One of the most dangerous symptoms is increased susceptibility to future concussions. A person who suffers a concussion can usually receive medical care to make a full recovery. However, Second Impact Syndrome (SIS), is a possibility after any concussion and this condition is almost always fatal.

What Is SIS?

SIS occurs when the brain swells from a concussion before the symptoms of the first concussion subside. For example, an athlete suffers a concussion during practice and receives doctor’s orders to avoid training for several weeks. A few days after his initial symptoms subside, he has a minor car accident that causes a second concussion. If the swelling and other symptoms of the first concussion had not yet subsided, he could experience SIS and die within minutes.

Anyone who suffers any kind of head injury faces a risk of concussion. If you find yourself in this situation and experience any symptoms of a concussion such as confusion, dizziness, nausea, or fall unconscious for any period, seek medical treatment immediately.

Concussion Treatment

The best treatment for a concussion is rest, though a doctor may recommend anti-inflammatory medications to ease other symptoms. Rest serves two main functions: to allow the brain to physically heal from the concussion, and to keep the patient away from potentially dangerous situations that could lead to SIS.

A physician will usually recommend avoiding sports and strenuous activity for an extended time, and he or she may also recommend avoiding driving if possible. Patients should follow these instructions very carefully and use extreme caution during any activity that could lead to a head injury or they risk developing potentially fatal SIS.

Patients who fully recover from their concussions will still have an increased susceptibility to future concussions, so they must use care when deciding which activities to perform following concussion treatment. A second impact may show no visible signs at first and the victim may feel well enough to continue whatever he or she was doing only for symptoms to rapidly worsen within minutes, leading to the victim’s collapse and loss of consciousness.

Concussion and SIS Prevention

While a concussion may be treatable with swift medical attention, SIS can prove fatal within minutes of a secondary impact. Those who are lucky enough to survive SIS usually develop permanently disabling brain disorders. The best method to prevent this is to prevent a primary concussion whenever and however possible.

When playing sports, wear necessary protective headgear and only play in stride with your skill level. When driving, wear a seatbelt and follow the traffic laws to limit both the risk of an accident and your potential injuries in an unavoidable accident. After suffering a concussion, pay very close attention to your doctor’s orders and treatment advice.

Even after making a full recovery, use extra caution for several weeks to several months following the disappearance of your concussion symptoms. It is always best to limit your risk of a concussion at all times and use extreme caution during any activity that could potentially result in a head injury. For additional information regarding securing compensation to help with medical bills, pain and suffering, and the like, speak with a skilled brain injury lawyer in Bakersfield.

Posted by highrank at 6:09 pm

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury?

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Traumatic brain injuries are some of the most severe injuries a human being can sustain, and these injuries can have unpredictable long-term and permanent effects. Anyone who has suffered a traumatic brain injury should pay very close attention to his or her doctor’s instructions and treatment plan and report any new symptoms or changes in symptoms immediately.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries

Concussions are one of the most common traumatic brain injuries seen in the U.S., commonly resulting from car accidents, sports injuries, and interpersonal violence. A concussion occurs when an external force causes the brain to strike the inside surface of the skull. The human brain sits in the cranial cavity with a cushion of fluid surrounding it to protect it from the jagged surface of the inside of the skull. When a strong blow causes the brain to hit the inside of the skull, the damage may be minor or cause life-altering problems for the victim.

Most people who suffer mild concussions recover within a week or two with lots of rest and avoiding strenuous activities. However, some people may experience persistent uncomfortable or painful symptoms for months or even years following concussions. Additionally, suffering a concussion increases the victim’s vulnerability to future concussions. The symptoms of Post-Concussion Syndrome or persistent concussion symptoms include nausea, confusion, severe headaches, personality changes, and more.

Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries

The brain is incredibly complex and powerful, but it is still vulnerable to injury. A penetrating head wound like a gunshot, knife wound, or impact wound from debris could cause fatal damage to the human brain. However, a victim who survives such an injury may experience a wide range of possible symptoms of various levels of severity.

Some people who experience severe traumatic brain injuries may develop personality changes, suffer cognitive difficulties, or experience memory loss or trouble making new memories. Others may only experience slight discomfort such as recurring mild headaches or changes in sensory perception. For others, the changes can be more dramatic. They may suffer amnesia, experience complete personality shifts, or develop secondary medical conditions related to their head injuries that severely diminish quality of life.

Permanent Disabilities

Many traumatic brain injuries cause long-term or permanent damage. A victim who enters a comatose or vegetative state following a traumatic brain injury may sustain further brain damage, potentially resulting in permanent neurological, behavioral, or cognitive impairment. These individuals may then require constant supervision and 24-hour daily care at home or an assisted living facility or hospital.

The effects of a traumatic brain injury are unpredictable. The type, size, and severity of the injury are only a few factors that determine the long-term effects. The victim’s overall medical status, age, preexisting medical conditions, and environmental factors may all influence his or her future prognosis. However, many severe brain injuries often result in life-changing disabilities, permanent mental deficiencies, and require long-term or permanent medical care and supervision.

Worsening Symptoms Over Time

Unfortunately, many of the long-term negative symptoms resulting from a traumatic brain injury will worsen over time. Some victims may experience progressively worsening headaches while others develop more extensive memory or sensory difficulties after their injuries. Others may develop disabilities that lead to depression, anxiety, anger, and secondary medical complications.

A brain injury victim should follow all physician instructions carefully and make all necessary medical appointments. If he or she requires ongoing care following a traumatic brain injury, his or her primary caregiver must stay alert for any sudden changes in the patient’s behavior or symptoms. Some traumatic brain injuries can damage the structure of the brain and cause it to deteriorate over time, and vigilance can help prevent potentially fatal complications from these issues. For more information on how to recover compensation for a TBI, speak with a brain injury attorney in Bakersfield.

Posted by highrank at 9:33 pm