What is a traumatic brain injury?

Kentucky drivers may be interested to know that traffic wrecks are a leading causes of traumatic brain injury cases nationwide. The seriousness of a traumatic brain injury cannot be overstated. Individuals who suffer brain injuries may potentially face living with disabilities and other adverse effects that require continuous, costly and specialized medical care for the rest of their lives.

A traumatic brain injury typically occurs when an external force capable of inflicting functional damage impacts the head. Examples of this include blunt force trauma, sharp force trauma or a gunshot. There are many symptoms associated with traumatic brain injuries. The mild sort include a brief loss of consciousness or headache, while more severe symptoms may include memory trouble, seizures, an inability to communicate and increased confusion. According to authorities, nearly half of traumatic brain injury cases require some form of surgery, usually to remove hematomas or repair ruptured yet salvageable blood vessels.

When people who experience head trauma received immediate medical attention, doctors may sometimes minimize lasting damage by keeping the victim’s brain supplied with sufficient oxygen. For, lacking adequate oxygen to the brain, the victim’s damage can prove to be permanent.

Advanced health care and modern medicine allow many traumatic brain injury victims to survive their injuries. However, that health care and medicine may be necessary on a daily basis and may also be very expensive. In the event that an individual’s injury derived from the actionable behavior of another party, there may be grounds for civil action, such as a personal injury lawsuit. If the injury proved to be fatal, the family of the victim may pursue a wrongful death case against the party whose negligence or recklessness contributed to the brain injury. It would be critical for claimants in either case to seek advice from an attorney, as blog posts like this one are not meant to be taken as legal advice.

Source: NINDS, “NINDS Traumatic Brain Injury Information Page“, October 29, 2014