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[T1256]Traumatic Brain Injury Association

by J. Matthews, J.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a very serious matter. Most of these cases are not treated well because of lack of good information on how to treat such an injury. Oftentimes, some law professionals don't even have a full understanding on the truths about this debilitating injury that it affects the claims that get thru the insurance adjusters and disability examiners. That partly explains for many of claims getting unfair settlements or low disability benefits. What does a lawyer need to know about the truths regarding brain surgery? It is therefore worth noting the myths surrounding traumatic brain injury cases, and discerning the truth behind it.

Myth: You must lose unconsciousness in order to suffer traumatic brain injury.

Depending on the site of the injury in the brain, you don't have to necessarily lose consciousness in order to suffer brain injury. A well-documented example of this case is of Phineas Gage (1823-1860), when an iron bar propelled thru his head and entered his skull, damaging the frontal lobe. He didn't become unconscious during the accident; nevertheless he underwent major personality changes so profound that it affected his life and health on the long run.

Myth: Mild traumatic brain injury is not serious. In fact, it's not even a medical term.

To understand mild brain injury, we need to define it according to medical professionals. According to the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, mild traumatic brain injury means "a physiological disruption of brain function/activity, manifested by any alteration in mental state at the time of the accident - such as confusion, dizziness or disorientation."

Symptoms of mild TBI may include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, blurred vision and fatigue. If not treated properly, it may lead to further complications. Therefore, mild traumatic brain injury is indeed a serous matter. And it's a recognized disorder by medical professionals.

Myth: A rapidly accelerating/decelerating object must hit your head in order to suffer TBI.

Although the above statement is true, traumatic brain injury can still occur even without an object hitting your head. Babies, for example, may suffer shaken baby syndrome when mishandled. A baby's brain is still underdeveloped and any slight shake inside the brain cavity may affect brain tissue, causing bruises and shears that will greatly affect the baby's health and development. Another example are whiplashes - a sudden backward snap of the head may cause the tempoal lobes of the brain to hit the bony protuberances and ridges of the skull, causing brain tissue bruising and shearing.

Myth: Mild TBI is just temporary.

Even with medical treatment, about 10 to 15 percent of patients who suffered mild TBI have not recovered fully. Some symptoms persist even years after the injury, such has troubling headaches, dizziness and neck pain. Medical professionals call it permanent persistent post-concussive syndrome (PPCS). And in the long run, the consequences of mild traumatic brain injury can be life-altering, disruptive and can cause great loss of quality of life.

There are even more myths out there, and people still have insufficient, if not little regard for this kind of injury. A neurologist can explain to you further regarding your traumatic brain injury case and may work together with your lawyer to get a much better claim. Because the incidence of head injury is actually higher that what statistics predict, knowing these truths about traumatic brain injury may greatly help you deal with the right treatment and rehabilitation.

Accident-Related Brain Injury: Mechanisms

In an auto-accident-related TBI, the victim is jolted violently, sometimes against an object. This causes the brain to twist within the skull and bump against the skull walls, damaging the brain's axions, which are the connections between neurons. This disrupts the brain's internal communications, reducing the patient's ability to perform basic functions. Patients with more severe axion damage may go into comas or die immediately. Other types of brain injuries that are commonly caused by an auto accident include concussion; contusion, or bruising of the brain tissue; skull fracture; and anoxia, a lack of oxygen to the brain.

A closed brain injury, in which the skull is not broken or penetrated, is the most common kind of TBI caused by auto accidents. It is also more difficult to diagnose than a penetrative brain injury, because the symptoms may not be obvious at first. Right after the accident, victims may feel fine, or show only a short loss of consciousness or a mild headache. They may be sent home from the hospital with a clean bill of health. However, more symptoms can appear in the days and weeks after the accident. They include:

* Headaches
* Dizziness and lightheadedness
* Double vision or blurred vision
* Confusion or agitation
* Fatigue
* Memory loss
* Mood or behavior changes
* Trouble concentrating
* Slurred speech
* Dilation of the pupils
* Repeated vomiting or nausea
* Loss of coordination

These secondary symptoms can occur when the brain swells in response to the original trauma. Because the brain is trapped inside the skull, this swelling can cause complications of the original, seemingly mild, injury. About 40 percent of TBI patients develop some of these symptoms, sometimes called post-concussion syndrome, in the days or weeks after an accident. Accident victims who show any of these symptoms should insist on being thoroughly rechecked for a traumatic brain injury, even if doctors originally said they were fine.

Costs of Automobile Accident-Related TBI

The costs, both personal and financial, of a traumatic brain injury can be high. Because brain tissue cannot regenerate the way other body tissues can, brain-damage patients may never fully recover from their injuries. Such patients will live the rest of their lives with disabilities such as trouble seeing or hearing, memory loss, motor skills damage, depression and personality changes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than 5 million Americans need help with daily tasks because of a traumatic brain injury. All of these things take a toll on the lives of the patients and their loved ones, as well as costing millions of dollars to treat.

To minimize the chance of living with a disability, accident victims who think they might have a TBI should insist on a thorough medical evaluation after an accident, so they can begin treatment as soon as possible. If you believe that someone else may be at fault for an auto accident that caused you or a loved one to sustain brain damage, or if you believe you are being unfairly denied treatment or compensation, you may wish to speak to an experienced brain injury attorney.

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