Recovery from a TBI is slow and frustrating and deserves ample compensation.
Unlike injuries such as broken bones or lacerations, traumatic brain injuries do not heal on any kind of consistent or predictable schedule. Each individual will have their own experience and may be left with dramatically varying levels of pain, sensory changes, cognitive changes, and personality changes after the injury.
To the extent it is possible to generalize about the recovery process for traumatic brain injury we can describe:
Initial Symptoms
Closed brain injuries involving a blow to the head rather than a foreign object penetrating the skull are common in personal injury accidents, so we will focus on this type of injury. Basically what happens is the brain becomes bruised as the impact of a blow to the head causes it to bounce around inside the skull. This can cause swelling, bleeding, and/or changes in brain chemistry that affect the function of healthy brain tissue.
In the case of a mild brain injury such as a concussion, initial symptoms may include passing out and/or having a headache, nausea, dizziness, or mental fogginess. In the case of a more severe injury, the victim may remain unconscious for a longer period, either in a coma or in a minimally conscious state.
When the victim awakens, they may display significant confusion and disorientation as well as agitation, nervousness, or even physical aggression. They may suffer from nausea, blurred vision, weakness, numbness, difficulty recognizing people, difficulty thinking, and problems with balance or coordination. For days or weeks, the individual may show inconsistent behavior with some days finding their symptoms better than others.
Improvement Phase
As the brain heals, physical function and cognition will improve. For most individuals, the fastest improvement happens in the first six months or so after the injury. For some people, slow and steady improvement may continue for up to two years.
Long-Term Impact
Often, traumatic brain injury victims never quite become the same person as they were before the accident. Changes in mood, memory, cognition, sensory abilities, and coordination are common and may be more or less permanent. Brain injury victims also often become depressed and frustrated by their symptoms and this can further degrade their quality of life.
Calculating Damages for a Traumatic Brain Injury
When a traumatic brain injury is caused by another person’s reckless or negligent actions, the victim deserves compensation. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to calculate the amount of damages that are necessary and appropriate. Brain scans and other tests do not always show the full extent of the injury, so it can be difficult to form an early diagnosis and predict with any certainty how severe the symptoms will be and how long recovery will take.
It is extremely important to work with an experienced brain injury attorney such as Fernando D. Vargas who understands this very special area of personal injury law in detail and can help brain injury victims document their pain and suffering so that it may be fairly compensated.
For a free initial consultation, please contact us at 909-982-0707.
