Traumatic brain injuries are one of the leading causes of death in the United States, resulting in more than 50,000 deaths annually. Car accidents are one of the top causes of TBIs. More than 230,000 people are hospitalized each year as the result of TBIs, with 80,000 to 90,000 having long-term disabilities as a result. Over 5.3 million in the U.S. live with disabilities as the result of a TBI.
A TBI occurs as the result of outside physical force causing trauma to the brain. The result is cognitive and/or physical impairment, which can cause emotional or behavioral issues as well. The debilitating conditions that result can be permanent or temporary, with partial or total functioning disability.
TBIs are also known as closed head injuries, which generally occur as the result of the brain moving around in the skull in a violent fashion. People that suffer from TBIs may have a variety of physical, cognitive or emotional symptoms.
Common physical symptoms of TBI are extensive. They include such things as seizures, muscle spasticity, vision issues (including double, blurred vision and blindness), loss of taste or smell, speech impairments, headaches, fatigue, and vertigo.
Common cognitive symptoms of TBIs include short- or long-term memory loss, difficulty processing information, inability to concentrate or focus, the inability to follow a conversation, spatial disorientation and organizational or judgment impairment. They can also be responsible for an individual's inability to multitask or problems starting and/or completing projects.
Common emotional symptoms of TBI include elevations in anxiety, mood swings and depression. Impulse control issues, an individual being more prone to agitation and loss of empathy as it relates to the impact of someone's behavior on others can also be present.
If you or someone you know has suffered a TBI as the result of a car accident, the advice and counsel of an experienced Kentucky motor vehicle accident attorney may be the tool to help gradually put the pieces back together that became out of sorts as a result of your ordeal.
Source: Nolo.com, "Brain injuries after a car accident," David Gougen, accessed Feb. 07, 2017
