Aug 23, 2016 - Personal Injury by Justin Roberts
Over 1.4 million traumatic brain injuries happen every year in the United States, mostly as the result of either a transportation accident, a fall or the negligent acts of others. Those who are at the greatest risk for traumatic brain injury (TBI) include male adolescents, young adults ages 15-24 and seniors over the age of 75.
In addition, almost 50,000 people die from traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year. It is also estimated that more than 5 million Americans suffer from the lingering effects and disabilities of traumatic brain injury to the extent they need assistance with activities of daily living.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), someone with a mild TBI may experience:
- Headache
- Confusion
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision or tired eyes
- Ringing in the ears
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Fatigue
- Lethargy
- A change in sleep patterns
- Behavioral or mood changes
- Trouble with memory, concentration, attention or thinking
A person with moderate or severe TBI may experience those same symptoms as well as:
- A headache that worsens or does not go away
- Repeated vomiting or nausea
- Convulsions or seizures
- An inability to awaken from sleep
- Dilation of one or both pupils of the eye
- Slurred speech
- Weakness or numbness in arms and/or legs
- Loss of coordination
- Increased confusion, restlessness or agitation
If you have suffered a recent head trauma and are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should visit your primary care physician immediately. If the symptoms are severe, you should not hesitate to visit the Emergency Room of the nearest hospital.
You should also be aware that there are circumstances when a TBI will not show up on standard tests like a CAT Scan or MRI. If your symptoms persist, you should consider seeing a neuropsychologist, a medical expert who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders, who can conduct further testing to determine if there is a brain injury.
A neuropsychological evaluation (NPE) is conducted by a neuropsychologist to gather information about a patient’s cognitive, motor and behavioral functioning. A trained neuropsychologist will use this data to confirm or rule out a diagnosis of a cognitive deficit; the data is also used to help identify effective treatment methods for the rehabilitation of impaired patients.
Planning for current and future financial and physical needs is vital to ensuring that a TBI victim is properly compensated for his or her injury. We can help you understand the potential long-term physical and emotional consequences of a TBI, protect your legal rights and help you get proper compensation for current and future medical bills, loss of job or wages, emotional distress, pain and suffering or physical disfigurement.
If you or someone you love has been injured as a result of an accident, our Texas personal injury attorneys have the experience and resources to help you through this difficult time and obtain just compensation for your injuries. Please call 800-248-6000 or contact us for a free consultation.
Justin is an attorney at Roberts & Roberts and focuses his practice on mass tort litigation, where he specializes in helping individuals who are harmed by recalled or unsafe pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices. He has earned recognition as a “Top 40 Under 40” Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers. Prior to joining Roberts & Roberts, Justin served as an attorney in all three branches of Texas’s state government, including as a Briefing Attorney on the Texas Supreme Court. He also represented electric and natural gas utilities in complex regulatory proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Railroad Commission of Texas. Justin is a published author in the St. Mary’s Law Journal.