Car and truck accidents, falls from heights, medical mistakes, and many other accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries. These types of injuries specifically cause trauma to the brain tissue, whether through penetration of the tissues themselves or due to soft tissue damage. The brain, though it is protected by the skull, is very sensitive, and even small amounts of damage to the tissue can lead to significant long-term impact. Call a Santa Monica brain injury attorney from Borna Houman Law today.
Definition of a Traumatic Brain Injury
The term brain injury refers to a wide range of potential injuries to the brain, the skull, and the scalp. A traumatic brain injury is a severe form of injury that results from some type of jolt or blow to the head. Many times, this type of injury, sometimes known as a TBI, will include bleeding, swelling, bruising, or other damage to the brain tissue.
What Makes Traumatic Brain Injuries Dangerous
Traumatic brain injuries can be dangerous because of how they impact the function of the brain itself. Small areas of bruising or bleeding on the brain can make it hard for that portion of the brain to operate as it should, leading to changes in cognitive function and overall well being. The severity of these injuries can lead to short-term or long-term consequences.
Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries are all serious injuries that must be taken into consideration after any accident occurs. There are several degrees or levels of severity associated with these injuries:
- Mild injuries: Typically fully recoverable, mild injuries may involve the loss of consciousness for seconds or minutes, but the brain tissue is not directly impacted. Many concussions fall into this area.
- Moderate injuries: Moderate TBIs typically cause loss of consciousness for a few hours at a time and may lead to ongoing confusion for several reasons. Some losses can be permanent here, and treatment depends on severity.
- Severe brain injuries: Often due to serious blows to the head that penetrate into the skull and damage the brain tissue, these injuries are life-threatening immediately, and it is difficult for a person to fully recover from them.
What Are the Consequences of a Traumatic Brain Injury?
After an accident, it becomes critical for there to be some time allowed for healing and recovery before any type of assessment of loss can occur. While the brain is resilient, there are limitations to this that can only be determined over time. Some examples of potential outcomes of TBIs include:
- Cognitive function decline
- Permanent coma
- Loss of communication skills
- Behavioral concern onset
- Emotional turmoil onset
- Loss of control
The complexity of the brain makes treating TBIs difficult and hard to predict. After an accident, it is critical to seek out the best possible support for recovery to the fullest level possible.
Getting an Attorney Into the Process Is Critical
Do not wait to contact an attorney with TBI experience. At Borna Houman Law, we offer free case evaluations to help our clients learn their legal rights in these cases.