What Consequences of a Traumatic Brain Injury Are Often Overlooked?

The intense damage that occurs inside the skull during and after a traumatic impact leads to many consequences, such as cognitive impairments and personality changes, with effects that are overlooked in both the short and long term. It is vital to understand the potential effects of a traumatic brain injury to ensure that proper medical care is provided and that compensation from a personal injury claim provides adequate amounts to provide for the full range of future needs and losses.

When we talk to families dealing with a severe injury like a traumatic brain injury, we know that they frequently do not realize the true extent of the impact they should expect it to have on their life going forward. Here we discuss the physical, mental, emotional, and financial consequences and how to stay prepared for the future.

How Do Traumatic Brain Injuries Occur?

A traumatic brain injury is damage to the brain caused by impact from an outside source that occurs during an event such as a:

When the head strikes an object such as a car dashboard or an object hits the head, it forces brain tissue to bounce and twist inside the skull. This causes tissue to tear and bleed. Further damage often occurs as the brain tissue rebounds from the impact and collides with the opposite side of the skull.

Then further damage occurs hours or days later as blood and other fluids build up in the brain, causing pressure and severely compressing sensitive tissues, preventing brain function and potentially leading to tissue death. Many symptoms take time to develop as swelling slowly strangles brain tissue. Someone who seems only “shaken up” after an accident can later experience life-threatening consequences.

What Kind of Mental Problems Result from Traumatic Brain Injuries?

The cognitive effects of a traumatic brain injury can include problems with:

Memory
Concentration
Processing information
Making decisions
Solving problems
Multi-tasking

These problems have an intense effect at all stages of life. They interfere with learning for children in school. They make it hard for adults to work and manage a household and family. They can make it hard to manage finances, prepare meals, and complete other tasks essential for independent living. And the problems often worsen over time. It is necessary to anticipate needs for assistance, caregivers, income replacement, and other concerns caused by the mental damage resulting from a traumatic brain injury.

Do Traumatic Brain Injuries Really Change Your Personality?

Another set of overlooked consequences of traumatic brain injuries is the impacts on emotions and personality. Someone who has experienced this type of damage to the brain may experience intense bouts of seemingly emotional activity that is actually an exhibition of neurological symptoms of injury such as:

Irritability
Anger
Impulsive behavior
Depression

They often lose the ability to regulate emotions and suffer from mood swings that make them very difficult to work with or live with. The person suffering the injury becomes frustrated and depressed by the changes, further exacerbating the problem. Families frequently shatter after one member suffers a traumatic brain injury.

Are There Physical Symptoms That Get Overlooked?

Traumatic brain injuries cause many “invisible” physical symptoms that frequently get overlooked. Those suffering from the injuries may have trouble working or simply functioning in daily life, yet because the injuries aren’t obvious, victims get no help or sympathy.

Physical symptoms that are hidden include:

Vertigo
Sleep disorders
Chronic headaches
Balance problems
Sensitivity to noise or light
Fatigue

Without physical signs, a traumatic brain injury may be forgotten by others, but the victim lives with intense effects every single day.

FAQs About the Hidden Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries

How do traumatic brain injuries affect your career?

Traumatic brain injuries can lead to an abrupt end to a career, or they can lead to a slow decline, but either way, the effects are financially devastating. The inability to concentrate and focus interferes with the ability to perform almost any job. Emotional changes can make work uncomfortable and eventually impossible. Lack of sleep or vertigo can further reduce the ability to function. Even if someone with a traumatic brain injury is able to return to work, their performance will suffer, and their earning capacity may plummet.

How does a traumatic brain injury affect the family?

An injury to one family member impacts the entire household due to the limitations and cognitive and emotional changes. Everyone is put under stress caused by changing roles within the family, added responsibilities, and financial strain.

Can you recover compensation even if symptoms didn’t appear until days after an accident?

Because delayed symptoms are common with a traumatic brain injury, your attorney may be able to help you obtain compensation, but it is important to obtain medical documentation linking the injury to the accident.

How can you ensure that you receive adequate compensation to meet the needs of someone with a traumatic brain injury?

There are several steps to help ensure that you obtain compensation to meet the full range of short-term and long-term needs after a traumatic brain injury, such as:

Getting a prompt medical exam after an accident and following the doctor’s recommendations
Keeping copies of all medical receipts and records
Returning to the doctor if new symptoms develop
Speaking with an attorney before discussing injury with insurance companies
Consulting neurologists to get a full prognosis and recommendations for future care
Obtaining a detailed analysis of future medical costs and other needs before accepting a settlement offer

An experienced personal injury attorney can guide you through the process and work to secure financial resources so that your family can focus on healing.

Help to Meet Your Needs After a Traumatic Brain Injury in the Family

Traumatic brain injuries change the life of the entire family, but unfortunately, you can’t wait until things settle down before you address legal issues. The best time to collect evidence to establish liability and secure a full recovery is right after the accident that led to the injury.

A dedicated injury attorney at the Law Offices of Benjamin Arsenian can handle the financial and legal recovery while you focus on physical, mental, and emotional recovery. To learn more about the assistance our team can provide, schedule a free consultation by calling 714-400-2000 or contacting us online now.