People who suffer serious traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) often experience lifelong health complications. TBIs are often caused by a forceful blow or jolt to the head and are common in car accidents, falls, and other hard impacts to the head.
A TBI can permanently alter a person’s cognitive and physical abilities and behavior. If you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury that resulted in life-altering effects, contact Hardison & Cochran today for a free consultation with our North Carolina car accident injury lawyers.
Our caring attorneys can review the details of your case and discuss your legal options for seeking compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other injury-related losses. Our experienced personal injury attorneys serve clients throughout North Carolina. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you.
Cognitive Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury
A severe traumatic brain injury can lead to long-term or permanent changes to an injury victim’s cognitive function. People who suffer significant brain injuries often struggle to focus on tasks or process their thoughts. Some of the cognitive abilities that can be affected by a traumatic brain injury include:
- Memory
- Learning new information
- Reasoning
- Judgment
- Attention
- Concentration
- Problem-solving
- Organization
- Multi-tasking
- Starting new tasks
- Completing tasks
- Planning
A TBI can impair a person’s ability to communicate or understand spoken or written communication.
Coping with Emotional and Behavioral Consequences of a Traumatic Brain Injury
A traumatic brain injury can have emotional and behavioral consequences. For example, a person who suffers from a TBI might experience mood swings, irritability, depression, anxiety, or irrational anger. A TBI can also inhibit a person’s ability to feel compassion for others.
Some examples of the emotional and behavioral consequences of TBI include:
- Lack of impulse control
- Risk-taking behaviors
- Lack of awareness of abilities or limitations
- Verbal or physical outbursts, including lashing out at others or inappropriate emotional breakdowns
Physical Consequences: How Traumatic Brain Injury Can Affect Your Body?
Traumatic brain injuries can cause physical consequences that last weeks, months, or years. For example, moderate to severe brain injuries can result in consciousness disorders such as coma or a vegetative state. A TBI can result in the following physical consequences:
- Seizures or epilepsy
- Blood vessel damage, which may increase the risk of stroke
- Chronic headaches or migraines
- Increased risk of infection
- Fluid buildup in the skull
- Vertigo
A TBI can also affect a person’s mobility and physical abilities, requiring them to relearn how to walk, talk, or perform fine motor skills. Traumatic brain injuries, including repeated mild TBIs, may increase the risk of developing degenerative neurological diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Alzheimer’s disease, or dementia pugilistica.
Sensory Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury
A traumatic brain injury can impair a sufferer’s senses. Some examples of the sensory consequences of TBIs include:
- Altered or lost taste or smell
- Numbness or tingling sensations on the skin
- Loss of vision or double vision
- Hearing loss or ringing in the ears
- Dizziness or altered inner ear balance
Lost Connections: Social Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury and How to Cope
The cognitive and behavioral complications of a traumatic brain injury can impact an injury victim’s relationships and ability to interact socially. Common problems that people who have had severe TBIs often experience in social settings include:
- Difficulty using or understanding changes in tone, pitch, or emphasis as an expression of emotion
- Difficulty understanding nonverbal cues or signals
- Problems with selecting topics for conversation
- Difficulty starting conversations or naturally ending conversations
Other social skills that TBI victims may lose include:
- Managing emotions in social settings
- Respecting social boundaries or rules, such as respecting personal space or not abruptly asking overly personal questions
- Not interrupting others’ conversations
The Cost of Traumatic Brain Injury in North Carolina
Traumatic brain injuries result in billions of dollars in medical expenses and lost economic productivity yearly. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that non-fatal traumatic brain injuries resulted in a total annual healthcare cost of more than $40.6 billion nationwide in one recent year.
In North Carolina, the state legislature appropriates nearly $4 million for services, support, education, and awareness for traumatic brain injuries. Much of the money goes to local organizations that provide support and services to North Carolina residents living with complications of traumatic brain injuries.
Seeking Compensation for Traumatic Brain Injury
If you or someone you love suffered a traumatic brain injury due to someone else’s negligence, you might have the right to pursue compensation for financial and personal losses related to the injury and its complications. You may be entitled to seek money for the following:
- Medical and rehabilitation expenses, including hospitalizations, doctor’s appointments, medications, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy
- Costs of long-term care and support, including mental health therapy, home health services, or medical and mobility equipment needed for physical disabilities
- Loss of wages or income if you need to take time off work or transfer to a lower-paying position while you recover from a TBI
- Loss of future earning capacity and employment benefits if you develop a permanent disability that prevents you from returning to work
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma and distress, including lost enjoyment or quality of life
- Reduced life expectancy
Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer Today for A Free Consultation
If you or a loved one has suffered a life-altering traumatic brain injury, seek the legal help you need to pursue accountability and justice from those responsible for your injury. Call Hardison & Cochran today at 252-333-3333 for a free initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer who can help you understand your legal options.
Our attorneys have a track record of providing excellent legal representation to injury victims throughout North Carolina and helping them pursue the compensation they deserve. Contact our office to learn more.
