Brain injuries are some of the most traumatic injuries a person can experience. The human brain is incredibly complex and delicate, and even slight trauma from a head injury can have a permanent effect on a person’s life. One of the most challenging aspects of brain injuries is their unpredictable nature; two individuals who sustain comparable brain injuries will likely display two very different outcomes.
So, what happens if a person has a brain injury? There is no sure way to predict the short and long-term effects of any brain injury, so it is essential for the victim to have close medical supervision for an extended time following initial recovery. Brain injuries in the Coachella Valley tend to cause short-term disruptions in a person’s life as well as long-term consequences, possibly including permanent disability.
What Are Brain Damage Symptoms?
Brain damage can lead to a host of unpredictable symptoms. Brain damage may interrupt the victim’s ability to process sensory information, sometimes causing deafness, blindness, or other sensory impairment. It is also possible for brain damage to interrupt the victim’s ability to process and utilize language. Ultimately, brain damage can cause many fascinating and tragic effects. From causing someone to spontaneously begin speaking another language or experiencing synesthesia to leaving them in a vegetative state or causing permanent neurological problems, brain damage can be complex.
Can Brain Damage Kill You?
The short answer to this is yes; brain damage can easily be fatal if it is severe enough or if the victim does not receive prompt medical treatment. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can not only cause physical damage to brain cells but also cause bleeding that further damages brain tissue. It is also possible for brain injury to occur due to chemical exposure. Oxygen deprivation can cause brain cell death very rapidly.
Typically, the location of a brain injury informs the likelihood of death. For example, a brain injury that damages the brain stem or the parts of the brain responsible for managing vital organ functions will likely be fatal. Penetrating head wounds from firearms are also deadly due to the ricochet effect many projectiles have when striking bone.
What Are the Chances of Surviving a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
Due to the incredibly complex nature of the human brain and the unpredictability of the effects of traumatic brain injuries, it is impossible to predict the chances of a victim surviving a traumatic brain injury. Their attending medical team will assess the patient’s condition and perform the best treatment possible, but it may take time before an attending physician can deliver a solid diagnosis.
Medical technology has advanced tremendously in recent years, and it is now much more likely for traumatic brain injury victims to survive their injuries than it has ever been. If your loved one has sustained a traumatic brain injury, it is best to consult with their primary care doctor to determine their prognosis.
What Is the Most Common Brain Injury?
Traumatic brain injuries take many forms, but the most commonly seen type of brain injury in the United States is concussion. These injuries commonly occur due to motor vehicle accidents, interpersonal violence, and injuries from contact sports. While concussions are typically some of the mildest possible traumatic brain injuries, some concussions can have substantial effects on a person’s life.
A concussion can cause short-term symptoms like unconsciousness, headaches, dizziness, loss of awareness, confusion, nausea, and more. Concussions also leave victims more susceptible to concussions in the future, and there is a chance a concussion victim could develop Post-Concussion Syndrome. This condition entails a host of negative symptoms, from personality changes and anxiety to severe depression, mood swings, and angry outbursts.
What Are the Different Types of Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury is any injury that causes physical harm to the human brain. Some of the most common types of traumatic brain injuries include:
- Concussions, typically resulting from blunt force trauma to the head.
- Penetrating head wounds, which manifest when a foreign object forcibly penetrates the skull and damages the brain. Gunshots are one of the leading causes of penetrating head wounds.
- Brain hemorrhage, or uncontrolled bleeding in the brain.
- Hematoma, which describes bleeding or bruising of brain tissue.
- Skull fractures. These injuries require very delicate treatment, and some skull fractures can cause damage to the brain.
Any of these brain injuries could result in an uncertain prognosis for the victim and a host of difficult symptoms. Additionally, brain injuries are expensive to treat.
Can You Ever Recover From a Brain Injury?
Many people have sustained severe traumatic brain injuries and made astounding recoveries. Unfortunately, the other end of the spectrum of results includes many people who have suffered seemingly minor head injuries developing incredibly serious symptoms, including complete personality shifts or the development of acute psychological disorders like depression, paranoia, and dissociation.
Ultimately, yes, anyone can recover from a brain injury. However, the mysterious nature of the human brain and the uniqueness of human beings make it virtually impossible to predict whether a victim will recover in any given brain injury case. Recovery does not only include medical recovery and a return to physiological normalcy but also economic recovery when brain injuries result from negligence.
Finding Legal Assistance for a Traumatic Brain Injuries Claim
Any traumatic brain injury can easily lead to a host of financial damages for the victim and their family. For example, it’s possible that a traumatic brain injury could leave the victim completely unable to work for the rest of their life, and their family can no longer count on their income. Some brain injuries can cause permanent medical complications that demand in-home medical treatment on a 24-hour basis for the victim. If a loved one has sustained a brain injury, it’s essential to work quickly to build a legal claim with a brain injury attorney and recover the compensation your family deserves.
Contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible if you need legal guidance after a family member’s brain injury. If another party bears responsibility for this injury, a personal injury lawsuit can help you hold them accountable and recover compensation for the losses your family has experienced.