Traumatic Brain Injuries: Risks, Causes and Complications

Virginia, Washington, D.C., & Maryland

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), whether severe, moderate or mild, can have serious life consequences. Brain patterns are changed, which is apparent in patterns of thinking, mood and emotional control. Adult behavior can regress, turning childlike, and can be unpredictable, unreliable, inappropriate, and violent. Children can become unmanageable, with dropping grades, personality changes and regression to earlier developmental stages.

The risk of suffering from TBI is highest in adolescents ages 15 to 19 and in children ages 0 to 4. Males are 1.5 times more likely than females to suffer a traumatic brain injury. Many people who suffer from TBI are never able to resume their pre-injury lifestyle. While only one family member may have experienced a brain injury, the entire family can suffer from the results.

You may wonder if you or someone you love is suffering from TBI. The initial risk factors of developing mild TBI include:

• Period of unconsciousness
• Headache
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Sensory problems (blurred vision, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth)
• Mood changes
• Memory or concentration problems

If the injury is moderate to severe, the list of signs and symptoms grows:

• Persistent headache
• Repeated vomiting or nausea
• Convulsions or seizures
• Inability to awaken from sleep
• Dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes
• Slurred speech
• Weakness or numbness in the extremities
• Loss of coordination
• Increased confusion or agitation

In the first stage of a traumatic brain injury, the impact may bruise portions of the brain or directly sever nerve connections. As the injury progresses over hours and days, the brain tissue at the injury site begins to swell. Inside the skull, there's no place for that swelling to go, so the pressure on the brain increases. If not treated early enough, or if the injury is severe enough, long term effects of TBI may occur, these often include:

• Memory loss
• Rapid mood swings
• Fatigue
• Intellectual dullness
• Mental blocks
• Personality changes
• Extreme changes in energy levels

Individually, each symptom might not amount to much. However, such impairments usually appear together, and the overall effect can be very disabling.

Depending on the situation, if you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury you may be entitled to compensation for damages and medical expenses. The effects of TBI can create a highly stressful environment, so let the Maryland brain injury lawyers at Chaikin & Sherman, P.C. handle the legalities of your case. Please call or email us today for a free consultation. We are committed to obtaining justice for you - the victim.

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