How Can Traumatic Brain Injuries Affect a Person’s Long-Term Health?
Serious injuries can occur in multiple different types of situations, ranging from car accidents to construction accidents or slip-and-fall accidents, and much more. While many injuries are evident at the time that an accident took place, others may not always be immediately obvious. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) often fall into the latter category, and the symptoms of these injuries may not become evident until days, weeks, or even months after the original incident. However, brain injuries can affect a person’s health and well-being for years, and in some cases, they can even lead to permanent impairment. Victims of these types of injuries should be sure to understand how they have been affected and how they can pursue compensation that will address the harm they have suffered.
Long-Term Brain Injury Symptoms
Concussions or other brain injuries that are classified as mild will usually only have short-term effects, and a victim will often recover within a few weeks. The effects of moderate or severe TBIs, on the other hand, may persist for years to come or even the rest of a person’s life. The long-term issues that a victim may experience include:
- Motor deficits - A person may have difficulty controlling their muscles or performing fine motor skills. They can also suffer issues with dizziness, balance, and coordination, which can affect their mobility and make it difficult or impossible to perform daily tasks at work or at home. In serious cases, a person may suffer partial or complete paralysis in parts of their body.
- Pain - Victims may suffer from chronic headaches and migraines, and in some cases, the pain increases over time.
- Sleep disorders - Many TBI victims experience extreme fatigue, and this issue may be compounded by insomnia or other issues that cause them to be unable to get enough sleep.
- Sensory problems - Some victims have difficulty processing information from their senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste, leading to sensitivity to bright lights, loud noises, or strong smells. A person may also experience issues such as blurred vision, double vision, difficulty judging distances, or partial or complete blindness, as well as loss of hearing or a ringing in the ears.
- Cognitive issues - A person may experience memory loss, confusion, delays in processing thoughts or information, or difficulty focusing and concentrating. Victims may also find themselves easily distracted, or they may struggle with complex functions such as planning and taking appropriate actions.
- Emotional and behavioral effects - Victims may struggle with depression, anxiety, irritability, and mood swings. They may also experience a lack of motivation or decreased inhibitions.
- Speech and language problems - Some victims have difficulty understanding spoken or written words, or they may struggle with slurred speech or be unable to express their thoughts clearly.
- Seizures - A person may experience post-traumatic epilepsy, putting them at risk of seizures that can affect their life and health for years to come.
Contact Our Aurora Brain Injury Lawyers
If you or a member of your family have suffered brain injuries in a car accident or another situation where someone else was at fault, the lawyers of Kinnally Flaherty Krentz Loran Hodge & Masur P.C. can help you take legal action to recover financial compensation. We will work to make sure you will have the resources you need to address immediate and ongoing medical treatment, disabilities that may affect your ability to earn an income, and your physical and emotional pain and suffering. Contact our Kane County traumatic brain injury attorneys at 630-907-0909 to set up a complimentary consultation.
Sources:
https://www.brainline.org/article/what-impact-will-moderate-or-severe-tbi-have-persons-life
https://www.theraspecs.com/blog/long-term-effects-of-moderate-severe-traumatic-brain-injuries-tbi/
