According to the Mayo Clinic, “Traumatic brain injury occurs when an external mechanical force causes brain dysfunction. Traumatic brain injury usually results from a violent blow or jolt to the head or body.” However, when an object, such as a piece of metal, a bullet or knife penetrates the skull, that can cause a brain injury as well.
Brain injuries vary widely in severity. A mild brain injury may result in a slight concussion that has temporary effects. A serious traumatic brain injury (TBI) can cause bruising on the brain, torn tissues, or bleeding in the brain itself. In some cases, the physical damage can be so severe that it causes long-term complications or death.
Effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury
Brain injuries cannot be underestimated. The injured party may appear fine, but he or she is experiencing abnormal brain function. A TBI can lead to a wide range of symptoms depending on the location and severity of the injury. Sometimes, the signs and symptoms are immediately apparent. Other times, they take days or weeks to present themselves.
Symptoms of a mild TBI:
- Headache
- Blurred vision
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sleep disturbances
- Unconsciousness
- Dizziness
- Loss of balance
- Drowsiness or fatigue
- Dazed and confused
Symptoms of severe TBI:
If someone has a severe TBI, he or she can experience all of the symptoms of a mild TBI; however, they can also experience the following symptoms within a few days of the head injury:
- Convulsions
- Seizures
- Nausea
- Coma
- Confusion or agitation
- Slurred speech
- Clear fluid draining from the ears or nose
- Cannot rouse from sleep
- Loss of coordination
- Unconsciousness
- Repeated episodes of vomiting
- Numbness in the extremities
As personal injury attorneys, we deal with traumatic brain injuries every day. Often, brain injuries are involved in car accident, motorcycle accident, pedestrian accident, bicycle accident, slip and fall, and construction accident claims.
If you are ever in an accident and you receive a blow to the head or your body, please seek emergency medical care at once. It’s important that a qualified medical professional check to see if you are exhibiting any signs of a traumatic brain injury.
To file a claim for compensation, contact our firm to meet with a New Jersey brain injury attorney. Also, check out our case results!