The brain controls everything, from how we move to how we think. Any trauma can cause lifelong physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive impairments. Accident victims often face financial instability due to the astronomical costs associated with medical treatment, rehabilitation costs, and disability accommodations.
If you suffered a head injury in a Wisconsin accident, an experienced brain injury lawyer can evaluate your legal options and advise on your legal options.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury is any injury to the brain that disrupts its normal functions. Powerful or violent external forces such as a jolt to the head, a fall, a violent impact, or penetration by a foreign object typically cause TBIs.
Common Types of Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries are categorized in several ways, including by their severity. Severe traumatic brain injuries can be fatal. Survivors often experience medical complications in the form of physical disabilities, cognitive impairment, learning difficulties, or behavioral changes.
Traumatic brain injuries are also classified by their external appearance:
- Closed brain injury – A closed brain injury is not visible. Instead, blunt force trauma causes brain damage like internal bleeding, swelling, and chemical changes in the brain, impairing normal brain function.
- Penetrating brain injury – A penetrating TBI occurs when a foreign object pierces the skull and brain tissues. Bullets from firearms are the most common cause of penetrating brain injuries.
In addition, doctors distinguish brain injuries by how the injury manifests after the initial impact. Imaging tests may reveal the following types of TBIs:
- Coup-contrecoup brain injury
- Diffuse axonal injury
- Hypoxic brain injury
- Intracranial hematomas
- Hemorrhage
Severe traumatic brain injuries can result in coma, a vegetative state, and death. However, even mild brain injuries can be significant without immediate medical intervention.
Top Causes of TBI
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that in one year, there were nearly 190 traumatic brain injury-related deaths per day in the United States. The top three causes of TBIs in the United States are falls, firearm-related incidents, and motor vehicle accidents. Other leading causes of traumatic brain injuries include:
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Slip-and-fall accidents
- Farm injury accidents
- Premises liability
Symptoms of a Brain Injury
The rush of adrenaline people experience after an accident can mask symptoms of many injuries. Recognizing the signs of a brain injury as soon as possible and seeking medical help is the best way to protect yourself from severe and potentially permanent brain damage.
Symptoms of common brain injuries include:
- Pain
- Headache
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizures
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Loss of coordination and mobility
- Slurred speech
- Aphasia
- Hearing or vision damage
- Changes in sleeping or eating behaviors
- Changes in mood
- Irritability, anxiety, and depression
- Memory problems
- Behavioral changes
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
How Can a Brain Injury Lawyer Help Me?
When someone else’s negligence results in a brain injury in Wisconsin, accident victims can pursue compensation for their losses. However, securing fair compensation can be challenging. TBIs are often called “invisible injuries” because the impact of the trauma may not be visibly apparent but still severely impact a victim’s ability to lead an independent life, earn a living, and enjoy activities they once did.
At LawtonCates, our brain injury lawyers have a long history of helping TBI victims seek the money they deserve through carefully executed legal strategies and personalized representation. Contact our law firm today for a free consultation.
