by Grayson Law | Aug 13, 2021 | Serious Injury Claims
Have you recently suffered from a car accident or other personal injury? If you experienced a violent jolt to your head, you can potentially have a traumatic brain injury. There are two levels of brain injuries to consider, mild and severe. A mild traumatic brain injury can have a short-term effect on your brain cells, while a severe injury can lead to long-term damage. A more severe brain injury leads to bruising, bleeding, and damage to the brain. Unfortunately, these injuries can cause a multitude of issues or lead to death.
Causes of Brain Injuries
While brain injuries do not happen often, they can occur. The severity of a brain injury can depend on certain circumstances depending on the event that led to it. Common causes of a brain injury, include falls, sports injuries, violence, car accidents, and explosive blasts.
Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury
While some signs of a traumatic brain injury have different effects on individuals, some effects are not immediately known. Symptoms of a brain injury can occur right after an accident or days to weeks later. Mild brain injury symptoms can range from physical to sensory and psychological. Physical symptoms are headaches, vomiting or nausea, fatigue or drowsiness, speech slur, and dizziness. Individuals can experience sensory issues such as sensitivity to light and sound, blurred vision, ear ringing, and more. Physiologically, symptoms can be loss of consciousness, confusion, memory or concentration issues, mood swings, depression, anxiety, and sleeping issues.
Severe brain injuries also result in physical, cognitive, and psychological issues. Physical symptoms include loss of consciousness for a while, persistent and worsening headache, seizures, eye dilation, sleeping issues, weakness in fingers and toes, and loss of coordination. Cognitive symptoms include a change in eating habits, irritability, crying, attention issues, seizures, depression, and more.
Knowing the Signs and Seeking Help
If you were recently in an accident and suffered a violent jolt to your head or body, do not go without seeking medical attention. As mentioned, symptoms of a traumatic brain injury can occur immediately or weeks after. Early treatment can help avoid the progression of the issue. If you notice any of the signs above, visit emergency care. Only a medical professional can assist in ensuring you are okay.
Writing-off Medical Bills
Medical bills can be dreadful and potentially prevent people from seeking help when needed. If you experienced traumatic brain injury care that was not covered by insurance, you can potentially claim the bills as deductions on tax returns. Figuring out how to receive financial support can be difficult, but it is not impossible with some help.
Personal Injury Attorney
Receiving the financial support to cover medical expenses can be potentially difficult. To avoid paying thousands out of your pocket, consult with a legal advocate that can assist in filing and successfully claiming a personal injury. At Grayson Law, Jeffrey L. Grayson will advocate for injured residents across the Pheonix metro area. Don’t avoid medical treatment. Receive the medical support you need when working with a trusted attorney. For more information, call Grayson Law at 480-535-9650.
by Grayson Law | Jul 7, 2020 | Serious Injury Claims
Traumatic brain injuries are some of the most common results of motor vehicle crashes and bicycle accidents. While many accidents that occur in Arizona cause mild TBI, also knows as concussions, serious collisions may lead to severe TBI that could have long-term consequences. Understanding the most common signs and symptoms of TBI may help you get the medical care you need to recover as quickly as possible.
According to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, concussion symptoms usually fade after a few days. It may take slightly longer for young children or older adults to fully recover from mild TBI. However, moderate and severe TBI may include symptoms that last for much longer, sometimes even years. Additionally, you may have a longer recovery time if you have already experienced TBI.
The CDC states that TBI symptoms fall into four separate categories: cognitive, emotional, physical and sleep-related. Sometimes TBI signs are obvious immediately following a collision, but it is also possible that you may not experience some symptoms until days or months later. If you do not experience symptoms until long after the injury, it may be harder to know for sure that the TBI caused them. For example, headache, nausea and poor sleep may all be symptoms of TBI, but it may be easier to assume they are from an illness such as the flu if you do not experience them until months after a car or bicycle accident.
There are a few TBI signs that may indicate you need immediate medical attention. Some things to watch for include seizures, slurred speech, inability to stay awake, persistent confusion and loss of coordination.
This information on TBI is intended to be educational and should not be taken as legal advice.
by Grayson Law | Jul 6, 2020 | Serious Injury Claims
You may have heard the term chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the news quite a bit lately. It is linked to repeated head traumas, such as those suffered by athletes who play contact sports, most notably football and boxing. While the condition is still not fully understood, it is linked to a range of very serious effects that can have life-altering consequences.
Symptoms of CTE
CTE can only be officially diagnosed by studying sections of a person’s brain during an autopsy. However, there are symptoms that appear in individuals who have experienced repeated head traumas throughout their lives. Cognitive problems that impair thinking ability are a key feature, as is the loss of short-term memory. Executive function can also be impacted, which allows a person to plan tasks and see them to fruition. People suspected to have CTE also exhibit increased impulsivity, as well as substance abuse problems.
Mental health problems are also linked to this disorder. These can present as depression, which is characterized by a loss of interest in people and activities, a persistent feeling of sadness, and a lack of motivation. CTE may also lead to suicidal ideation, and some people even engage in suicidal behavior as a result of repeated head trauma.
When to See a Doctor
Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to diagnose CTE. People who have experienced repeated head injuries and experience the above symptoms are encouraged to visit a doctor to discuss their symptoms. From there, you may be referred to different specialists, who can help address different facets of the disorder. For example, a psychiatrist can help you manage emotional and mental health issues, such as depression.
The best thing you can do to prevent CTE from occurring is to manage your risk when it comes to head injuries. If you have already experienced a concussion, discuss it with your doctor. Do not return to the activities that caused the concussion until you are given the all-clear from medical staff. If you or a loved one plays contact sports, do not be pressured into performing if you have recently experienced an injury.
by Grayson Law | Jul 6, 2020 | Serious Injury Claims
f you have suffered a brain injury or know somebody who has, you may have questions about recovery.
Is it possible to recover from a brain injury, especially a severe one? This is not an easy question to answer because the effects of brain injuries differ. You might recover fully, or your recovery might be slow and yield only slight progress.
Rapid recovery
Generally, the greatest rate of recovery occurs in the first six months following the injury. You will likely see rapid improvement in areas like motor function and your ability to concentrate. Your recovery, however, depends on many factors. With the passage of time, the rate of your recovery will diminish.
Later recovery
After the first six months, your improvement will depend on your personal circumstances. Your health history before the injury, your age, and your level of activity before your injury could affect how you recover.
In some cases, recovery hits a plateau. You might not be able to go back to your old job. You might have persistent problems with thinking or concentrating. You might be able to drive with some accommodations, or you may not be able to drive at all. In some cases, people do not recover enough to live alone or live without some form of assistance.
A lifetime process
While it may be possible to recover completely from a brain injury, for many people recovery is a lifetime process. To achieve the best quality of life possible, you may need to adjust your current circumstances, such as where you live and where you work.
