A split second can change everything. While mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) like concussions often heal completely, moderate to severe TBIs can permanently alter lives in devastating ways. Victims may face lasting physical disabilities, emotional struggles, cognitive impairment, and social isolation that ripple through every aspect of their daily life. For those grappling with severe brain injuries, understanding both the long-term effects of a TBI and your legal options is crucial. So, let’s explore what life post-TBI really looks like and how you can protect your rights while rebuilding your future.
What Is a TBI?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury to the brain that can be caused by a forceful blow or jolt that causes the brain to slosh around inside the skull and/or contact the bony surfaces. It can also be caused by penetrating wounds, such as wounds from projectiles that enter the brain through the skull during a serious car accident or in an act of violence.
Mild TBIs involve mild damage to the brain’s tissues. With these injuries, people often experience symptoms for a few weeks and can recover fully. With a moderate TBI, the damage is more extensive. A person who suffers a moderate TBI may experience a loss of consciousness lasting from 30 minutes to under 24 hours. Severe TBIs involve the most extensive damage. The long-term effects of a TBI become increasingly likely as injuries progress from moderate to severe.
Common TBI Symptoms
When someone suffers a TBI, they might experience the following symptoms:
- Loss of consciousness
- Nausea/vomiting
- Headache that won’t go away
- Trembling or seizures
- Disorientation/confusion
- Behavioral changes
- Drowsiness
- Difficulty speaking
If you were involved in an accident and experience any of these symptoms, you should see a doctor immediately.
Long-Term Complications of a TBI
According to the University of Utah Health, people who suffer moderate or severe TBIs may experience different long-term complications, depending on the region of the brain that sustained damage.
Those with damage to the frontal lobe may engage in inappropriate or risky behaviors. Individuals who suffer damage to the left side of the brain may experience difficulties with speaking, understanding others, and thinking. Victims who suffer damage to the right side of the brain may suffer apraxia (trouble performing routine tasks), have trouble processing visual information, or suffer from self-neglect.
Long-term complications of a TBI include the following:
- Seizures
- Vertigo
- Chronic headaches
- Increased infections
- Memory loss
- Loss of vision or hearing
- Paralysis
- Dizziness
- Chronic fatigue
- Weakness
- Sensory issues
- Balance problems
- Cognitive skill deficits
- Language deficits
- Mood swings
- Motor skills issues
- Memory problems
- Depression or anxiety
The long-term effects of a TBI can also cause other issues. Victims may suffer losses of close relationships with family and friends, lose their ability to work and earn an income, and may require round-the-clock care. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 57% of people who are still alive five years after suffering a moderate to severe TBI have severe and permanent disabilities, 55% are unemployed, and 33% depend on others for help with routine daily activities.
Suffering a moderate to severe TBI also increases your risk of dying early. Patients with moderate to severe TBIs are 50 times more likely to die from seizures, 11 times more likely to die from drug poisoning, 9 times more likely to die from infections, and 6 times more likely to die from pneumonia compared to people who haven’t suffered this type of injury.
Contact Our Experienced Injury Attorneys
The long-term effects of a TBI can leave you without the ability to earn an income and facing significant and ongoing medical and rehabilitation costs. If you or your loved one suffered a moderate to severe TBI in an accident caused by someone else, you might be entitled to compensation. The compassionate attorneys at the Law Offices of Bryan Musgrave understand the difficult circumstances that people face following a moderate to severe TBI. We can help you understand your legal options and the merits of a potential legal claim. Contact us for a free consultation today by calling 417-322-2222 or sending us a message online.