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What Are the Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic brain injury may be defined as any type of trauma that has an effect on how the brain functions. As we know, the brain is the most elaborate part of the human body that we grasp the least amount of information about. New studies about brain findings occur daily to provide us a better understanding of how to operate and protect our brain’s vigor. Injuries that disturb our brain health exist in several methods, so it is vital to always be informed about what may have affected you.

Forms of Traumatic Brain Injury

In order to recognize a traumatic brain injury, it is essential to be aware of the three primary types of traumatic brain injury: Mild, Moderate, and Severe traumatic brain injury. Each can be measured on a scale known as the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), which determines the seriousness of the injury.

Mild traumatic brain injury is a new discovery that can take place in anyone's life. Any force to the head area may trigger a mild traumatic brain injury which in no case should be ignored. For example, concussions; These head injuries have recently become regular events in the lives of active people, specifically athletes. Traditionally, a professional athlete might suffer a concussion due to a head injury in a sports-related event and be told to continue on or rest for a brief amount of time. We now recognize that mild traumatic brain injuries, like concussions, if not appropriately treated, can build up over time and negatively impact a person's brain cognition long-term.

Also, mild traumatic brain injuries can occur due to an unexpected motion. Think about a moving automobile: In the event you are driving at seventy miles per hour and quickly slam on the brakes to stop the vehicle as soon as possible, this inertia-driven force may (literally) bounce your brain inside the skull cavity. The resulting effects could be bruising, swelling, or even bleeding of the brain and are usually classified as a traumatic brain injury.

Moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries are a level above a mild traumatic brain injury on the GCS measuring scale. Similar to mild traumatic brain injuries, moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries can occur due to the force to the head area or by a penetrating injury like a gunshot wound to the head. Moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries endanger the lives of people each year, so it is imperative to seek careful attention. Falls by the elderly, incidents with guns, vehicle crashes, and even assault cases all aid to the leading causes of moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries. The CDC approximates that roughly 22 percent of individuals with TBI pass away each year, along with 30 percent of people suffering worse TBI-related detriments with time. Likewise, dealing with TBI requires continual care in order to stay out of the category of people who deteriorate due to its effects. Direct and indirect medical bills associated with TBI represented over 75 billion dollars, mostly pertaining to TBIs requiring hospitalization along with fatalities.

Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries are proven to leave permanent effects, whether they become noticeable instantly or in the following years. Over 60,000 people pass away each year from traumatic brain injury impacts with that number affecting individuals of any age. The frightening statistic limits this number to 166 deaths each day. Research studies continually show that traumatic brain injuries cause both short-term and lasting impacts. On the one hand, you might suffer short-term memory loss, brain fog, problems concentrating, and even headaches for weeks or months until these symptoms diminish.

On the other hand, these signs, as well as others, such as brain damage, reduced motor function, and severe memory loss, may completely change someone's quality of life. Determining the appropriate health care for a traumatic brain injury is the most important aspect to keep in mind. These injuries should never be ignored and oftentimes need specialized treatment that guarantees the recovery of brain function through constant care and monitoring. The long-lasting impacts of TBI are negatively noteworthy, increasing the likelihood to suffer and potentially die from seizures, drug poisoning, infections, and even pneumonia. This can be described as a triggering effect that usually refers to one event leading to another. Sadly, these negative situations occur as an outcome of complicated injuries. Traumatic brain injury patients can even find themselves needing treatment for life just to keep some quality of life. One must keep in mind that the brain is the highest operating organ in our bodies, with many intricate details that we do not understand. It is up to us to secure this important piece of the body, no matter material resources.

Traumatic brain injuries in children are crucial to treat, whether their injuries are mild or severe. This stands as an avoidance strategy to ensure that the effects do not remain or advance in time as the child matures into their adult years. Children's brains are still developing with time, and any interruption during this development can activate long-term effects that, regrettably, are irrevocable. Parents need to keep in mind that their child's brains form basic life skills such as behavior changes, social skills, and learning retention, which all aid in children living productive adult lives. Our kids are the foundation of our society that will one day contribute to living out our traditions and forming new traditions for the future of society, and it depends on us to protect them.

Like many diseases, the elderly are at the forefront of the threat of requiring hospitalization or even succumbing to death because of a traumatic brain injury. Older adults already experience similar impacts due to their apparent old age, such as memory loss and reduced productivity. These old-age misfortunes often assume that an adult in their later years may suffer a traumatic brain injury and never receive a proper diagnosis from a healthcare professional. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence, and these mistakes need to be taken seriously because of their extreme effects. Likewise, seniors frequently take extra medications that may negatively affect them if they experience a traumatic brain injury. According to the CDC, Anticoagulants like warfarin (Coumadin), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), and apixaban (Eliquis), and antiplatelet medications like clopidogrel (Plavix), ticagrelor (Brilinta), and acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) can all increase the amount of bleeding in the brain following a traumatic brain injury.

Finding a Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

Traumatic brain injury attorneys require the experience and knowledge to manage these complex cases appropriately. For starters, an attorney who thinks they are simply assisting in a traditional automobile accident case may not ask to dive deeper into the injuries suffered to check for a traumatic brain injury. Picking the right attorney comes down to experience in this field of work to ask the correct questions and ensure clients receive suitable compensation and treatment. To decipher through attorneys, one must use a detail-oriented evaluation process. To add, some attorneys may only practice with a singular goal in mind: to make money. Now, making money is a great thing sometimes, but it should not be the focus of all decisions behind a client’s case. Other attorneys might have great intentions; however, their experience in this field could be lacking. Traumatic brain injuries are only recently becoming a hot topic due to the meter of transparency in sports, medicine, and overall good health on the rise. In order to obtain a proper attorney, one must remember all of the complexities that go into receiving adequate care. For instance, a traumatic brain injury attorney needs to gather a team of credible medical professionals to prove your case for a traumatic brain injury claim based on the facts and appropriate collection of data. Then, a traumatic brain injury attorney must gather a team of financial professionals to work with medical professionals to establish a short or long treatment plan that benefits the victim of a TBI the most. Next, a traumatic brain injury attorney must gather all of this information among others and use it to justify to the opposite side why your case matters. Of course, little things along the way, such as using properly backed medical journals and professionals to support your findings, play into the skillset of an experienced traumatic brain injury attorney. Oftentimes, individuals on the other side of your traumatic brain injury case work for or within the insurance company's line of work. Because of this reason, their primary objective may aim to prove the absolute reverse of your claims and explain why your attorney's research is incorrect. Insurance companies may hire defense attorneys to reduce your claims in an effort to limit their monetary damages. The sad reality for you might be a cold-hearted realization of one person versus another fighting for what is right.

On the other hand, traumatic brain injury attorneys have the responsibility, as all attorneys have, to distribute their client's money properly in the most effective manner. However, when it comes down to a complicated injury such as TBI, factors play into an attorney's decision to recommend where their client's money should be distributed in the best place possible. For instance, some attorneys go the extra mile in utilizing their expert medical and economic resources to research programs around the nation and the world that provide TBI treatment in the highest capacity. Programs exist throughout that country that treats TBI patients daily and improves TBI patients with one-on-one exercises and specialized testing. The typical health care providers at your local hospital may not be a part of a TBI-specific treatment team or division within their employer. Facilitating with a branch of specialized medical experts costs large amounts of time and money that standard healthcare facilities may not want to handle. All of these elements play a role in your determination of the right attorney to represent you in your traumatic brain injury case. The best outcomes for each of these factors simply come down to experience and commitment. As with medical professionals, finding the proper TBI attorney might prove to be less common than a traditional attorney specializing in standard matters. Whether you research on behalf of yourself or on behalf of another, it is crucial to keep these facts in mind. If you are the victim of a traumatic brain injury, your life may be dramatically impacted in one way or another. Therefore, you deserve the peace of mind that this obstacle can be overcome, and your quality of life may not be diminished.

Let us at The Cochran Firm defend you with our skilled team of traumatic brain injury attorneys who have the knowledge and determination to get you what you deserve after this life-altering injury. Traumatic brain injuries should not be taken lightly. Whether they are mild or severe, we are here to help.

Why Choose The Cochran Firm 

The attorneys at The Cochran Firm are among the nation’s most successful and tenacious attorneys. When navigating through the legal process, you deserve to have an experienced attorney by your side. The Cochran Firm attorneys know how to fight for you. 

Here at The Cochran Firm, our experienced attorneys are ready to help you or someone you love pursuing a brain injury claim. Our attorneys work closely with each of our clients using pooled resources and their access to legal expertise to ensure the most effective legal representation available is provided. 

You need the help of an experienced brain injury attorney who has proven successful results in other similar cases to guide you through the process and help you to receive the monetary damages you are entitled to under the law. At The Cochran Firm, we have the offices, the experience, the results, and the resources to aid clients throughout the United States.

Please contact the brain injury attorneys at The Cochran Firm today for your free, no-obligation initial consultation today.

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