Posted in Brain Injury on October 25, 2023
Traumatic brain injuries can occur when a person sustains a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body or a penetrating injury, such as a gunshot wound or from some other type of external force. These types of injuries can range in severity from minor concussions to severe traumatic brain injuries that have lasting impacts on the victim. If you’ve suffered from a brain injury, contact our Long Beach personal injury lawyers.
Brain Injuries Are Not Uncommon
Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that traumatic brain injuries are a major cause of death and that, during a recent reporting year, there were nearly 215,000 hospitalizations related to traumatic brain injuries. However, these numbers are likely much lower than the total number of TBIs that occur because the data does not represent brain injuries treated in facilities outside of hospitals, such as standalone emergency departments, urgent care facilities, etc.
Traumatic brain injuries can occur in a wide variety of ways, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Car accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Commercial truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Premises liability incidents
- Defective product incidents
- Child injury incidents
- Sports incidents
- Medical or surgical errors
- Drowning or near-drowning incidents
- Slip and fall incidents
- Firearm incidents
- Assault
Concussions are Considered Traumatic Brain Injuries
Concussions are actually considered mild traumatic brain injuries, and they are caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or a hit to the body that leads to the head or brain moving back and forth quickly. Concussions must be taken seriously because left untreated, they could lead to a more severe TBI. Additionally, individuals who do not take an appropriate rest period after a concussion run the risk of sustaining another head injury that leads to more severe brain damage.
Concussions are most commonly associated with sports incidents, but they most certainly have other causes that affect individuals on a daily basis, including vehicle accidents, slip and fall incidents, child injury incidents, and more.
Mild to Moderate Traumatic Brain Injuries
Data from the CDC shows that there were nearly 70,000 traumatic brain injury-related deaths in 2021. Severe traumatic brain injuries require immediate medical attention in order to stem the effects of the injury and to begin the treatment process. Mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries can lead to major long-term consequences for the victim. This includes effects to:
- Thinking and learning
- Motor skills
- Hearing and vision
- Emotion and mood
- Behavior
Individuals who sustain moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries face an increased risk of death as a result of other causes as well, including seizures, infections, pneumonia, and drug poisoning.
Recovering Compensation for a TBI
If an individual sustains a traumatic brain injury caused by the negligence of another party, they may be able to recover compensation for their losses. A skilled brain injury lawyer in Long Beach can examine the claim and help determine the best steps moving forward. When an attorney takes your case, they will conduct a complete investigation and handle all communication with other parties involved, including the insurance carriers. The goal is to help a traumatic brain injury victim recover compensation for their medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses arising due to the injury, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages.