Traumatic Brain Injuries
Our brains control every aspect of the human body, from commanding our heart to keep pumping blood to ordering our arms to pick up the groceries from the trunks of our cars. For as important as this organ is, it’s also among the most delicate. While our skulls provide a considerable amount of protection, sometimes it just takes a slight bump to damage the brain and disrupt its ability to function as needed. The more severe the impact, the more severe the damage and subsequent complications can become. This is what is considered Traumatic Brain injuries or TBIs.
Symptoms of a TBI
TBI victims may suffer from a number of different symptoms depending on how severe their injury was. Any brain injury will likely have an effect on your cognitive, mental, and physical abilities.
Cognitive and Mental Symptoms:
- Slurred Words
- Serious confusion
- Unusual behavior, including combativeness, agitation, etc.
- Depression or anxiety
- Mood changes
- Concentration and/or memory issues
Sensory Symptoms:
- Ringing ears
- Blurry vision
- Heightened sensitivity to sound and light
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Changes in your ability to smell
Physical Symptoms:
- Dilated pupils
- Seizures and/or convulsions
- Clear fluids dripping out of your ears and/or nose
- Unconsciousness
- Finger and/or toe weakness or numbness
- Headaches
- Difficulty sleeping and/or falling asleep
- Loss of balance and/or dizziness
- Drowsiness and/or fatigue
- Disorientation and / or confusion
- Vomiting and/or nausea
These symptoms can persist for a considerable amount of time past the time of injury, and TBIs can result in unmanageable therapy and medical bills depending on the complexity and severity of your injuries.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord is responsible for transmitting signals from your brain throughout your body, and any disruption to that signal can cause serious and potentially irreparable damage to the rest of your body, depending on the site of the injury. The bundle of nerves running from your head down to your tailbone is only protected by a bone casing, and even a seemingly minor accident can impact its ability to function as intended. If you were injured, it’s important to seek immediate medical attention to make sure that your spine remains healthy.
Common Causes
Some of the most common causes of these types of injuries include:
- Falls
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Violence
- Alcohol
- Disease
- High impact sports
The most serious spinal cord injuries result in paralysis, leaving the victim unable to move or feel parts of their body. This type of injury requires a significant lifestyle change from both the victim and their family, dramatically impacting their ability to interact with the world. Whether your injuries only resulted in the partial or total loss of movement and feeling below the injury site, you deserve the chance to fight for the compensation you need to cover any bills or damages if your injury was caused by someone else’s actions.
Different Types of Paralysis
Medical professionals break paralysis down into two categories, complete and incomplete. Victims suffering from complete paralysis have lost all sensory and motor function below the injury site, while victims suffering from incomplete paralysis still retain some level of sensory and motor function below the injury site. Paralysis is also broken down into two categories depending on the part of the body it affects:
- Quadriplegia: The most serious type of paralysis, quadriplegia affects both the upper and lower portion of the victim’s body. In most cases, the spinal cord injury occurred around the neck, and limits or prevents movement or feeling in all four limbs and torso. Depending on the severity of the injury, victims may require assistance breathing.
- Paraplegia: While still serious, paraplegia only affects the lower portions of the victim’s body. This included both legs and the lower portion of the torso.
Depending on how severe your injury was, you may require around the clock care to perform even the simplest of tasks like feeding yourself or using the restroom. In some situations, you may need to alter your vehicle in order to accommodate your injury so you can still leave your home – add this cost on to the cost of treatment and rehabilitation, and the price tag for recovery becomes dramatically steeper.
Hire The Legal Team You Need Today
If you were seriously injured due to someone else’s actions, our personal injury attorneys at Fleming, Nolen & Jez may be able to help you fight for and secure the compensation you deserve. With more than three and a half decades of experience, you can rest assured that you’re in good hands when you hire us to represent you. Give us a call at (713) 621-7944 to discuss your case with a member of our firm today, or fill out our online form.
