A concussion, a type of brain injury, can be hard to define

Many individuals in Maryland and elsewhere can recognize concussions in others. However, actually defining this type of brain injury can be quite challenging. The reason for this is that a concussion is a mild form of a brain injury, and determining what makes a brain injury mild is not always simple.

As a general rule of thumb, a brain injury is a jolt, blow or bump to someone’s head that disrupts the brain’s normal function. A mild form of this injury leads to a brief alteration of the person’s consciousness or mental status. In this situation, a brief alteration refers to a change that lasts for under half an hour. In addition, the symptoms usually resolve within a few weeks, days or even hours.

If a person loses consciousness for longer than half an hour, he or she is considered to have suffered a severe or moderate brain injury. Unfortunately, this type of injury can have long-term impacts on the victim’s body. Fortunately, a severe brain injury is not as common as a mild one.

A brain injury can easily happen in Maryland as a result of the carelessness of another individual. For instance, a careless driver may cause another driver to suffer a brain injury in a head-on car crash. In this situation, the victim may experience headaches, mood changes or memory problems. However, he or she has the right to file a personal injury claim against the reportedly at-fault driver to seek reimbursement of monetary damages. A successfully litigated lawsuit may result in a damage award that might help with covering medical costs and other losses stemming from the injury-causing accident.