An overview of a traumatic brain injury

Any type of injury to the head or neck should be taken seriously. Traumatic brain injuries account for around 1.7 million visits to the emergency room, hospitalizations and deaths each year in the U.S. When Maryland individuals think of what might cause a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, they may think of an individual who is involved in a serious car accident or perhaps collides with a hard object. However, an individual may suffer a TBI due to any kind of trauma to either the head or neck region.

There are two overall types of injuries that individuals suffer to their heads — closed and open. In an open injury, the skull is fractured and usually occurs due to a fall or another type of accident by which the skull comes into direct contact with either a hard object or surface. Although a closed-head injury does not involve a fracture, it can, nonetheless, actually be more serious due to the chance that the brain might swell and dangerous blood clots could develop within the skull.

As a TBI can lead to loss of consciousness, paralysis and even death, it is crucial to have at least a basic understanding of how the warning signs present themselves. Although it can be difficult to determine whether the injury has occurred, due to the fact that there are no visual indications, there are still things to consider. If the person seems unusually tired, confused, experiences difficulty when trying to remember recent events, is dizzy, nauseous, has a severe headache or numbness or weakness on one side of his or her body after an injury or accident, he or she should seek immediate medical attention.

As it is entirely possible to have suffered a traumatic brain injury and still feel perfectly fine afterwards, one of the most crucial steps is to seek medical attention as quickly as possible. After a serious accident, TBI victims may require financial assistance to treat the injury as well as to continue with their day-to-day activities. If a Maryland resident or a loved one has suffered a TBI due to an accident that someone else caused, the victim may be entitled to legal recourse. Consulting an experienced personal injury attorney is the first step to ensuring that the victim’s legal rights are protected.

Source: FindLaw, “Brain Injury Overview“, Accessed on June 6, 2016