Traumatic Brain Injury: a Silent Epidemic for Car and Truck Accident Victims
Following a car or truck accident, victims often seek out immediate medical attention. Doctors treat broken bones, lacerations, internal injuries, stitch up open wounds, and sometimes perform brain scans to ensure that there is no dangerous swelling of the brain or permanent damage.
What many people who have survived car accidents and truck accidents may not know is that traumatic brain injury may not always be apparent or diagnosed following an accident, and that many people suffer silently for weeks or months before learning that they have this kind of injury.
According to the CDC, in 2010, over 2.5 million people suffered traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injury can range from mild to moderate to severe. In all cases, TBI can have detrimental effects on an individual’s ability to enjoy life and work.
If you have been in a car accident where you lost consciousness for even a few seconds, it might be prudent to get tested for mild traumatic brain injury. A loss of consciousness could be a sign of a deeper underlying injury to the brain. If, following your accident, you experienced dizziness, confusion, or disorientation, you may be suffering from mild traumatic brain injury.
Even mild traumatic brain injury can cause problems and interfere with a person’s quality of life. The Mayo Clinic lists some symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury. Headaches, mild nausea, fatigue or drowsiness, problems sleeping, loss of balance, sensitivity to light or sound, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, memory problems, concentration problems, mood changes, anxiety, or depression are all symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury.
If, in the weeks and months following your accident, you noticed any of the above changes, it would be prudent to seek the advice of a medical professional and the advice of a personal injury lawyer. Frequent headaches, lost sleep, memory loss, mood changes, and inability to concentrate can all lead to missed days of work and lost wages. Fatigue and nausea can result in frequent trips to the doctor, great pain and suffering, and a general reduction in quality of life. If you or a loved one was in a car accident where the other driver was liable, you may be entitled to compensation for your mild traumatic brain injury, even if the injury wasn’t diagnosed immediately following the accident. Many of these injuries take some time to become fully manifest.
Unfortunately, mild traumatic brain injury is often not diagnosed and many patients suffer silently, missing out on life and time at work. The good news is that the law provides protections for individuals who have been injured in a car accident.
Contacting a personal injury lawyer in Meridian and Boise, Idaho is a first important step in ensuring that you are properly compensated and reimbursed for your losses. Your personal injury lawyer can make sure that you seek proper treatment for your injuries, and can litigate for you to ensure that justice is served. The Law Office of Johnson & Lundgreen has years of experience helping victims seek compensation following car and truck accident injuries.
If you’re suffering from traumatic brain injury, neck or back pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, or just want to learn more about whether you have a case, contact the Law Office of Johnson & Lundgreen today for a free, no-obligation, consultation.
