What you need to know about brain injuries after an accident

A brain injury is not like many other injuries. While yes, any injury can be very painful and caused by someone else’s negligence, the effects of a brain injury tend to be life altering, greatly impact a person for the rest of their life. Given the severity of these types of injuries, it is common to have questions after an accident. In this post, we hope to address some of the basic facts.

No 1: Physical and emotional changes can stem from a brain injury

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to brain injuries. The symptoms one person may have can be vastly different from someone else. Some changes may be physical, such as problems with coordination, headaches, seizures or trouble speaking or swallowing. Others may have problems with bodily functions, such as bladder control, to name only a few symptoms.

In terms of emotional differences, confusion, mood swings and personality changes are just some of the symptoms associated with a brain injury. Again, the exact symptoms and varying degrees of severity can change from person to person.

No. 2: A loss of consciousness is not a marker for a traumatic brain injury

If your injury was the result of a slip-and-fall, motor vehicle accident, work injury — or any type of accident — do not base the severity of your injury on whether or not consciousness was lost. A loss of consciousness is not necessary for a brain injury to be classified as a traumatic brain injury. You could have stayed fully awake for the entire ordeal and still have a very serious and severe injury that needs immediate attention.

No. 3: It can take several weeks or months — or even longer — to understand the full impact

All of the symptoms and consequences of a brain injury may not fully express themselves for quite some time. This is one of the top reasons to never just accept a settlement from an insurance company. This settlement could be financially short given all of the symptoms and long-term effects. Rather, work with an attorney who understands the nature of brain injuries to make sure the compensation you receive is fair.