Traumatic brain injury causes significant long-term problems. The human body has a remarkable capacity to recover, but brain tissue will not heal itself, and there are currently no medical treatments to regenerate damaged brain tissue.
TBI victims and their families face a number of difficult challenges. TBI patients often require extensive medical intervention and lifelong assisted living care. In many cases, TBI victims will be unable to enjoy their favorite activities, and it may not be possible to resume their careers.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is brain damage caused by an object that penetrates the skill or an external blow to the head or upper body that causes the brain to move internally and crash into the skull. A TBI where there is no penetration of foreign objects is called a closed brain injury. Whether TBI is caused by a closed brain injury or a penetrating injury, it’s likely to have serious short-term and long-term consequences.
A concussion is a TBI that results in temporary loss of brain function, such as memory loss, dizziness, nausea, confusion, or loss of consciousness. Anyone who suffers a concussion should seek immediate medical attention. A brain injury is a life-threatening event, and there are over 100 TBI-related fatalities every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Accidents that cause TBI include:
- Automobile accidents
- Truck crashes
- Construction site injuries
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Work-related injuries
- Slip-and-falls
- Gunshot wounds
- Explosions
- Assault
- Sports injuries
- Pedestrians struck by motor vehicles
The Long-Term Effects of TBI
Once the patient has received emergency TBI treatment, doctors will assess the long-term damage caused by the injury. A TBI may have a severe impact on the patient’s physical, intellectual, and emotional well-being.
TBIs cause physical and intellectual disabilities. These injuries frequently damage the patient’s ability to process language and impair their ability to speak, read, and follow a conversation. There are also serious psychological issues that may result from TBI, including personality changes, anger, depression, and violent behavior.
Victims and their families may struggle to cope with the following long-term TBI symptoms:
- Chronic headaches
- Sensory issues
- Cognitive damage
- Memory loss
- Language difficulties
- Loss of vision
- Paralysis
- Reduced motor skills
- PTSD
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Behavioral changes
- Anxiety
- Dementia
- Ringing on the ears
- Insomnia
- Aggressive behavior
- Seizures
- Coma
Medical Treatment for the Long-Term Effects of TBI
Immediate medical treatment will be required to stabilize the TBI patient. Emergency surgery may be used to stop the bleeding, remove blood clots, reduce pressure on the brain, and make sure the patient’s brain and body are receiving enough oxygen to prevent further damage.
After the initial emergency has passed, a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals will create a long-term treatment plan. This team may include doctors, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physical therapists, social workers, vocational counselors, and neuropsychologists.
The TBI patient’s long-term plan will contain the following types of in-patient and out-patient care:
- Counseling to address the psychological symptoms caused by the brain injury and also to assist the patient with adjusting to lifestyle changes such as living with a physical disability and losing the ability to work.
- Medication may include anticonvulsants to suppress seizures, antidepressants to treat depression and anxiety, drugs to counter the effects of dementia and memory loss, and antipsychotics to treat psychosis and other disorders.
- Rehabilitation may include physical and occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, recreational therapy, and other treatments to help restore the patient’s physical and intellectual abilities.
- In-home nursing care to assist the patient with daily living needs.
Has Your Loved One Suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury in New York?
The experienced New York TBI lawyers at Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP will file a claim or a lawsuit to help you and your loved one get the resources you need to cover treatment costs and other expenses.
We have won over a billion dollars for our clients, and our New York City attorneys have been recognized by the independent rating agency Super Lawyers for providing our clients with outstanding service. We are also proud members of the Top 25 Motor Vehicle Trial Lawyers Association and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Call us at (212) 986-7353 to schedule a FREE consultation today.