If you think you or a close relative sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from an accident, you should speak with a lawyer right away to protect your right to compensation. Contact S. Burke Law at (404) 842-7838 for your free case evaluation.

Types of Traumatic Brain Injury

Head injuries from trauma are often those such as:

  • Concussions. A mild brain injury like a concussion may or may not result in loss of consciousness. A mild concussion can affect the way your brain cells function for a short time, but your brain tissue usually recovers. Multiple concussions, however, can lead to permanent brain damage.
  • Skull fractures. If the bony “helmet” that surrounds and protects your brain gets cracked or shattered, you have a skull fracture. Jagged edges of bone or pieces of the bone that break off can cause additional damage to the brain tissue and blood vessels. These injuries can cause long-term consequences or death.
  • Brain bruises, bleeding, torn tissue, blood clots, or other physical damage to the brain can also cause significant long-term impairment or death.

The rehabilitation process for a moderate to severe brain injury can be slow and expensive. You should talk with a lawyer right away to protect your right to compensation.

You only have a short time to file a lawsuit for money damages. The deadline could pass before you have completed your rehabilitation. If the time limit expires, Georgia law could bar you from ever pursuing compensation, even for severe brain injury or death.

Brain Injury Symptoms You Should Not Ignore

The Mayo Clinic advises you to get immediate medical attention for a suspected brain injury from trauma, like a motor vehicle accident.

Symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) can include any of these things:

  • Feeling dazed, disoriented, dizzy, drowsy, fatigued, or confused
  • Losing consciousness briefly, anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes
  • Headache
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Sensitivity to light or sound
  • Changes in mood, memory, or the ability to concentrate

If you have a moderate to severe TBI, you might experience any of the symptoms of a mild TBI and any of these signs shortly after or even days after the accident:

  • Being unconscious for several minutes or hours
  • Severe or worsening headache
  • Seizures
  • Multiple episodes of nausea or vomiting
  • Changes in the pupils of one or both of your eyes
  • Slurred speech
  • Unusual behavior or mood
  • Extreme confusion
  • Coma of other altered states of consciousness

You should go to the emergency room if you have any indication of a head injury from an accident. Bleeding in the brain, swelling, and increased pressure can worsen the harm to the brain.

How a Brain Injury Can Impact Your Life

Because the brain controls so many bodily functions, a significant injury to your body’s “command center” could impact your ability to talk, walk, think, move your arms or legs, breathe on your own, control your emotions, hear, see, smell, taste, or touch, among other things. A brain injury can cause a long-term or permanent change in your state of consciousness. Possible changes to your state of consciousness can include:

  • Coma
  • Vegetative state
  • Minimally conscious state
  • Brain death

Other complications of brain injury, some of which can last for years, include:

  • Seizures
  • Hydrocephalus (a buildup of fluid in the brain)
  • Chronic debilitating headaches
  • Damaged blood vessels in the brain, that can lead to blood clots and strokes
  • Vertigo, a severe form of dizziness that can last for weeks or months
  • Cognitive impairment affecting memory, concentration, problem-solving, and other intellectual functions

Seeking Legal Help After Sustaining a Brain Injury

If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury, you need to be able to focus your energy and attention on getting well or helping your injured relative. Let S. Burke Law take care of your legal matters so you can deal with the health issues.

Call us today at 404-842-7838 for a free consultation.