Car accidents can cause many injuries, from whiplash to broken bones to back problems. Other than death or loss of limb, the scariest injury you can suffer is brain damage.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI), and even a minor brain injury (mTBI), can be life-altering and require ongoing treatment. In TBI cases, it is crucial to determine (1) what is medically wrong, (2) what medically can be done to treat the injury, (3) what are the past, present, and future costs of the treatment, and (4) what is the value of the injury's effect on your life.
Types of Brain Injuries from Car Accidents
When some people hear "brain injury," they think of an individual who can no longer think on their own or who has no independence. This isn't always the case. The simplest definition of a brain injury is a disfunction of the brain due to force or other trauma. Here are the different types of brain injuries we see in Greenwood car accidents:
Brain Bleed - bleeding in the brain caused by trauma; this is normally a result of an open-head injury
Concussion - also known as an mTBI
Contusion - a bruise to the brain
Coup-Contrecoup - an injury to the brain due to impacting an object (coup) and the second injury to the brain due to the movement of the brain inside the skull (contrecoup)
Diffuse Axonal Injury - one of the most dangerous brain injuries, this is a TBI involving movement of the brain inside of the skull due to force; this movement may shear or tear the brain stem, resulting in lifelong problems
Open-Head Injury - an injury involving a skull fracture, normally due to an object breaking through the head; open-head injuries typically result in brain bleeds
Causes of Brain Injuries
The most common cause of brain injuries in South Carolina car wrecks is the rapid movement of the head (and brain) due to force. As described above, other causes include striking your head against something (e.g., hitting your head on the steering wheel or windshield) or an object striking your head (e.g., an unsecured item in the car). Getting a neurologist to diagnose the condition and the cause is the first step to developing a treatment plan. This is also important to your case so that attorney James C. Johnson can explain to the jury how you were injured and why the prescribed treatment is necessary.
Effects of Brain Injuries
TBIs and mTBIs can have different effects on different people. It all depends on the type of injury, the part of the brain injured, and the body's reaction. At The Johnson Law Firm of Greenwood, we look for effects at different stages, as discussed below. If you experience these problems, please seek medical attention immediately.
Onset of Injury - loss of consciousness; memory loss; headaches; nausea; dizziness; exhaustion
1-2 Weeks Post-Injury - worsening memory loss; nausea; dizziness; exhaustion; problems concentrating; light sensitivity; noise sensitivity; headaches; difficulty focusing; difficulty finding the right words; difficulty planning; repeating stories; quick tempered; easily agitated; withdrawal; loss of balance; slowed reaction; double vision; difficulty doing normal tasks
Months After Injury - the worsening or leveling-off of the above symptoms
South Carolina Brain Injury Attorney
In most brain injury cases, it is important to hire an attorney. The attorney needs experience with brain-injury cases and the ability to understand the diagnoses, the development of future care needs, proving damages and causation, and (most importantly) how to tell your story. If you've suffered a brain injury, the least negative effect is your medical treatment: the biggest damage is to your life. We get that, and we tell your story to the adjuster, opposing counsel, and if necessary, the jury.
If you have sustained a brain injury, regardless of whether it was due to a slip and fall, a car wreck, or another person's wrongful action, reach out to us so that we can alleviate the stress that comes with managing the case, and so that we can help you obtain full justice for the damage caused to you.
This article is from Littlejohn Law LLC's legal blog. It is copied with permission from its author, Columbia, South Carolina personal injury attorney Andrew Littlejohn Johnson, Esq.