Signs of a Traumatic Brain Injury After a Car Crash

Jed Dietrich, Esq., Is a Recognized Super Lawyer Committed to Protecting the Rights of Car Accident Victims Across the Buffalo-Niagara Falls Region. If You or a Loved One Has Been Hurt in a Buffalo Car Crash That Was Not Your Fault, The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Explore Your Best Options for Effective Legal Relief.

Traumatic brain injuries are usually caused by a sudden, forceful blow to the head or body.

The term “traumatic brain injury,” however, can be somewhat misleading. A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is not a diagnosis or a standalone condition. Instead, it is a generic term used to describe a constellation of different injuries, ranging from the minor and near-undetectable to those that are much more serious and, potentially, life-threatening.

Most TBIs are caused by an obvious source of physical trauma, with sports accidents and car crashes being two of the most common. Recovery times vary, but even low-grade concussions can take a long-term toll; symptoms can persist for days, weeks, or months, sometimes even years.

You should not have to bear the burden of another person’s mistake.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a car accident that was not your fault, you could be entitled to significant compensation. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades helping New Yorkers assert their rights to a fair recovery. We could help you, too, but you have to act fast. Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 1-716-839-3939 to speak to a TBI car crash lawyer and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Traumatic brain injuries happen when an external force causes enough damage to your brain to affect how it works. Most TBIs can be categorized as either of the following:

1. Penetrating TBIs. Penetrating TBIs occur when a foreign object pierces your skull and enters your brain tissue. These are sometimes called “open” TBIs.

2. Blunt TBIs. Blunt TBIs, or “closed-head TBIs,” can happen if something hits your head with enough force to cause your brain to bounce, twist, or otherwise move inside the skull.

Penetrating TBIs are associated with a wider range of physical and neurological injuries, but this does not mean that blunt TBIs are any less severe.  Instead, traumatic brain injuries tend to fall somewhere on a spectrum. Mild TBIs, for instance, can affect your brain cells temporarily; they are usually treatable, and you might not even notice that anything is wrong, at least not at first. More serious TBIs, on the other hand, can trigger internal bleeding and irreversible brain damage. In a worst-case scenario, they can even be life-threatening.

Traumatic brain injuries are not always noticeable. However, most TBIs eventually present certain symptoms. These symptoms can be vague, with their presentation dependent on the relative severity of your injury. Here is what you need to know about:

Mild TBIs are sometimes called concussions.

Diagnosing a mild TBI can be difficult.

Concussions affect different parts of your body in different ways. You might experience physical symptoms like:

1. Nausea and vomiting;
2. Dizziness;
3. Balance problems;
4. Headaches;
5. Fatigue.

Concussions are also associated with cognitive changes. These could include:

1. Confusion;
2. Brain fog;
3. Difficulty concentrating on routine tasks; and
4. Short-term memory loss.

In some cases, lower-grade TBIs can lead to minor personality changes, too. You might feel unusually anxious, nervous, or temperamental. In the absence of any other physical injury, you may not be able to tell that anything is wrong. If and when symptoms do emerge, though, you may be entitled to take action against the person or party who caused your car accident.

More serious TBIs can prompt comparatively severe symptoms.

These could include:

1. Losing consciousness for 30 minutes or more;
2. Going into a coma;
3. Feeling weak in your arms or legs;
4. Noticeable hearing or vision problems;
5. Feelings of confusion;
6. Trouble speaking or communicating;
7. Feelings of depression;
8. Difficulty managing emotions and behavior; and
9. Acting uncharacteristically impulsive.

Traumatic brain injuries can lead to long-lasting complications.

Even mild TBIs can result in complications like second-impact syndrome if they are left untreated. Second-impact syndrome is a life-threatening condition that can cause your brain to suddenly swell after sustaining a second, similar injury. This could happen immediately after a car accident or in the distant future.

More severe injuries, on the other hand, could result in:

1. Internal brain bleeding;
2. Seizures;
3. Permanent and irreversible brain damage;
4. A shorter life expectancy;
5. Disability.

Furthermore, traumatic brain injuries that target the base of the skull can cause extensive damage to your cranial nerves. This could result in partial paralysis, the loss of certain senses, including taste, smell, and vision, and chronic tinnitus. In some cases, TBIs can affect your cognition and intellect, making it more difficult to problem-solve, plan, and even read. These effects are not always reversible, even with treatment.

Lawyers, judges, and car insurance companies all use the term damages to describe the types of compensation available in a personal injury lawsuit. In New York, damages fall into three main categories:

1. Special damages. Special damages, or economic damages, compensate verifiable forms of financial loss. Your economic damages could include compensation for medical bills, lost income from work, and future care, along with other out-of-pocket accident-related expenditures.

2. General damages. General damages, or non-economic damages, compensate for more subjective forms of pain, hardship, suffering, and loss. The most common kinds of non-economic damages include compensation for physical pain and suffering, emotional pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, and disfigurement.

3. Punitive damages. Punitive damages are not compensatory. Instead, they are only awarded when a jury finds that the defendant either intended to cause harm or was, in some other way, grossly negligent. Most cases do not qualify for punitive damages.

New York law does not cap damages in most personal injury claims. However, the Empire State does enforce a strict statute of limitations applicable to all car accident lawsuits. If you wait too long to contact a lawyer, the statute of limitations could lapse, or key evidence could go missing. Once this happens, the court could refuse to hear your case.

Do not take chances with your rights: contact the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. today at 1-716-839-3939 to speak to a TBI lawyer and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-716-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Buffalo, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!