Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is often the result of a car accident or a slip and fall injury. Traumatic Brain Injuries are commonly caused by bumps or blows to the head, which ultimately impacts or disrupts the normal human brain function, resulting in disablity, or even death.

The human brain was never designed to be subjected to the forces that occur during a motor vehicle or motorcycle accident, or a slip and falls where the individual hits their head. The trauma that occurs to the brain within the skull from rapid movement one direction, stopped and compressed, then rapid movement in the oppose direction, may result in trauma.

It has been suggested that mild traumatic brain injury goes undiagnosed more often than any other injury.  There are number of reasons for this, one first of which is that most people are unknowledgeable as to the signs and symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury.

The individual themselves should never be the source of determining whether they have suffered a traumatic brain injury because one of the signs and perhaps the most significant sign would be short term memory loss, which will become evident to friends and family, but not the injured individual.  The condition further may take some time to become evident or for the friends and family members to see the patterns associated with short term memory loss, and even then, they may not associate the condition to the trauma.

The good news is that most often mild traumatic brain injury resolves itself within the first six (6) months of the traumatic event, but it also may take six (6) months for the condition to become evident.  Generally, sometime after the first six (6) months, should the condition have become noticed by others, a baseline evaluation should occur by a well schooled, knowledgeable neuropsychologist.  Then, at least a year after the accident, there should result in another evaluation comparing the initial baseline to this accident anniversary results.

If after a year, there continue to be are still positive findings of brain injury, the medical literature suggest that the condition is going is most likely going to be permanent.

In the handling of traumatic brain injury cases, the lawyer must have a good working knowledge of the condition and of the experts in the field, and help friends and family develop clear and concise testimony of the signs noticed and have those well documented their observations with specific dates, times, and events.  If the injury is intended to be seriously pursued in any personal injury claim, the more detailed documentation by friends and family, the better opportunity for a good result.

These are not easy claims, are not readily accepted by either an insurance company or a jury, thus attention to detail, is a must.

The fact that you have read this description is an indication you have some concerns of a friend or loved one who has been in an accident and whom you think may have suffered from a traumatic brain injury.  I invite you to contact our office to discuss this further and interview me, asking all the questions you like.

For additional information on Traumatic Brain Injuries, Concussions and other head injuries, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention