Frisco Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer

Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries: What You Need To Know

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a common occurrence, often resulting from car accidents. Depending on the force and circumstances of the accident, these injuries can range from mild to severe. Mild TBIs typically involve a relatively short recovery time of a few weeks, with complete recuperation. However, in more severe cases where the patient sustains significant impact damage, long-lasting impairments are common, drastically altering their way of life.

It is important to note that brain injuries are more prevalent than many realize, with approximately 1.5 million cases occurring in the United States each year. In other words, a traumatic brain injury is sustained every 21 seconds, on average. These injuries can have lifelong consequences, often necessitating legal assistance to obtain compensation for those affected. If you suspect that you have suffered a TBI, it is crucial to consult with a skilled Frisco traumatic brain injury attorney as soon as possible.

Common Causes Of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) commonly occur when a person’s head is forcefully impacted by an external object, causing the brain to collide with the front or back of the skull. This impact often leads to damage to the brain’s internal electrical connections. 

TBIs can result in short or long-term cognitive impairments, such as memory loss and disorientation. While any type of accident has the potential to cause a TBI, the most frequent causes of these injuries include:

• Slip and Falls
• Car accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Truck accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Rear-End Accidents
• Boating accidents
• Drowning accidents
• Uber/Lyft accidents
• Violence or gunshot wounds
• Military attacks or bomb blasts

Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injuries

The impact of a traumatic brain injury can be profound and long-lasting. While the majority of brain injuries in Texas are classified as mild or moderate, there are instances of severe TBIs that can have lifelong consequences or, tragically, even lead to wrongful death. In milder cases, these injuries tend to resolve within a few days.

Although not always fatal, brain injuries can have devastating implications for the victim. If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury as a result of someone else’s negligence, you must seek immediate assistance from a skilled traumatic brain injury lawyer in Frisco, TX. Symptoms of moderate or mild TBIs may include:

• Dizziness
• Amnesia
• Confusion
• Disorientation
• Lightheadedness
• Blurred vision
• Headaches
• Speech impairments
• Inability to focus or concentrate
• Seizures
• Slurred speech
• Problems with memory
• Inability to taste or smell
• Extreme mood swings and fits of temper
• Permanent confusion or disorientation
• Loss of consciousness
• Permanent coma or vegetative state

States Of Abnormal Consciousness Following A Traumatic Brain Injury

While traumatic brain injuries are widely recognized for their severity, it is not as commonly known that these injuries can manifest in different levels. There are five distinct states of abnormal consciousness that individuals may encounter after experiencing a significant brain injury.

1. Stupor

Even when unresponsive, individuals may still be aroused by a stronger stimulus, such as pain. It is worth noting that most severe car accidents resulting in traumatic brain injuries often lead to a state of stupor.

2. Coma

A person enters a state of coma when they remain unresponsive and unconscious for a duration exceeding 24 hours. During this time, they are impervious to external stimuli and do not experience regular sleep cycles.

3. Vegetative State

When an individual enters a vegetative state, they lose consciousness and become unresponsive to external stimuli such as light or pain. Nevertheless, they may still undergo sleep cycles and instinctively react to their surroundings in various ways, such as emitting sounds or opening their eyes.

4. Persistent Vegetative State

If an individual remains in a vegetative state for more than 30 days, they are then classified as being in a persistent vegetative state. Research indicates that adults have roughly a 50% chance of recovering from a persistent vegetative state within the initial six months, while children have slightly better odds at 60%. However, as time passes and an individual spends more time in this unresponsive condition, their likelihood of making a meaningful recovery diminishes.

5. Locked-In Syndrome

Locked-in syndrome is a unique condition in which an individual remains fully conscious and aware, yet their body is rendered immobile due to paralysis stemming from lower brain and brain stem damage. Communication for most individuals with locked-in syndrome is limited to blinking or eye movement, as these are the only unaffected parts of their body.

Traumatic Brain Injury Statistics: The Shocking Truth

• In the United States, there are approximately 13.5 million individuals living with a disability resulting from a traumatic brain injury.
• The annual direct and indirect costs associated with traumatic brain injuries amount to an estimated $76.5 billion.
• Individuals who experience a mild traumatic brain injury typically recover within a few days or weeks. However, around 30 percent of patients continue to experience post-concussion symptoms up to three months after the initial injury.
• In 2016, there were 227,000 hospitalizations related to traumatic brain injuries, followed by 224,000 hospitalizations in 2017.
• Children between the ages of 0 and 17 accounted for 8.6 percent of traumatic brain injury hospitalizations in 2016, decreasing to 7.8 percent in 2017.
• The age groups most commonly associated with the highest rates of traumatic brain injury hospitalizations, in descending order, are adults aged 55 and older, young children aged 0 to 4 years old, and young adults aged 15 to 24 years old.
• Unintentional falls constituted 49.1 percent of traumatic brain injury hospitalizations in 2017, while motor vehicle accidents contributed 24.5 percent.
• Suicide was the leading cause of traumatic brain injury-related deaths in both 2016 (33.8 percent) and 2017 (34.7 percent).
• Males accounted for 78.8 percent of traumatic brain injury-related injuries, while females made up the remaining 21.2 percent.
• Sports-related activities were responsible for 21 percent of traumatic brain injury-related injuries among children and adults.