Traumatic Brain Injuries: How They Happen

Did you know that 1.4 million people sustain a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) every year in the United States according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)? Of those,

• 1.1 million are treated and released


• 235,000 are hospitalized


• 50,000 die

What are TBIs?

TBIs are injuries to the brain from being hit or shaken violently. (TBIs are not used to describe those born with brain injuries or who acquire a brain injury from the birthing process.) These injuries can lead to many complicated changes in brain functioning such as:

• abstract thinking


• attention


• behavior


• hearing and/or seeing


• learning


• memory


• problem solving


• talking


• thinking and reasoning (logical analysis)


• understanding of words


• walking and other motor coordination

Symptoms of TBI

The many symptoms of TBI include the following:

• Anxiety/nervousness


• Behavioral changes


• Blurry or double vision (diplopia)


• Depression


• Difficulty concentrating or thinking


• Difficulty controlling urges (disinhibition)


• Difficulty finding words or understanding the speech of others (aphasia)


• Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)


• Dizziness


• Headaches


• impulsiveness


• inappropriate laughter


• irritability


• Lightheadedness


• Loss of balance; difficulty walking or sitting


• Loss of memory


• Muscle stiffness and/or spasms


• Incoordination of movements


• Seizures


• Sense of spinning (vertigo)


• Sleep difficulties (more or less sleep than before the TBI)


• Slurred and/or slowed speech


• Tingling, numbness, pain, or other sensations


• Weakness in limb(s), facial muscles, or on an entire side of the body

How TBIs Occur

The way TBIs occur is that the brain is abruptly knocked against the skull causing damage or injury. The most common way this happens is when the head is slowed down dramatically, but the brain still has momentum and hits the skull. Examples of this type of injury are:

• Diving accidents


• Falls


• Motor vehicle crashes

This condition is sometime difficult to diagnose because two people who experience the same accident can have different symptoms because their brains may be injured in different areas.

Most TBIs cause unconsciousness for a period of time following the accident, which can be a few minutes up to a few weeks. People who are unconscious for longer periods of time typically sustain more serious brain damage and have more trouble than those who were only unconscious for a few minutes or not at all. Even those who had little or no unconsciousness following their TBI, however, may still experience similar problems to but smaller in scale than their counterparts who were unconscious longer.

Since TBIs are injuries that have misleading or hard-to-read symptoms, it is imperative that if you or a loved one has experienced any kind of trauma to the brain that you are on the alert and see a doctor immediately if any kind of physical symptoms or behavioral changes occur.

Following a TBI most people have some sort of problems doing things (see Symptoms of TBI above). Their work may suffer and they may even lose their job. Symptoms may show up immediately or later with a delayed onset. Because of this you may need to file a personal injury lawsuit against the person or company that caused the TBI. Orlando personal injury attorneys Best & Anderson can help you to do this.