No one can predict when an accident might happen, leaving most victims unsure about what to do next. If you’ve been in a recent accident that caused a violent jolt or blow to your body, you need to seek immediate medical care because it’s you might be suffering from brain injury. If your accident occurred as a result of someone’s negligent actions, you can seek compensation from them. If they refuse to compensate you for your injuries, you can always hire a brain injury attorney in Los Angeles.
Types of Brain Injury
There are two types of brain injury: traumatic brain injury and acquired brain injury. Both of them disrupt the normal functioning of the brain.
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be caused by an external force that is powerful enough to cause the brain to move or even damage the skull, which can severely damage the brain itself. Mild TBI can temporarily affect your brain cells, but a more serious brain injury can result in torn tissues, bruising, bleeding, and other physical brain damage. Such injuries can cause long-term complications or even death.
- Acquired brain injury (ABI) is often linked with pressure on the brain. It occurs at the cellular level so it might come from a tumor, or as a result of a neurological illness, such as a stroke.
Signs
The symptoms of brain damage are wide and varied, but they usually fall into four categories, such as:
- Physical
- Perceptual
- Cognitive
- Behavioral/Emotional
Common physical symptoms include:
- Chronic headaches
- Extreme mental and physical fatigue
- Tremors and seizures
- Paralysis
- Sensitivity to light
- Slurred speech
- Sleeping problems
- Loss of consciousness
Common perceptual symptoms include:
- Change in sense of touch, hearing, or vision
- Inability to sense time
- Balance problems
- Increased sensitivity to pain
- Smell and taste disorders
- Spatial disorientation
Common behavioral/emotional symptoms include:
- Impatience and irritability
- Sluggishness
- Stress intolerance
- Increased or flattened reactions or emotions
- Denial of disability
- Heightened aggressiveness
Possible Causes
Brain damage can occur as a result of a number of possible causes like injuries or medical conditions.
Possible causes of TBI include:
- Blows to the head
- Sports injuries
- Automotive accidents
- Falls
- Physical violence
Possible causes of ABI include:
- Stroke
- Exposure to poisonous substances
- Infection
- Heart attacks
- Choking, drowning, strangulation
- Tumors
- Neurological conditions
- Aneurysms
- Substance abuse
When Do You Need to Hire a Brain Injury Lawyer?
You might want to consider hiring a brain injury attorney if any of the following is true in your case.
- Your injury caused long-term memory loss, headaches, and personality changes
- The injury has an emotional impact on you and your family
- You can no longer function without assistance because of your injury
- Your injury caused you to lose your job because you can no longer fulfill your responsibilities and duties at work
- Your injury requires a long hospital stay and/or surgery
- You need to undergo extensive physical therapy because of the injury
Final Thoughts
An experienced personal injury lawyer will not just treat you with care and compassion, they can also help you get justice against the one who caused your injury, as well as obtain you the compensation you deserve. A brain injury can seriously derail your life and monetary compensation might not be enough to compensate for that. However, it can help, at least, make your current life be more comfortable.
