Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) can be life-changing. Victims undergo multiple surgeries, costing the family massive expense, not to mention the stress already present because of the accident itself. Portland Personal Injury Attorneys understands the issues associated with brain injuries, especially the impact on you and your family. Let us refer you to a lawyer that specializes in your problem and will sit it to the solution.
Long Term Effects
Many brain injuries lead to problems that the victim will face throughout his/her life. Whether their injuries and the accident affect them physically, mentally, or emotionally, the scars will remain throughout their lifetime. Whereas many parts of the body have the ability to regenerate tissue, the brain does not. Often damage done to the brain is permanent and creates problems for the individual. The connections between brain cells are broken and thus functions controlled by those areas cease to function. Senses may not function correctly, they may have trouble moving or manipulating body parts, and difficulty cognitively. Side effects of traumatic brain injuries have even been known to result in drastic and sometimes permanent personality changes.
Common Causes
- A force of impact to the head (i.e. falling and hitting head on the ground.)
- A car accident resulting a a brain injury
- A penetrating injury that can result in the damage of brain tissue and permanent mental issues.
Quick Statistics: Traumatic Brain Injuries
- According the the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.7 million people suffer a brain injury each year.
- Of the total amount of people, approximately 52,000 people died, 275,000 require hospitalization, and 1.36 recieve treatment after requiring going to the emergency room.
- The CDC reports that 1/3 of all injury-related fatalities are involved with traumatic brain injuries.
- Motor vehicle accidents account for %17 of all brain injuries
Types of Brain Injuries
- Concussion – Caused by a direct blow to a person’s head, violent shaking of the head, or through whiplash. Results of a concussion if not treated properly include internal brain bleeding, swelling of the brain, and possible death.
- Contusion – A bruise to the brain caused by an impact to the head.
- Penetrating Brain Injury – An injury caused by an object piercing the brain, cause massive damage to tissue and psychological functions.
A Brief Example
Let’s say you are installing new shingles on the roof. You get out your ladder and begin to climb up to the top of the house. A single rung snaps in two, which causes you to lose your balance and fall of the ladder to the ground below. The first area to hit is your head, and by extension your brain. Knowing that your injury will take years to just partially recover, and the fact that you may not even recover fully at all, you realize the immense amount of expenses necessary to fund the numerous surgeries you must undergo. But, you know that if you make a call to Portland Personal Injury Attorneys, you can have faith that you will get the rightful compensation you deserve because of a faulty product or someone’s wrongdoing.