While most people associate traumatic brain injuries (TBI) with obvious, devastating damage, many symptoms remain hidden until days or weeks after the initial head trauma. In fact, it is not uncommon for the victims themselves to fail to recognize many changes that happen over time. Unfortunately, the symptoms of a TBI can remain dormant while dramatically impacting an individual’s personal and professional lives.
The symptoms of a TBI are myriad, but can generally fall into a few distinct categories, including:
- Perception: Blurred vision, double vision, blindness, light sensitivity, ringing in the ears, reduction in hearing sensitivity, body numbness and tingling in the extremities.
- Personality changes: Mood swings, exaggerated emotional responses, lethargy and fatigue.
- Cognitive impairment: Memory problems, trouble making decisions, inappropriate emotional responses and confusion.
- Physical distress: Vomiting, headache, paralysis, coma, difficulty swallowing, facial weakness, droopy eyelids, breathing problems, loss of fine motor control, loss of balance and loss of bladder control.
After any type of accident, it is wise to get a thorough medical examination. People often only equate head trauma with visible damage, but that is not always the case. In many instances, the TBI is marked by functional damage to the brain rather than structural. This means that the impact of the brain against the inside of the cranium can dramatically impact efficient cognition even though there are no physical signs of distress.
Even after a seemingly minor vehicle collision, a slip-and-fall accident or a work injury, it is wise to examine your legal options for monetary compensation.