Our Georgia Car Accident Attorneys Explain Traumatic Brain Injuries Settlements
The Georgia car wreck attorneys for Montlick Injury Attorneys frequently represent victims who have suffered traumatic brain injuries in accidents caused by the negligence or carelessness of others. Traumatic brain injuries can result in death, disfigurement, or permanent disability requiring ’round the clock care. In these situations, it is critical for the victim and his or her family that they receive the most considerable amount of financial compensation possible. Significant monetary compensation can help ease the burden of caring for your loved one.
What Are Traumatic Brain Injuries?
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI for short, causes approximately 30 percent of all injury-related deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In fact, the CDC calculated that 153 people die each day from TBIs. The organization astutely points out those TBIs take a massive toll on the injured person and the injured’s family. Additionally, the CDC concludes that the toll TBIs take on society and the economics of the country is tremendous. In fact, the most recent figures available suggest that the financial toll TBIs take exceeds $75 billion for one year.
The CDC defines a TBI as a hit to the head or neck area that disrupts or interrupts the normal functioning of the brain. Not every impact to the head area will cause a TBI, but it can happen.
The Glasgow Coma Scale
Medically speaking, physicians recognize levels of severity of TBIs, like most injuries. TBIs range from mild to moderate to severe. A mild TBI is identified by a small change in a person’s mental status or consciousness. Severe TBIs may be described as ones with extended periods of memory loss or loss of consciousness after suffering the injury. Many mild TBIs are often diagnosed as concussions.
Neurologists use a measuring device called the Glasgow Coma Scale to measure the severity of a head injury, which helps physicians understand the seriousness of the injury and try to predict the outcome. A score on the Glasgow Coma Scale of “3” to “8” is a severe TBI. Higher scores on the scale correlate to less serious injuries.
Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injuries
A severe TBI has long-lasting and persistent symptoms. In fact, a severe TBI can leave a person suffering the effects of the head injury over one year after the injury. A severe TBI can result in severely debilitating symptoms for the victim, such as:
- Diminished cognitive ability such as loss of concentration and memory lapse;
- Loss of motor function indicated by weakness in the patient’s arms and legs as well as inability to balance or loss of coordination;
- Loss or diminished ability to feel, see, and hear; and
- Emotional problems indicated by anxiety, depression, aggressive behavior, loss of ability to control emotions, and personality changes.
These symptoms could be persistent and become permanent. A severe TBI makes it very difficult for a person to work, engage in traditional relationships, and perform simple tasks like housework and complex tasks like driving.
A person suffering a long-term head injury will need to undergo substantial physical therapy to regain some of the strength and coordination they had before the accident that claimed the victim’s normal functioning. This will come at an extraordinary monetary and emotional cost to the victim and the victim’s family.
