TBI symptoms after an accident necessitate immediate medical treatment – and you may want to call a lawyer, too. Here’s what you need to know.
TBI Symptoms After an Accident: When to Call a Lawyer
When you’re in an accident, whether it was a slip and fall, a car crash or something else, you can easily suffer a traumatic brain injury. Unfortunately, the symptoms of a TBI can take time to appear – you might not even know you have a brain injury until you have a medical emergency.
It’s incredibly important to see a doctor after any accident, even if you think you’re fine.
The most common symptoms of a mild TBI include:
- Behavioral or mood changes
- Blurry vision
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Lightheadedness
- Loss of consciousness lasting up to a few minutes
- Memory and concentration problems
- Nausea or vomiting
- Ringing ears
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Sleepiness or tiredness
Symptoms of moderate to severe TBIs include:
- Confusion, restlessness or agitation
- Convulsions or seizures
- Headaches that get worse or won’t get better
- Inability to wake up
- Loss of consciousness lasting a few minutes to hours
- Loss of coordination
- Nausea or repeated vomiting
- Numbness or tingling in the arms or legs
- Pupil enlargement (in one or both eyes)
- Slurred speech
Related: Common motorcycle accident injuries
What to Do if You – or Someone You Care About – Experiences TBI Symptoms After an Accident
If you or someone you care about is experiencing TBI symptoms after an accident, whether it was a slip and fall, motorcycle accident, car crash or truck accident (or any other type of accident, for that matter), seek medical attention. It’s important to catch and treat a brain injury early.
Related: What bones are most likely to be broken in a car crash?
What Happens After a TBI?
After a closed head injury, the body goes through several biochemical and physiological responses. Sometimes substances from brain cells flood the brain, which can cause more damage. Often, the brain swells – and that can cause it to press up against the inside of t he skull. That can cause bruising and bleeding. Sometimes the brain swells quickly, but not always; it can take several hours for the brain to noticeably swell.
How Do You Know if You Need a Lawyer After a Brain Injury?
If you’ve suffered a brain injury after an accident – even one that’s been classified as “mild” – you can still benefit from talking to a lawyer. In many cases, accident victims with brain injuries are entitled to financial compensation.
You need to know:
- Even “mild” traumatic brain injuries can change your day-to-day life. Sometimes the damage a TBI causes isn’t readily apparent on brain scans. In fact, this kind of injury can cause what’s known as “microtrauma,” and it can cause severe symptoms without your doctor even knowing it’s there.
- The monetary value of your injury can be hard to establish. If you attempt to negotiate a settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company, do you really know what your injury is worth? Do you know how much you’re facing in lost income and earning potential, or how much your past plus future medical treatment will cost? What about pain and suffering? These are all things an attorney can help you determine.
- If you’ve suffered a TBI and you’re trying to get compensation, you may need expert testimony. Often when it comes down to a court case, both sides will bring in experts to testify. When you work with an attorney, he’ll bring in the necessary experts to explain your case to the judge and jury.
- You can expect the other party’s insurance company to try to take advantage of you. Insurance adjusters have one job – and that’s not to help you. Instead, it’s to save their company money. That means they’re going to try to take advantage of you, especially if you don’t understand what your future expenses are worth. Your attorney’s job is to figure that out – and go to bat for you when you have to go up against the insurance company.
Related: Punitive damages vs. compensatory damages
Have You Suffered TBI Symptoms After an Accident?
If you’ve experienced TBI symptoms after an accident of any kind, your first order of business is to seek medical attention. Then, it may be a good idea for you to call an attorney. We’re available at 818-230-8380 or fill out the form below to tell us what happened. We’ll be happy to visit you at home, in the hospital or in our office – and if you’re entitled to compensation, we can help you get what you deserve.
