Traumatic brain injury can impact a victim for the rest of their lives.
Brain injuries are among the most frightening types of accident injuries that one can sustain. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can completely alter every aspect of the victim’s life, not to mention the lives of those who care for and love him/her. A Charleston, South Carolina brain injury lawyer is just one of the resources you have at your disposal after an accident in South Carolina results in a TBI.
A Look at Traumatic Brain Injury
TBI is a head injury that occurs when the cranium sustains severe trauma. This can happen in any number of circumstances, such as during a fall down a set of stairs, a sports accident (say, getting struck during a tackle, for instance) or even during a physical assault. Sports injuries are common causes of TBI in youths, but auto accidents, pedestrian accidents and bicycle crashes account for a significant proportion of TBIs in all populations in the United States.
Like many types of injuries, there are gradients to a TBI, ranging from mild to severe. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say 75% of all TBIs in the U.S. are mild, it should be noted that even a “mild” brain injury can have lasting effects.
The CDC says that roughly 1.7 million people suffer a TBI each year. Out of that number 52,000 people will die as a result of their traumatic brain injury. A TBI is considered a factor in more than 30% of injury deaths in the U.S.
Long-Term Effects of a TBI
Your Charleston, South Carolina brain injury lawyer will be particularly interested in speaking with your doctors and learning about the long-term implications of your TBI. This is because while it is relatively easy to quantity the short-term costs of your injury (hospital bills, doctor visits, lost wages, etc.) your attorney is working to build a claim that will take into account the impact this injury will have on the rest of your life.
The CDC says that TBIs can have both short- and long-term impact on the following areas of a victim’s life:
• sensory perception (sight, sound, taste, touch and smell);
• cognitive abilities (your memory and reasoning skills may suffer);
• communication (you may have trouble expressing your thoughts or understanding what others say to you); and
• emotional upheaval (a TBI can change a person’s behavior and leave them vulnerable to depression, anxiety and anger).
When a severe brain injury has impacted your life and the TBI is the direct result of an accident caused by another person’s negligence, consider working with a Charleston, South Carolina brain injury lawyer who understands the nuances of this type of injury and claim.
