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What Are the Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries After an Illinois Car Accident?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car accidents are the second leading cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) hospitalizations, accounting for about 20 percent of these serious injuries. The force of a collision makes concussions and other brain injuries unfortunately common, and the effects can be long-lasting or even permanent. If you or a loved one has suffered a TBI in a car crash, an attorney can help you make the case for all possible compensation.
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A TBI is an injury to the brain that results from a forceful blow to the head. The best-known example of a traumatic brain injury is a concussion, but depending on the force of the impact, TBIs can be much more serious. For a brain injury to be considered traumatic, it must affect regular brain functions in the short or long term, or both.
It is not always obvious that you have suffered a traumatic brain injury, but you should look out for a wide range of symptoms, some of which might not become apparent for several hours or even days after the accident. Common symptoms of TBIs include but are not limited to:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Disorientation
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Noise or light sensitivity
- Irregular sleep
- Trouble concentrating, remembering, or thinking clearly
The lasting impact of a TBI can include negative effects on your memory, thought processes, and cognitive abilities. A brain injury can also cause impairment of your senses including sight and balance, difficulty speaking or communicating clearly, mental illnesses like anxiety and depression, changes to your personality, and difficulty controlling your emotions.
Pursuing Compensation for a Traumatic Brain Injury
Because a TBI may not be immediately clear, it is crucial that you seek medical attention immediately after an accident if you notice any of the above symptoms or if there is any possibility of an injury. This not only allows you to get the prompt care that you need, but it also connects your injuries with the crash to help you build a case against a negligent driver.
A traumatic brain injury can affect all aspects of your life, and there may be many damages for which you can pursue compensation. These include all medical expenses related to your care, treatment, and rehabilitation, lost income if your impaired mental capacity prevents you from working, and pain and suffering damages if you are unable to enjoy life the way you used to or if your injuries affect your mental health and personal relationships.
Contact a Rolling Meadows Car Accident Attorney
The attorneys at Newland & Newland, LLP have many years of experience helping car accident victims achieve compensation for their injuries, and they will aggressively pursue recovery for the full extent of your damages related to a traumatic brain injury. Contact a skilled Arlington Heights personal injury lawyer by calling 847-797-8000 today for a free consultation.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/index.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20378557