At Klein & Carney Co., LPA, in Ohio, we help many car crash victims obtain the compensation they deserve after they have been injured as the result of another driver’s negligence. One of the most devastating injuries we see is that of a traumatic brain injury.
As the Mayo Clinic explains, a traumatic brain injury, often called a TBI, is a dysfunction of your brain. A TBI can cause any number of symptoms depending on which part of your brain you injure and the severity of that injury. Unfortunately, more than 286,000 people each year receive a TBI in a motor vehicle crash according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
TBI symptoms
One of the most disturbing aspects about a TBI is that no two of them are the same. Therefore, the symptoms you develop may or may not be the same as those of someone else who sustains the exact same type of brain injury. In addition, while TBI symptoms often show up immediately after a car crash or other catastrophic event, yours may not show up until hours, days or even weeks after your accident. That is why your best interests dictate that you always seek emergency medical assistance any time you receive a head injury, even if you think it is only a minor bump on the head. Only a trained trauma physician can determine if your bump on the head is a TBI.
Even if the initial emergency room physician or other health care professional who sees you gives you a clean bill of health regarding a TBI, make sure to report any of the following symptoms to your doctor that occur within the first 30 days after your car crash:
- Sensitivity to light, blurry vision, double vision
- Sensitivity to sound, ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
- Persistent headaches, vomiting or nausea
- Persistent balance problems or dizziness
- Difficulties speaking clearly and understandably
- Feelings of confusion or disorientation
If your family notices changes in your personality, take them seriously and report these things, too, to your doctor. Many TBI victims experience sudden mood swings, fear, anxiety or depression. Others become more snappish with their families, “going off” on them at the slightest perceived provocation. Still others become downright aggressive toward their family members.
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