Traumatic Brain Injury Can Happen in Any Type of Accident

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be caused by any type of accident that results in a severe knock to the head. Doctors typically classify traumatic brain injuries as mild, moderate or severe. How a TBI is classified depends on whether the injury has caused unconsciousness and how long this state lasts. Even though the majority of TBIs are classified by doctors as mild this doesn’t mean they don’t have long-lasting effects.

Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries

A TBI could take place anywhere where the victim could hit his or her head, such as:

• slips and falls;
• motor vehicle crashes;
• falls from a height;
• construction site accidents;
• bicycle accidents.

Many TBIs are caused in slip and fall accidents, which often occur unexpectedly when a victim encounters a hazard that is in a place least expected. This could be on a sidewalk which has poor paving with jagged stones which encourages a pedestrian who is not aware of the hazard to trip and fall striking his or her head into the process.

Motor vehicle crashes are commonplace on our highways and almost always involve a victim striking his or her head on something hard or sharp on impact in the crash. This could result in TBI. It doesn’t take too much imagination to work out that if someone falls from a height well above ground level that unless they are extremely lucky, at some point they are going to hit their head while falling.

Depending on the height and the severity of the impact varying extremes of TBI could take place. The commonest place for a TBI caused by falling from a height is on a construction site where scaffolding and cranes are used to support workers while they are undertaking a building job. Safety measures designed to protect workers are not always in place leaving workers suspended while undertaking manual tasks like fixing together various sorts of building materials and painting tasks too.

Cyclists are common victims of TBI despite the fact helmets are available to protect a cyclist from a head injury if an accident takes place. Their use is not compulsory so cyclists don’t always carry them around. If they do they are not always worn so if an unexpected collision takes place between a cyclist and another vehicle it’s too late to protect the head. It doesn’t take much of an impact to cause TBI.

Symptoms of TBI

The sorts of symptoms from a TBI could be unconsciousness, lack of ability to recall the event that lead up to the eventual TBI, difficulty remembering new information, difficulty in speaking in a coherent manner, unsteadiness, difficulty with coordination, hearing and vision problems.

What to Do in the Event of a Head Injury

If you think that you or someone you are close to has been struck on the head in an accident and you think that TBI is the result you should seek medical help immediately.

Call the emergency services if the victim is unconscious for anything more than one or two minutes or the victim is having seizures or vomiting continuously which is worsening over time. It is particularly important to seek emergency help if a head injury resulted from the victim being ejected from a vehicle during a collision or who has fallen from a height fell exceeding 3 feet. TBI is one of those injuries that doesn’t always emerge in its worst form until it’s too late.

Common TBI Symptoms are:

• Unconsciousness
• Memory loss
• Disorientation and confusion
• Hard to remember new information
• Constant Headaches
• Dizziness
• Unclear vision
• Vomiting and nausea
• Ringing in one’s ears
• Difficulty speaking coherently
• Alterations in sleeping patterns and emotions.

How severe the symptoms are depends on if the injury is mild, moderate or severe.

Mild TBI is also called concussion, which either knocks you out for 30 minutes or less. Symptoms usually emerge when the injury takes place but at times the effects of the injury may be delayed and not emerge until weeks afterwards.

Moderate TBI causes an unconscious state of 30 minutes or more in duration and is similar to mild TBI but last for a longer period.

Severe TBI knocks you unconscious for at least 24 hours or more but the overall symptoms are similar to mild TBI but last for a longer duration.

Get Legal Help if You Have Been Injured Because of Negligence

If you have had a serious brain injury through no fault of your own it is essential that you get legal help. Contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as your injuries allow you to do so, or get a family member to do so on your behalf. Negotiating a fair and just personal injury payment may be necessary for your successful recovery and allow you to get on with your life as normally as you are able t do so.