March is Brain Injury Awareness Month! Brain injuries are an all-too-common impairment of our most precious organ—the thing that affects how we think, feel, and function. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, someone in the United States sustains a brain injury every nine seconds. This encompasses everything from traumatic to non-traumatic impairments. In this blog, we look at descriptions, causes, treatments, and further actions related to brain injuries.
What is a brain injury?
Brain injuries involve any negative impact to a person’s head. Brain injuries range from mild (non-traumatic) to severe (traumatic). Common symptoms include headaches, memory loss, poor coordination, and, at worst, unconsciousness or death. Non-traumatic and traumatic are differentiated by severity and potential of death.
Non-traumatic brain injuries are still serious, but caused by non-physically-traumatic, internal factors. Non-traumatic brain injuries include strokes, aneurysms, and diseases. Symptoms are dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in ears, memory loss, nausea, and more. Common causes include lack of oxygen, inhalation of toxic fumes, bacteria, disease, tumor, or other underlying reason.
Traumatic brain injuries are serious head injuries from an external force physically impacting the head. Traumatic brain injuries are categorized as mild (concussions), moderate, and severe. Moderate traumatic brain injuries result in short-term unconsciousness (less than 24 hours). Severe traumatic brain injuries result in longer-term unconsciousness (more than 24 hours). Common causes include car crashes, slips and falls, sports, assaults, or combat.
Both non-traumatic and traumatic brain injuries are serious and need to be treated promptly and properly. Any brain injury resulting from a workplace accident needs to be reported immediately. Brain injuries can take time to develop so make sure you document the initial accident and all resulting symptoms as they occur. These injuries often greatly impact quality of life and work so prompt action is suggested for minimal negative consequences. Fortunately, if the injury was sustained on the job, brain damage is compensable via workers’ compensation.
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If you have suffered a head or brain injury you need an experienced attorney to make sure you have everything you need to recover. We understand that victims of these types of injuries may have to suffer years of painful surgeries, rehabilitation, mounting medical bills, and the stress of dealing with the insurance company. We know the most serious injuries take the most qualified and dedicated lawyers. No matter the severity of the injury, we are committed to fighting for your rights.
If you have experienced a head or brain injury sometimes the initial injury is just the beginning. The initial ‘jolt’ or ‘bump’ to the head can lead to other issues like seizures or paralysis. These conditions require additional and sometimes round the clock care for the rest of your life. Poirier Law Firm knows that you and your loved ones can’t always do it on your own. We are here to ensure you are able to get the quality care you need while maintaining the benefits you deserve. Call us for a free consultation today.