Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury from Auto Accidents

TBI may result in physical impairment, but the more common consequences involve the accident victim’s cognition, emotional functioning and behavior, according to the National Institutes of Health. Meanwhile, traumatic brain injury lawyers and doctors rarely see only one set of symptoms, clearly defined impairments or a disability that affects only one part of a person’s life. And when other, more urgent medical problems are apparent at the onset of a car accident, mild TBI is often masked and can be ignored by doctors.

TBI can cause serious problems throughout an individual’s entire life, posing new challenges as people age. Read the checklist created by the National Institutes of Heath to determine whether you or a loved one could have a traumatic brain injury, and call the expert brain injury lawyers of Michigan Auto Law at (800) 777-0028 if you have legal concerns.

Non-neurological symptoms of TBI: Non-neurological medical complications include pulmonary, metabolic, nutritional, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal and dermatologic issues.

Neurological symptoms of TBI: Any sensory, motor and autonomic function may be compromised from TBI. Most complications are apparent within the first days or months following an injury, depending on the severity of initial trauma from an auto accident in Michigan. Some long-term conditions include a variety of movement disorders, seizures, headaches, visual deficits and sleep disorders.

Cognitive symptoms of TBI: Cognitive symptoms can occur individually or in combinations, and change in severity and presentation over time. Some of most persistent and common functional problems include memory impairment, difficulties in concentration as well as deficits in language use and visual perception. Additionally vulnerable to TBI are problem-solving, abstract reasoning, insight, judgment, planning, information processing and organization. These symptoms are often unrecognized.

Behavioral symptoms of TBI: Behavioral deficits include decreased ability to initiate responses, verbal and physical aggression, agitation, learning difficulties, shallow self-awareness, altered sexual functioning, impulsivity and social dis-inhibition. Mood disorders, personality changes, altered emotional control, depression and anxiety are also prevalent with traumatic brain injury from a car accident.

Social consequences of TBI: Social consequences of mild, moderate and severe TBI are many and serious, including increased risk of suicide, divorce, chronic unemployment, economic strain and substance abuse. As individuals with TBI attempt to resume their daily activities, the environment places increasing demands on them, uncovering additional problems. For example, executive dysfunction may become obvious only in the workplace; behavioral changes affecting relationships may appear after leaving the hospital.

Children with TBI: For children with traumatic brain injury, interactions of physical, cognitive and behavioral conditions interfere with the task of new learning. The effect of early traumatic brain injury may not become apparent until later in the child’s development. Children with TBI may also have difficulties with peers due to cognitive processing, behavioral problems or difficulty comprehending social cues.

Your Michigan Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one has suffered brain injury as a result of a car or truck accident in Michigan, we can guide you through the legal process and help obtain the best resolution for your case. Because our lawyers have been handling TBI litigation for more than 50 years and three generations, we understand the physical, emotional and psychological hardships you are feeling from your accident.

Steven Gursten is a member of the American Association for Justice Traumatic Brain Injury Group and lectures across the country on traumatic brain injury cases. He has received the highest recorded jury verdicts and settlements for Michigan traumatic brain injury cases, including a $5.65 million verdict, a $4.2 million verdict and a $2.5 million settlement. All of those cases had defense offers of $100,000 to $250,000.

David Christensen, who will be 2010 president of the State Bar of Michigan Negligence Law Section, received the largest psychiatric injury verdict in Michigan as well as a $2 million jury verdict for a victim of traumatic brain injury — on a defense offer of zero dollars. Robert Raitt, immediate past president of the Michigan Association for Justice, has received a $1.1 million jury verdict for a TBI case.

Please call Michigan Auto Law at (800) 777-0028 for a case evaluation with no fee or obligation, or fill out our free consultation form.

Did our Michigan traumatic brain injury attorneys answer all of your questions about TBI symptoms? If not, contact us and we can help.