Most people experience a blow to the head at some point in their lives, and, in many cases, these are superficial injuries with no lasting effects. However, the brain is much more vulnerable than people often realize, and it can suffer damage from a head injury that the victim does not even realize occurred.
Sometimes, this damage is equivalent to that of a tough hangover, and it passes easily. In other instances, a victim may receive a blow to the head in a car accident or some other situation and suffer significant damage without any outward indications.
A mild traumatic brain injury, or TBI, may not express symptoms for a few days (or even a couple of weeks) after the initial injury. Unless the victim receives proper medical care when the injury occurs, they may forget about it altogether, which makes it much more difficult to heal when symptoms do arise. It is always wise to seek proper medical care after any blow to the head, to help protect your rights and personal safety.
Scrambled input and output
A blow to the head can literally shake up a person’s brain, severing some of the internal connections and pathways that the brain uses daily. Depending on several factors — like the strength of the impact and the area of the head where the impact occurs — victims may experience many different symptoms, making diagnosis difficult. Some symptoms, however, are relatively common.
Many victims of mild TBIs can misunderstand the conversations that they have with others or misread things. This may be because their brains are working overtime to compensate for scrambled connections, making it difficult for the victim to understand context when someone speaks or when they read.
Victims also may find very simple tasks difficult to complete. This can mean something as simple as washing the dishes or folding and putting away laundry, or it may involve a victim’s responsibilities at work. Not only does the victim often struggle to complete tasks that were easy before the injury, they may respond to this frustration with volatile outbursts that may be way out of character.
Protect the victim’s rights with a strong legal strategy
If you suffered a blow to the head and believe that you may have a mild brain injury, it is important to seek out a complete medical examination from a qualified professional as soon as you can. The sooner you understand the cause of your symptoms, the sooner you can work to treat them.
If the injury occurred because of someone else’s negligence or mistake, then you may need to file a personal injury claim to pursue fair compensation for your losses and to cover your medical expenses. With careful planning and a good strategy, you can keep you rights secure and focus on your physical recovery.
