What are the effects of TBI?

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can affect a victim’s life for days, weeks, months, or even years following their head trauma. While recovery time can vary widely from victim to victim, so can the symptoms and effects of a TBI. The effects of a brain injury can cause difficulties in many different areas of a victim’s life and can result in serious financial, physical, and emotional losses. The following are only some examples of the many possible effects of a traumatic brain injury.

Cognitive Functioning

Everyone knows that the brain is in charge of thinking and other cognitive functioning. For this reason, this functioning can easily be impaired when part of the brain is injured. Cognitive impairments can come in many forms and can affect many parts of an individual’s life. For example, an individual may experience the following cognitive difficulties as a result of a traumatic brain injury:

Difficulty focusing or maintaining concentration through the end of a task;
Trouble understanding written or verbal communication;
Trouble putting thoughts into written or verbal language;
Struggles with timed or high-pressure tasks;
Challenges in understanding and following basic information;
Other comprehension impairments.

The above effects can make it extremely difficult for a traumtic brain injury victim to return to their job, attend school, or engage in other activities that require social communication or understanding.

Physical and Sensory Impairments

Many victims of brain injuries suffer physical symptoms such as trouble walking straight, difficulty keeping their balance, general coordination issues, slurring of speech, and more. In addition, TBI victims may experience impairments with vision, hearing, taste, or other sensory abilities. In some severe cases, parts of the brain may stop controlling major organ function and a victim may have to spend time on a ventilator or other life support systems.

Emotional Effects

In addition to physical and cognitive functions, the brain also regulates emotions and helps an individual express them at the appropriate times. As a result, a TBI victim may have many emotional difficulties while they recover from their injury. Brain injury victims often experience periods of moodiness and irritability and may even be subject to angry or aggressive outbursts. Even if their mood is relatively controlled, TBI victims may not be able to express the appropriate emotions during conversation and may appear insensitive or awkward to others.

The “Silent Injury”

Many of the effects of a TBI can affect a person’s everyday functioning and abilities, however, it may not be apparent to most people that their behavior and challenges are due to a brain injury. TBIs are often called the “silent epidemic” because it may not be identifiable that a person is injured and others may attribute the effects of a TBI–such as slurred speech or lack of balance–to other reasons, such as intoxication or other lack of capability.

Contact a Baltimore Brain Injury Lawyer at The Casper Firm For a Free Consultation Today
If another party caused your accident and your traumatic brain injury, you deserve to recover for your financial losses, physical pain and suffering, emotional issues, and more. At The Casper Firm, our Baltimore brain injury attorneys can help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Please call today to discuss your case for free.