While individuals are generally able to fully recover from minor brain injuries, this is often not the case when it comes to mild or severe brain injuries, which tend to have lasting effects. The effects of these injuries vary from person to person, depending on a wide range of factors, such as the completeness of physiological healing, functions affected, resources available for recovery, and more. Therefore, the consequences are as unique as the affected person and incident.
What is a Mild or Severe Brain Injury?
A mild brain injury is usually classified as a mild loss of consciousness or confusion, with disorientation that lasts less than 30 minutes. An individual who has suffered a mild brain injury will often have normal a normal MRI or CAT scan reading, despite having cognitive difficulties, including trouble processing information, memory problems, mood swings, and frustration. Unfortunately, mild brain injuries are frequently overlooked, though the effects of them can often be devastating on those who suffer from them and their families. These effects include:
- Fatigue
- Trouble with vision
- Change in sleeping patterns
- Dizziness
- Irritability
- Depression
- Seizures
- Headaches
Other symptoms associated with mild brain injuries include:
- Nausea
- Loss of smell
- Confusion
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Change in mood
When an individual sustains a severe brain injury, it is likely he or she will suffer a loss of consciousness that lasts more than 30 minutes and possibly suffer memory loss after the injury. The effects of a severe brain injury are substantially more damaging, ranging from severe cognitive difficulties to a comatose state. Survivors might even experience limited function of their arms or legs, abnormal speech patterns, trouble thinking, and emotional problems.
Severe brain injuries are also likely to result in permanent neurobiological damage. Some of the most common effects of a severe brain injury include:
- Cognitive difficulties such as impulsiveness, distractibility, trouble with concentration and attention, confusion, and deficits in executive functions
- Speech and language difficulties such as receptive aphasia, slurred speech, difficulty speaking, speaking too fast or slow, and problems with reading and writing
- Sensory difficulties such as trouble with movement, limb position, and the inability to interpret touch or temperature
- Vision difficulties such as partial or total loss of eyesight, weak eye muscles, blurred vision, inability to judge distances, sensitivity to light, and involuntary eye movements
- Hearing problems such as loss of hearing, ringing in ears, and sensitivity to sounds
- A loss or diminished sense of taste and smell
- Seizures or convulsions associated with epilepsy, which can disrupt consciousness, sensory perception, and motor movements
- Physical changes such as physical paralysis, chronic pain, loss of bowel or bladder control, sleep disorders, appetite changes, and menstrual difficulties
- Social and emotional changes such as lack of motivation, aggression, denial, disinhibition, irritability, and dependent behaviors
A severe brain injury can leave an individual in an unresponsive state and, in many cases, long-term rehabilitation is needed to maximize function and help victims regain independence. If you or someone you love sustained a mild or severe brain injury due to someone else’s negligence, it is crucial to obtain legal representation from a skilled and experienced personal injury lawyer. Given the impact these injuries have on an individual’s life, greater compensation is often awarded to help pay for the high medical and rehabilitation costs faced under such circumstances. You should not have to bear the financial burden of someone else’s mistakes.
Catastrophic Injuries in New York
Brain injuries have long-lasting effects on the life of an affected individual, which is why such injuries are considered catastrophic. Victims not only face the immense difficulties associated with their injuries, but are also often subject to expensive medical bills, round-the-clock medical attention, and extensive care therapy. A family must often make sacrifices to ensure an injured loved one is appropriately cared for. Do not suffer in silence.
At the Belushin Law Firm, P.C., our Brooklyn personal injury attorneys are equipped with the comprehensive legal knowledge necessary to provide our clients with aggressive and personalized representation to recover the just compensation they deserve.
Contact us today at (888) 918-9890 to schedule a free consultation with a trusted member of our legal team. Our staff speaks English, Russian, Italian, Spanish and Ukranian.