What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?

Within personal injury law, head injuries are usually referred to as “TBIs,” which stands for traumatic brain injuries. A TBI is typically caused by a blow, jolt, or bump to the head that temporarily or permanently disrupts your brain function. TBIs can range in severity depending on how hard your head was struck, or whether your skull was penetrated or not. The most common mild type of TBI is a concussion, which can briefly disrupt your consciousness. If you ever experienced a concussion in childhood or watched a movie involving one, you may be familiar with the medical suggestion to not fall asleep with a concussion.

However, many TBIs are severe enough to lead to permanent disability or death and are classified as catastrophic injuries as a result. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 61,000 people died from a traumatic brain injury in 2019 alone.

Examples of serious TBIs and complications to be aware of include:

  • Contusions: Bruises to the brain tissue are called contusions, which can occur when your brain is directly impacted in an accident. Some are minor, but severe contusions can cause swelling in the brain and prevent proper oxygenation.
  • Hypoxic brain injuries: This injury occurs when your brain doesn’t receive enough oxygen in accidents such as near-drownings or exposure to carbon monoxide or toxins. As a result of the lack of oxygen, the brain can be permanently damaged.
  • Brain hemorrhage: Hemorrhages refer to internal bleeding that can result from high-force impacts and are also known as strokes when they occur in the brain. This is a common injury that a person can experience when they fall on their head or their head is hit by a flying object.
  • Skull fractures: Severe traumatic brain injuries often result in a broken, crushed, or cracked skull. If not treated quickly, this type of injury can lead to infection, pressure on the brain, or leaking cerebral spinal fluid.

How TBIs Occur in Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents are among the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries in the United States – more than 6 million car crashes occur every year and injure millions of drivers and passengers alike, as well as bicyclists and pedestrians. Head-on collisions specifically can lead to TBIs because the accident involves two cars colliding with one another from the front. Drivers can injure their heads when the impact of a collision sends their head flying against their window or wheel, or when their cars roll over.

Individuals can also receive brain injuries when they fall. Slip and fall accidents are a common type of premises liability claim and can occur anywhere for a variety of reasons, whether the floor is wet or slippery or an office’s carpeting is torn. TBIs can be fatal or lead to permanent brain damage when a person falls from a building or down a flight of stairs.

TBIs can involve a variety of symptoms that impair our ability to feel, think, and even communicate. Some sensory symptoms include blurred vision or sensitivity to sound, while cognitive symptoms can include loss of memory, depression, or difficulty in forming sentences.

Damages We Recover

At our firm, our lawyers have over 120 years of combined experience handling serious injury claims, including TBI claims. We know that brain injuries can prevent a person from talking, moving, or forming memories, all of which are traumatic consequences that will likely change your future.

These injuries tend to lead to major financial setbacks for victims. If you have to be hospitalized for your brain injury, for example, you’ll be footed with a hefty medical bill and deal with missing days or weeks of work. If you or a loved one can no longer take care of themselves, you may have to consider hiring a full-time nurse or caretaker. The costs add up, but you shouldn’t bear the weight of another person’s mistake. Whether you were harmed by a drunk driver or a negligent property owner, you can expect us to get to the bottom of your accident and get the compensation you are entitled to receive.

We can help you pursue compensation a wide range of damages, including:

  • Medical bills
  • Pain and suffering
  • Lost wages and other income
  • Lost earning capacity
  • Emotional distress
  • In-home care
  • Loss of consortium
  • Wrongful death (if a loved one died due to a TBI)

Call us after a serious traumatic brain injury at 317-488-5500. Our Indianapolis brain injury attorneys can get you the compensation you need to cover medical expenses and other related costs.