Signs of Traumatic Brain Injury After an Accident in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Getting into any kind of accident is stressful. When head injuries are involved, the situation can become even worse. Traumatic brain injuries can be very serious. It is important to learn the signs of traumatic brain injury after an accident in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and keep a lookout for them in the hours, days, and weeks immediately following your incident.

Early Symptoms of a TBI

The symptoms of TBIs don’t always appear immediately. In some cases, it takes days or weeks for them to show. When early symptoms do occur, they tend to include physical and sensory issues. Physical symptoms of TBIs include:

• Headaches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue or drowsiness
• Speech problems
• Dizziness and loss of balance
• Convulsions or seizures
• Dilation of one or both pupils
• Clear fluids coming from the ears or nose
• Weakness or numbness in the extremities
• Loss of coordination

While someone with a mild TBI might experience only some nausea and a light headache, someone with a severe TBI is more likely to experience seizures, weakness, and complete loss of coordination. These physical symptoms are often accompanied by sensory issues noticeable only to the person suffering the TBI. They can include:

• Blurred vision
• Ringing in the ears
• A bad taste in the mouth
• Anosmia or changes in smell
• Sensitivity to light
• Sensitivity to sound

In cases of moderate to severe TBIs, victims often lose consciousness for several minutes to several hours following the event. In mild cases, there is rarely a loss of consciousness, but the person may appear dazed, confused, or disoriented.

Lasting Symptoms of TBIs

While the physical symptoms of TBIs may go away relatively quickly, the cognitive, behavioral, and mental symptoms of traumatic brain injuries tend to be longer-lasting. They can include:

• Memory problems
• Issues with concentration
• Mood changes
• Feelings of depression or anxiety
• Sleep difficulties

Common Complications of TBIs

TBIs cause different kinds of complications, depending on their severity. If you’ve suffered a mild traumatic brain injury and don’t allow your brain time to heal, it could leave you at risk for second-impact syndrome, an issue that causes your brain to swell suddenly. Fortunately, this condition is rare.

Moderate and severe TBIs are more likely to have significant complications. They can include:

• Brain bleeds
• Seizures
• Permanent brain damage
• Long-term disability
• Shorter life expectancy

If you’ve suffered a moderate to severe TBI, you’ll also be more likely to develop these problems:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Movement disorders
• PTSD

Diagnosing TBIs

The only way to tell for sure that you have a TBI is to see a doctor. They can perform a basic neurological evaluation, order blood tests, and conduct imaging tests, like CT scans or MRIs, to check for bleeding and swelling. If you are suspected of having a moderate to severe TBI, these tests should be conducted immediately so your doctor can decide on the correct course of treatment.

Hire a Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer

In 2023, 24.9 out of every 100,000 Florida residents died from a traumatic brain injury. Each year in the United States, around 100,000 people die from TBIs, and another 500,000 are permanently disabled. The cost of treating and caring for the victims of TBIs totals around $30 billion per year. The victims of this potentially devastating type of injury deserve to have access to the money they need to recover.

If you’ve suffered a TBI during an accident, such as a car crash on West Sunrise Boulevard, you could hire a Fort Lauderdale traumatic brain injury lawyer to obtain compensation for you. Working with a team of legal professionals who know Fort Lauderdale TBI laws makes it easy to determine who was to blame for your accident, gather evidence to support your claim, and file all the necessary paperwork with the court. Instead of worrying about all that work, you can let us handle it and focus on recovering from your injury.

FAQs

What Are the Behaviors Associated With Traumatic Brain Injury?

The behaviors associated with traumatic brain injury vary by patient, but they can include emotional volatility or aggression, poor impulse control, and reduced motivation. You may also notice signs of depression or anxiety, such as irritability and social withdrawal. In some cases, personality changes might also accompany a TBI if the damage occurred to the frontal lobe.

How Do You Know If You Have Brain Trauma From a Car Accident?

You will know if you have brain trauma from a car accident if a doctor diagnoses you with a TBI. Some of the most immediate warning signs to look out for include headaches, dizziness, and nausea. TBIs can also cause seizures, loss of consciousness, and uneven pupil dilation, all of which require immediate medical attention. You should see a doctor any time you hit your head in an accident because symptoms don’t always appear immediately.

Can Someone Fully Recover From a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Someone can fully recover from a traumatic brain injury if it is relatively minor. However, severe traumatic brain injuries can leave people disabled for the rest of their lives. For a mild TBI, recovery begins almost immediately. For a moderate TBI, it can take several months to over a year to heal, and some permanent cognitive or physical impairment may be present. For a severe TBI, recovery takes years if it occurs at all.

What Are the Signs That the Brain Is Healing?

Signs that the brain is healing from a TBI in Florida include a decrease in initial symptoms, such as headaches, nausea, and confusion, and a gradual improvement in physical and cognitive functions. If the original injury was severe, these signs could be as simple as following basic commands and responding to people. If the original injury was minor, the improvements will be less obvious and dramatic, but they should still be noticeable.

Your Fort Lauderdale TBI Attorney

If you’ve hit your head, you should pay attention to the signs of traumatic brain injury after an accident in Fort Lauderdale, FL. A TBI is a serious, potentially catastrophic injury, and you deserve to be compensated for your damages. The Law Office of Alexander Alvarez, PA, can represent you. We’ve handled many traumatic brain injury cases for clients. Let us bring our experience to bear on yours. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation today.

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