Suffering a brain injury in a motor vehicle accident can change the victim’s life forever. The brain is a sensitive and highly complex organ that controls thoughts, feelings, emotions and motor function. A moderate to severe brain injury could result in long-term or irreversible symptoms and effects.
Physical Symptoms
A traumatic brain injury can cause several physical symptoms that are either immediately noticeable to the car accident victim or appear over the next few hours or even days. While each case is unique, common symptoms include persistent headache, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, ringing in the ears and temporary loss of consciousness.
A mild brain injury, such as a concussion, will typically heal and the symptoms will dissipate within about two weeks. If a brain injury causes moderate to severe tissue or cell damage, however, the victim may have lasting physical symptoms or permanent motor dysfunction.
Long-term motor dysfunction from a brain injury can include vertigo, balance problems, unsteadiness and trouble walking. These issues can make it difficult to enjoy and engage in everyday tasks, such as basic household chores or favorite hobbies. The patient may need daily assistance or around-the-clock care.
Cognitive Challenges
Other symptoms of a brain injury after a car accident can impact the victim’s thought processes or cognition. When the brain suffers cell damage, it can interrupt processing speeds and patterns. According to Pittsburgh auto accident lawyers handling serious cases, these issues can last months or years. Cognitive effects can depend on the location of the brain harmed.
They may include:
- Memory loss
- Confusion
- Trouble communicating or understanding speech
- Slowed processing speeds
- Trouble learning new things
- Issues with problem-solving
- Difficulty concentrating
- Poor decision-making
Things that used to be simple for the victim may become difficult or have to be relearned after a brain injury from a car accident.
Emotional and Behavioral Effects
A brain injury could also have long-term effects on a victim’s emotions, behaviors and overall personality. A shared experience among many brain injury survivors is feeling irritable or quick to anger, as well as experiencing mood swings, depression, anxiety, aggression, impulsiveness, reckless decision-making and an overall sense of emotional instability.
Can You Heal From a Brain Injury?
There is no one answer to this question. Just as every person is unique, so is every brain injury. How a brain injury might affect an individual and the amount of time it will take the victim to recover from the injury both depend on the unique circumstances.
Certain treatments have been known to help a victim heal from a brain injury and regain some lost function. Examples include surgeries, medications, therapies and rehabilitation. The healing timeline and the patient’s prognosis will depend on the severity of the injury, among many other factors.
Seeking Justice for Brain Injury After a Car Accident
Brain injuries suffered by car accident survivors can have a major impact on their lives and futures. A serious traumatic brain injury can permanently affect things like how the victim thinks, speaks, moves and feels.
In this position, the victim has the right to seek justice in the form of financial compensation for related losses, which may include medical bills, lost wages and diminished quality of life. Injury lawyers in Pittsburgh explain that Pennsylvania law allows for the recovery of financial compensation from the person who caused the car accident if the injuries involved are severe.
To discuss your right to hold someone accountable for your or a loved one’s brain injury following a car accident in Pittsburgh, contact Dallas W. Hartman, P.C. for a free consultation.