It's hard to predict the effects of traumatic brain injuries

When someone in Pittsburgh is involved in a car accident, the injuries are often readily apparent. Maybe the individual has broken bones that are set in a cast. Maybe he or she has been burned. Maybe there is even some internal bleeding that appears as deep bruising. One injury that may not be apparent, however, is an injury to the brain.

Just because it may not be visibile doesn’t mean that it is not serious. Traumatic brain injuries are just that, traumatic. They can drastically change a person’s personality, turning a mild-mannered person into someone with little impulse control, social skills or patience. It is also possible that a brain injury can leave someone unable to work and dependent on others for care.

And this is why many people whose brain injuries are caused by another person’s negligence are apt to file personal injury lawsuits. Because it is hard to predict exactly what will happen following a brain injury, victims need to have sufficient funds to cover whatever problems may arise. Sometimes, symptoms don’t start showing up for decades after an injury.

As with any injury caused by another’s negligence, a victim need not be responsible for the costs associated with a traumatic brain injury. Instead, the individual responsible should pay for the medical bills, the costs associated with constant care and assistance, the lost wages or permanent disabilities, and the pain and suffering he or she caused.

Despite the fact that traumatic brain injuries are not always visible, they are extremely serious.

Source: The St. Augustine Record, “Support for individuals with traumatic brain injury,” March 27, 2014