Video Transcript
I’m attorney David Hood & I’ve been practicing law across South Carolina for over 30 years. Co-counsel and I work together on Traumatic Brain Injury (or TBI) cases and we often get questions about what my legal options are if me or a family member has suffered a traumatic brain injury. That’s what we’re going to cover right now.
What is a TBI?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a head wound that causes damage to the brain and disrupts its normal function. TBI’s occur when the head suddenly hits an object or when something pierces the skull and enters the brain tissue.
Basic Types of TBI’s
There are two basic types of TBIs: In open head injuries, the skull is fractured. A closed head injury does not involve a skull fracture. But these injuries can be more serious than open head injuries because the brain may swell or blood clots form.
Symptoms
Brain injuries can cause many problems even when the victim appears outwardly healthy. Symptoms you should be alert to and take seriously after you have suffered a head injury include:
- severe headache
- confusion and difficulty recalling events
- being lightheaded and dizzy
- blurred vision or tired eyes
- numbness or weakness on one side of the body
- ringing in the ears
- bad taste in the mouth and unusual fatigue
Outlook for TBI Victims
After any impact to the head, it is important to seek medical attention. Even an injury with minor symptoms could have significant consequences, if left untreated. These injuries can result in serious and long-lasting damage that affects your ability to perform everyday activities. People who have sustained a TBI may also struggle with disabilities including:
- speech and language problems
- memory issues
- partial or total vision loss or losing the sense of touch
- smell or taste
Victims of TBIs can often require a lifetime of care.
Legally, it’s very important to get the right experts, for instance neurologists, and get the right testing done to establish that you’ve suffered a TBI.
I hope this was helpful.
