Head And Brain Injury Statistics, Symptoms and Recovery Process

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have a long-term or permanent effect on the ability to think, speak, or even move. It can also lead to epilepsy and increase the likelihood that victims later develop Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other disorders that become more prevalent as victims get older.

Colorado Brain Injury Statistics

Consider the following statistics about head and brain injuries:

• The Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado identifies motor vehicle-traffic crashes as one of the leading causes of TBI, with males at about 1.5 times greater risk as females.
• From 1994 to 2000, more than 1,100 Colorado residents were hospitalized or died of TBIs sustained in bicycle-related accidents. Children between ages 5 and 12 represented 38 percent of the total injuries, and 66 percent of those children were boys.

The effects of severe brain injury can be emotionally traumatic and financially devastating for both victims and their families. And many victims do not have a clear understanding of their legal rights when the full effects are not revealed until time passes after the accident.

Symptoms And Recovery

Any injury to the head can lead to severe consequences — but the full effects of these injuries may not be seen immediately after an accident. It is important to recognize that any injury to the head can lead to severe future problems and often requires experienced medical attention to diagnose early. You may not be aware of a serious condition because the symptoms can be subtle, including (but certainly not limited to) the following:

• Headaches or dizziness
• Emotional and behavioral changes such as depression, irritability, nervousness, impulsiveness, or even inappropriate laughter
• Cognitive changes such as difficulty concentrating, thinking, or finding words
• Physical changes such as difficulty swallowing, blurred vision, loss of coordination, slurred speech, or muscle stiffness or spasms

Getting Needed Treatment

Unfortunately, full recovery from brain trauma is not always possible — but there are three stages to treating these often-serious injuries:

• Acute: The first step is to get the patient stabilized after the injury occurs. This stage can include anything from monitoring the brain for signs of swelling to performing emergency surgery.
• Subacute: This is the first step toward returning a patient to the community and often requires admission to a specialized treatment facility. During this phase, specialists look for any signs of complications to the condition of the patient. A team that includes neurologists, neuropsychologists, and physical, occupational, and speech therapists help both patients and their families understand the condition and how to address special issues as they arise.
• Chronic: Unfortunately, many conditions caused by brain injury can last a lifetime and require continued rehabilitation to allow patients to achieve the best possible life. Patients may require neurologists, rehabilitation doctors, therapists, and other specialists — often within a treatment facility — to continue the rehabilitation process.

The effects of severe brain injury can be emotionally traumatic and financially devastating for both victims and their families. And many victims do not have a clear understanding of their legal rights when the full effects are not revealed until time passes after the accident.

Contact An Experienced Brain Injury Lawyer

The attorneys of Purvis Thomson, LLP, have helped many victims and their families recover monetary damages resulting from brain injuries in Colorado. Contact our team of attorneys today at 303-442-3366 or email us online.