Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can significantly affect a victim’s ability to lead an everyday life. This is because many brain injuries usually result in permanent or long-term damage to the victim. Unfortunately, coping after a traumatic brain injury is a long process that requires skillful diagnosis, emergency treatment, and any other further treatments that may be needed.
While recovery and rehabilitation are possible, TBI victims may have to adjust and learn how to cope with the new reality. They may face various challenges in their lives as a result of their injuries. In this article, we’ll look at the difficulties that TBI victims may face and how the experienced lawyers at Setareh Law can help you through these difficult times.
5 Challenges That TBI Victims May Face
Some of the most notable challenges that a TBI victim may face after their injury include:
1. Cognitive Difficulties
Damage to the brain can significantly affect a person’s ability to think, remember, and process information. Therefore, a victim will show impaired cognitive skills in various areas. Some of the cognitive difficulties a TBI victim will have may include:
- Memory problems
- Difficulty paying attention
- Reduced thinking speed
- Slow speed of processing information
- Confusion
- Trouble concentrating or focusing
- Impulsiveness
- Poor judgment
- Learning problems
- Develop inappropriate behaviors or unusual habits
The cognitive difficulties victims suffer depend on the part of their brain that was affected after the accident.
2. Socio-Emotional and Behavioral Challenges
Suffering from a traumatic brain injury often means a lifetime of increased difficulty in some areas, irrespective of the recovery during the rehabilitation process. This significantly affects an individual’s mental well-being, leading to various emotional and psychological complications. These challenges may include:
- Depression
- Nervousness and anxiety
- Mood swings
- Agitation
- Impulsive behavior
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Difficulty with social interaction and intimacy
- Difficulty making and keeping friends
- Impaired social capacity
- Difficulty understanding and responding to social interactions
Most of the emotional and psychological problems develop beyond the initial injury.
3. Physical Challenges
TBIs can have a serious toll on the physical well-being of a victim. Depending on the severity of the brain injury, an individual may face the following physical challenges:
- Fatigue
- Physical paralysis or spasticity
- Seizures
- Headaches and migraines
- Poor coordination
- Appetite changes
- Loss of stamina and balance issues
- Dizziness
- Impaired mobility
- Sleep disorders
- Chronic pain
Typically, severe TBI victims will have difficulty performing any daily tasks independently and may be required to rely on a caregiver to help them with everyday activities. This added care is another expense that a TBI victim may be able to get compensation for following a claim.
4. Communication, Speech, and Language Challenges
TBI survivors may develop the following communication and comprehension problems:
- Aphasia, which is difficulty in speaking and understanding speech
- Slurred speech
- Difficulty identifying objects with their functions
- Talking very fast or very slow
- Difficulty with reading or writing
- Difficulty forming sensible sentences
- Decreased vocabulary and inability to work with numbers
It’s common for TBI patients to know what they want to say but forget the words required to deliver their message. They may also confuse similar soundings without even realizing it.
5. Sensory and Perceptual Problems
A brain injury can affect a victim’s sight, taste, touch, sound, and smell. You could have difficulty integrating and understanding information gained through these senses. Some of the problems you may have to deal with include the following:
- Partial or total loss of vision, hearing, smell, or taste
- Blurred vision
- Problems judging distance
- Increased sensitivity or intolerance to sounds
- Ringing in the ears
- Bad taste in the mouth
- Difficulty perceiving temperature
- Challenges perceiving movement
- Difficulty distinguishing between small objects, like coins
- Difficulty recognizing and distinguishing between touch and pressure sensations
These problems usually occur as a result of damage to the brain’s sensory and perceptual processing centers. Rehabilitation and therapy can help TBI victims overcome some of these challenges and improve their ability to function in daily life.
Contact an Experienced TBI Lawyer at Setareh Law
Suffering brain injuries caused by another party’s negligence can be traumatizing. Even after going through the long and expensive recovery process, you may still encounter difficulties. You may still have to deal with long-term physical, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive challenges due to your injury.
At Setareh Law, we understand the detrimental effects of a traumatic brain injury. That’s why our compassionate lawyers are dedicated to aggressively protecting the rights of TBI victims and helping them recover compensation for what they are going through. Call us today at (310) 659-1826 or schedule a free online consultation with our skilled traumatic brain injury attorneys to discuss your case. Our lawyers speak both English and Spanish as well.
