Many people in California and all across the United States tend to downplay the seriousness of their dizziness or loss of consciousness. “Oh, that is just from the lack of sleep, lack of eating, improper hydration, lack of physical activity…” they say. People have gotten terribly bad at self-diagnosis.
And this is a troubling matter, as both dizziness and loss of consciousness could be symptoms of traumatic brain injuries that often occur as a result of catastrophic injuries. “The sooner you go through a medical evaluation and get diagnosed, the better the chance that, if you do have a brain injury, you will be able to recover through medical treatment,” says our Los Angeles catastrophic accidents attorney from the Compass Law Group, LLP
Fact: Nearly 2 million Americans sustain traumatic brain injuries every year, and approximately 50,000 of these people die from the brain injuries.
Do not self-diagnose yourself, brain injury is no joke
If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury, the severity of symptoms will depend on the number of motor and cognitive functions that have been affected by the catastrophic accident such as a car accident, truck accident, slip and fall accident, or other.
Failure to identify the signs and symptoms of a traumatic brain injury may lead to serious and life-long complications and even cause death. Do not attempt to diagnose yourself. Rather, if you notice any of the following symptoms, seek medical attention immediately to not only begin your medical treatment but also potentially recover compensation from the party responsible for causing your brain injury.
The most common symptoms of brain injuries
Here are some of the most common symptoms associated with traumatic brain injuries:
- Loss of consciousness (even for a moment)
- Dizziness or fogginess
- Memory problems
- Inattentiveness or difficulty concentrating
- Nausea or vomiting
- Headaches
- Change in sleep pattern (sleeping more or less than usual)
- High levels of stress
- Anxiety
- Loss of balance
- Loss of hearing or blurred vision
- Slurred speech or inability to pronounce certain sounds
- Dilated pupils for a prolonged period of time
- Loss of sensation in fingers or toes or numbness
- Seizures or convulsions
- Behavioral changes
If you have noticed at least one of the above-mentioned symptoms, do not hesitate to seek immediate medical attention even if it has been days or weeks after a catastrophic accident. Brain injuries may take a while to develop symptoms, which is why seeking timely medical attention after the accident is imperative.
Causes of traumatic brain injury
Statistics shows that falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries. The second and third leading causes of brain injuries in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California are unintentional blunt trauma and car accidents.
Many people wrongly believe that if there has been no blow to the head, there can be no traumatic brain injury. Contrary to the popular belief, you can sustain a brain injury even in the absence of physical contact. This is why it is not uncommon for victims of whiplash accidents to suffer TBIs. Even though there is no blow to the head, this type of accident causes the head to jerk back and forth, which may result in a sudden momentum or movement change that can lead to a brain injury.
Brain injuries are something you would not want to play around with. Unfortunately, recovering from a brain injury can take a while and cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. Some TBIs have long-lasting complications and affect the quality of your life and your earning capacity. This is why it is vital to recover damages from the individual or business whose negligence, recklessness, wrongful or intentional act, or omission to act caused your injury.