South Carolina Brain Injury Attorneys

Treating a Brain Injury

Unfortunately for many brain injury patients, treatment does not end in the hospital.

Moderately to severely injured patients must undergo individually tailored rehabilitation, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, physical medicine, psychology/psychiatry and social support.

Patients suffering from moderate to severe brain injury can struggle long-term with multiple disabilities, including, but not limited to:

• Cognitive deficits, such as confusion, impulsiveness, memory loss and difficulty maintaining concentration;
• Speech/language deficits, including difficulty understanding the spoken work, difficulty speaking, slurred speech and difficulty reading and/or writing;
• Difficulties with interpretation of sensory input, such as touch, temperature or limb position;
• Partial or total vision loss, blurred vision or other vision-related problems;
• Ringing in the ears, hearing loss or increased sensitivity to sounds;
• Loss or diminished sense of smell or taste;
• Chronic pain;
• Sleep disorders;
• Appetite changes;
• Depression;
• Aggression; and
• Dependent behaviors.

A traumatic brain injury (“TBI”) can also cause epilepsy and increase the risk for such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other brain disorders that become more prevalent with age. Very severe TBI can leave the patient in a coma or vegetative state, requiring years of nursing home care.

Even a mild TBI – classified as loss of consciousness or confusion/disorientation lasting less than 30 minutes – can have long-standing aftereffects. While MRI and CAT scans are often normal, the patient may experience headaches, difficulty thinking, memory problems, attention deficits, mood swings and frustration, among other symptoms, for weeks or even months after the injury. Repeated mild TBI occurring over months or years can cause cumulative neurological and cognitive deficits. If repeated over a short period of time (hours, days or weeks), they can be catastrophic, even fatal.

Direct medical costs related to TBI, along with such indirect costs as lost productivity, totaled an estimated $60 billion in the United States in 2000, according to CDC data.

Treatment of the more than 1 million children who sustain brain injuries annually requires special consideration. In the case of shaken babies, such life-sustaining measures as respiratory support and surgery to stop bleeding in the brain are likely to be necessary. MRI and other diagnostic technologies may have to be used repeatedly to track progress, as well as to diagnose the initial damage.

Not only do children face the same problems as adults, but as the child grows and develops, parents and teachers may notice new problems. As students grow, they are expected to use their brain in new and different ways, so damage from an earlier injury may not become apparent until substantially later in the child’s life. Students thought to have a learning disability, emotional disturbance or mental retardation may, in fact, be facing fallout from a previous TBI.

Shaken babies face particular issues, as well. The prognosis for these children is generally poor. Those who survive are almost certain to have some sort of neurological or mental disability, such as cerebral palsy or mental retardation, which may not be apparent before age 6. Damage to the retina of the eye can cause blindness, as well.

The South Carolina Traumatic Brain Injury and Wrongful Death Attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, LLC offer a free no-cost consultation to discuss the facts of your case.