Are you or someone you love dealing with the effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI after a motor vehicle accident?  What steps may be helpful for those who have suffered a head injury and the loved ones who support them?

One of the most important issues is to seek prompt medical attention following suffering the injury.  Many accident victims bump their head on an obstruction within the vehicle during an accident.  You may not lose consciousness, but the forces associated with a sudden blow to the head can result in injury and long term consequences.  This is why it is important to seek a thorough medical examination after any accident.  The exam may identify signs of brain injury which allows diagnosis and treatment to prevent the injury from getting unnecessarily worse. Early diagnosis and treatment help to reduce the amount of effects a person ultimately might experience from their injury.

Mild or Severe Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI can impact cognitive skills resulting in many effects including but not limited to:

• Sustaining attention
• Concentrating on a task in the moment
• Retaining newly learned information
• Slowed thought, speech and problem solving
• Confusion when normal routines are changed
• Disorientation from excessive environmental stimulation

Victims of TBI may persevere at tasks too long, unable to switch to a different strategy or a new task when encountering challenges or interruptions. In other cases, TBI victims may often seem to jump to the first option they identify, instead of carefully analyzing the situation and identifying several potential options before deciding upon an action.  A person with TBI may find it more difficult to understand and apply abstract ideas into new situations.

On important group of cognitive skills is known as “executive functions.”  This area relates to a person’s ability to keep track of time, integrate complex signals and information and make sound decisions.  In effect managing or “being the executive” in their own life.  Dealing with the effects of a Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI can require resources.  If you or a loved one were injured in a motor vehicle accident or the TBI was caused by another person’s negligence the experienced injury attorneys at HLH can and will help.  Contact HLH or call (866) 583-9701 for additional information.  Ask about our work with TBI research and our unique experience in these cases.