What Is a Tampa Bay Brain Injury?
The brain controls everything we say, do, think, and feel. It keeps us alive through breathing, circulation, digestion, hormones, and the immune system. Through the brain, we experience emotion and express ourselves. The human brain can even store more information than all the libraries in the world.
What is a Florida Brain Injury?
Brain injury refers to the occurrence of an insult to the brain which causes damage. Because each injury damages a different part of the brain, every injury is unique and often described as either traumatic or acquired based on the particular cause.
The Brain Injury Association of America Defines Tampa Bay Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury[1] (TBI) is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of such an injury may range from “mild,” i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to “severe,” i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury. A TBI can result in short or long-term problems with independent function.
Acquired brain injury (ABI) is an injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital or degenerative. Acquired brain injuries are caused by some medical conditions, including strokes, encephalitis, aneurysms, anoxia (lack of oxygen during surgery, drug overdose, or near drowning), metabolic disorders, meningitis, or brain tumors. Although the causes of brain injury differ, the effects of these injuries on a person’s life are quite similar.
Results of a Tampa Bay Brain Injury
Whatever the cause, a brain injury can result in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning. It can also result in the disturbance of behavioral or emotional functioning. Cognitive consequences can include memory loss, slowed ability to process information, trouble concentrating, organizational problems, poor judgment and difficulty initiating activities. Physical consequences can include seizures, muscle spasticity, fatigue, headaches and balance problems. Emotional/behavioral consequences can include depression, mood swings, anxiety, impulsivity, and agitation.
Brain injury affects not only the individual but also the family, close friends, coworkers and other social networks of the individual as roles and relationships change.
Traumatic Brain Injury in Tampa Bay
Of the 1.4 million who sustain a TBI each year in the United States:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in the United States, contributing to about 30% of all injury deaths;
- 235,000 are hospitalized; and
- 1.1 million are treated and released from an emergency department.
Causes of Tampa Bay Brain Injuries
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[2] has identified the leading causes of TBI to be:
- Falls
- Motor vehicle and pedestrian-related accidents; among all age groups, motor vehicle crashes were the third overall leading cause of TBI (14%). When looking at just TBI-related deaths, motor vehicle crashes were the second leading cause of TBI-related deaths (26%) for 2006.
- Collision-related (being struck by or against) events
- Violent assaults.
Sport-related injuries and explosive blasts/military combat injuries are other leading causes of TBI. Acquiring a brain injury may predispose an individual to additional brain injuries before the symptoms of the first one have resolved completely.
The CDC further provides that:
- More than half (55%) of TBIs among children 0 to 14 years were caused by falls.
- More than two-thirds (81%) of TBIs in adults aged 65 and older are caused by falls.
Contact a Tampa Bay Brain Injury Attorney
When an individual is hit on the head or otherwise suffers a trauma to the head in an auto collision or motorcycle accident, symptoms of a brain injury may be immediate. In many instances, however, it takes days or weeks for the victim to notice all of the brain injury effects which can cause permanent injury and life-long disabilities. If you have suffered a brain injury, it is important to speak to an experienced Tampa Bay brain injury attorney. At the Dolman Law Group in Clearwater, Florida, our team of highly skilled brain injury lawyers have helped many victims obtain the recovery they deserve for their injuries. Please call our office at 727-451-6900 today.
Dolman Law Group
800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 3375
(727) 451-6900
https://www.dolmanlaw.com/legal-services/brain-injury-attorneys/
References:
[1] http://bianj.org/what-is-brain-injury/
[2] http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html
