TBI in Virginia: 9 Common Complications of Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury is a serious and often permanent condition that can affect a person’s ability to function in virtually any area of his life. Unfortunately, complications from the injury can also have severe effects – sometimes these effects can be more severe and disabling than the original injury.

It is important to note that the more severe the injury, the greater the risk of serious complications. These complications may occur immediately after the injury or they may be delayed.

Complications from Brain Injury

1. Seizures: Traumatic brain injury often causes seizures within the first week after injury. Sometimes serious injuries result in recurring seizures; this condition is called post-traumatic epilepsy.

2. Infections: Open head injuries and skull fractures may let bacteria in that can cause the brain to become infected. This can lead to nerve-damaging meningitis.

3. Nerve damage: Injuries that affect the base of the skull can damage the nerves that come out of the brain. This can cause:

• Paralysis of facial muscles
• Damage to the nerves responsible for eye movements, which can cause double vision
• Damage to the nerves that provide sense of smell
• Loss of vision
• Loss of facial sensation
• Cognitive problems

4. Changes in cognitive ability: Those with traumatic brain injury may have difficulties with attention, concentration, memory, learning, reasoning, problem solving, multitasking, task completion, mental processing speed, judgment, and decision making.

5. Language and communications problems: Victims of traumatic brain injury of ten have difficulty communicating, including difficulty with understanding or producing spoken or written language, impaired ability to decipher non-verbal communication, inability to organize thoughts and ideas into speech or writing, inability to use facial muscles to form words, and problems conveying meaning using pitch, tone or other emphasis. Or the ability to converse may be affected; TBI victims may find it difficult to start or stop conversations, take turns while talking, choose topics, take cues from others, or to follow conversations.

6. Behavioral Changes: Behavioral changes are common in people who've experienced brain injury. These may include: difficulty with self-control, verbal outbursts, physical outbursts, risky behavior, inaccurate self-image, lack of awareness of abilities or inabilities, and difficulty in social situations.

7. Emotional changes: Emotions are governed by the brain. Damage to the brain may result in mood swings, depression, anxiety, irritability, loss of motivation, and loss of empathy.

8. Sensory problems: Sensory problems often occur after a brain injury. These can include: impaired hand-eye coordination, blind spots or double vision , difficulty recognizing what is seen, ringing in the ears, trouble with balance, vertigo, changes in taste or a bitter taste, bad smells, and itching or pain.

9. Degenerative brain diseases: A traumatic brain injury may increase the risk of certain diseases that result in the gradual degeneration of brain cells and gradual loss of brain functions. These include:

• Alzheimer's disease
• Parkinson's disease
• Dementia pugilistica

Victims of TBI may be entitled to compensation for their injury and all complications resulting from the brain injury.
Norfolk brain injury attorney Lawrence Land can help. If you have sustained a traumatic brain injury and have questions about insurance coverage or your right to compensation, contact Lawrence Land at 757-251-0198.

Learn more about protecting your injury claim, download Lawrence Land’s free guide: ” 5 Deadly Sins That Can Destroy Your Injury Claim.”