Potential Long-Term Effects of a Brain Injury

Brain injuries can range significantly in severity, from relatively minor concussions to significant trauma that can affect a person’s day-to-day life. Here, we want to examine some of the long-term effects that a brain injury can have on an individual. These effects can include both cognitive and physical disabilities that require major medical care and possibly even lifelong in-home treatment.

Any Brain Injury Can Cause Lasting Symptoms

Any traumatic brain injury a person sustains could potentially lead to long-term consequences. Our brains are complex, so a seemingly minor injury with relatively few initial symptoms could lead to various long-term symptoms for the individual. Mild traumatic brain injuries are often referred to as concussions, but even concussions can range significantly in severity. Please seek medical care even if you think you only have a mild traumatic brain injury. The symptoms we will discuss here can quickly worsen if a mild traumatic brain injury is actually a moderate to severe TBI.

Some of the most common long-term symptoms associated with a mild traumatic brain injury include the following:

• Persistent headaches
• Sensitivity to light
• Dizziness or loss of coordination
• Fatigue or sleep disorders
• Unusual or new onset mood swings
• New onset depression or anxiety
• Cognitive impairments, including memory loss and attention issues

Moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries are more likely to cause long-lasting symptoms that affect a person the rest of their life. Long-term effects of a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury can include connective, physical, and emotional symptoms. These symptoms can include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Long-lasting feelings of depression or anxiety
• Unstable moods that affect the individual and family
• Long-term memory and concentration problems
• A continuous “foggy” feeling in the brain
• Loss of coordination
• Partial paralysis
• Problems with speech
• Trouble with
• Blurred vision
• Changes or loss of taste and smell
• Heartbeat irregularities and issues with blood pressure

Not every brain injury victim will experience the same types of symptoms. If you have any questions about what to expect for your brain injury or the brain injury a loved one sustained, please consult with a medical professional as soon as possible. These injuries require specialized care from a medical professional, often a neurologist and a psychologist.

Further reading: Find out what sport has the most concussions to understand where these risks are most prevalent.

Compensation for Long-Term Brain Injury Effects

If you or somebody you care about has sustained a brain injury caused by the careless or negligent actions of another individual or entity, we encourage you to reach out to a skilled attorney immediately. A Portland traumatic brain injury lawyer can investigate your case and handle all communication with other parties. The goal is to recover the compensation you need to get through this, including payment of medical bills, any necessary long-term in-home treatment, as well as compensation for physical and emotional pain and suffering. 

The process of determining liability for these cases is challenging, which is why we recommend getting an attorney involved with your case as soon as possible after the incident occurs. Please keep in mind that, per the Oregon personal injury statute of limitations, you only have two years from the date the injury occurred to file a lawsuit against the alleged negligent party.