Key Takeaways
- Brain injury symptoms may take hours to appear, so anyone who sustains a head injury should seek immediate medical care.
- CDC data shows approximately 1.5 million people sustain traumatic brain injuries each year, with around 85,000 left with long-term disability and 50,000 dying.
- Immediate signs include an open head wound, confusion, slurred speech, loss of consciousness, unequal pupils, and clear fluid draining from the nose or ears.
- Bleeding or swelling on the brain can show up later, and new confusion, worsening headaches, extreme fatigue, or trouble waking call for prompt care.
- Traumatic brain injuries can result from vehicle crashes, sports, workplace or construction accidents, slip and falls, acts of violence, and defective products.
Traumatic brain injuries can have significant short- and long-term effects on victims. Unfortunately, these injuries occur in a wide variety of ways, often due to the careless or negligent actions of others. Here, we want to discuss the most common signs of a traumatic brain injury. If you suspect that you or a loved one have sustained a brain injury, you need to seek medical care as soon as possible and speak to a skilled attorney who can help you recover compensation for your losses.
Signs and Symptoms of a Brain Injury
It is crucial for individuals and their friends and family members to be aware of what a brain injury looks like, particularly if someone has sustained a significant blow to the head. In the aftermath of a person sustaining a head injury, individuals may not even realize the severity of the incident because it can take some time for the signs and symptoms of a brain injury to appear. We strongly suggest that any person who sustains a head injury seek immediate medical care, even if they think that doing so is an “overreaction.” Sometimes, an overreaction can save a person’s life.
Data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that approximately 1.5 million people sustain traumatic brain injuries each year across this country. The CDC says that of these individuals, around 85,000 sustain a long-term disability and 50,000 people pass away as a result of the injury.
Some of the most immediate signs and symptoms of a brain injury occur in the moments after a person sustains a bump or blow to the head. These include:
- And open headwound
- Loss of coordination
- Confusion
- Slurred speech
- Loss of consciousness
- Unequal pupils
Any clear fluid draining from the nose or ears
Again, it is important to point out that the signs and symptoms of a brain injury may not appear until hours after a person sustains a jolt to the head. In some cases, individuals feel completely fine after sustaining an injury, but this can be deceptive.
Sometimes, there is bleeding or swelling on the brain that does not begin to affect individuals until later. If, hours after an injury, a person begins to experience any of the following symptoms, they need to seek medical care as soon as possible:
- New disorientation or confusion
- Loss of coordination
- Worsening headaches
- Extreme fatigue
- Trouble waking up
- Unusual behavior
- Combativeness or agitation
- Pupil dilation
How do These Injuries Occur?
Traumatic brain injuries occur in a wide variety of ways throughout Oregon, sometimes due to the careless or negligent actions of others. It is not uncommon for individuals to sustain these injuries in car accidents, commercial truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, sports-related injuries, bicycle accidents, boating accidents, and other types of vehicle crashes. Additionally, individuals can sustain traumatic brain injuries as a result of workplace or construction accidents, slip and fall accidents, acts of violence, defective products, and more.
If you or somebody you love has been injured due to the negligence of someone else, reach out to a Portland brain injury attorney who can help you handle every aspect of your claim. A lawyer will be able to investigate the incident, determine liability, and help you recover full compensation for your losses.