How Long Does It Take to Recover From a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic Brain Injuries: The Long Road to Recovery

Being involved in a car crash, a fall, or other serious accident is scary and traumatizing. It is common for victims to go into shock, either physical or psychological, immediately following the accident. Therefore, when initially looking for injuries, it is easy to look for the visible: broken bones, cuts, scrapes, bruising, etc. Traumatic brain injuries, however, are oftentimes not visible to the naked eye but still accounted for 61,000 deaths in 2019 alone. A plethora of complications from traumatic brain injuries, ranging from minor cognitive delays to debilitating and life-threatening symptoms such as seizures and coma, can follow the victim for years after the injury. You need to know that brain injury recovery time can take anywhere from a few weeks to ten years.

In this post, we will explore what exactly a traumatic brain injury is, the consequences and effects, how to treat it, and how leading brain injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can advocate for and help you through what could be a lengthy and expensive recovery.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?

A traumatic brain injury usually results from a violent blow or jolt to the head or body and affects how the brain works. A mild traumatic brain injury, such as a concussion, can affect your brain cells temporarily, while a more severe traumatic brain injury can result in bruising, bleeding, and other damage to the brain. A severe TBI results in long-term complications or death.

The symptoms of such an injury vary from victim to victim. Some experience an onset of vertigo and headaches. Fluid may build up in the brain, causing swelling. Blood vessel damage can cause clots or strokes. There are also problems that arise with memory, learning, speech, and reasoning.

If you have suffered or if you have a loved one who has suffered a traumatic brain injury, you may also see behavioral changes as well as physical. Traumatic brain injury patients often have difficulty with self-control; they suffer from depression or anxiety and display risky behavior.

The Mayo Clinic suggests that recovery from a traumatic brain injury largely depends on four factors: the health of the person prior to the injury, the severity of the TBI, access to healthcare, specifically specialized traumatic brain injury care, and family and social support.

How Do Traumatic Brain Injuries Happen?

Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. In these cases, the driver of the vehicle that hit you was most likely driving in a negligent manner.

Although more than 14 percent of traumatic brain injuries are the direct result of car accidents, there are other cases in which a person can suffer a severe TBI that leaves them dealing with the effects for years. Medical malpractice is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. Traumatic brain injuries can be the result of a dangerous dose of anesthesia or even occur from a birthing injury.

Workplace injuries, such as exposure to toxic chemicals or being involved in an accident at a construction site are also common.

Finally, sports accidents are another leading cause of traumatic brain injuries, involving at least one of the four demographic groups that are at the highest risk of such an injury. According to the Mayo Clinic, the demographics at highest risk of head trauma are children from newborn to 4 years old, young adults, especially between the ages of 15 and 24, adults aged 60 and older, and males in any age group.

How Much Time Does It Take to Recover From a Traumatic Brain Injury?

The recovery timeline for brain trauma looks quite different. While each patient's circumstances are unique, a severe injury can result in an immediate coma or vegetative state. From there, there are ten stages of recovery following a traumatic brain injury. Recovery time varies but according to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, it can take up to two years to fully recover from a TBI. In some cases, it can take from five to 10 years to recover following the injury.

The medical costs of treatment can be staggering, ranging from $85,000 to $3 million. A person recovering from a TBI will often require rehabilitation and therapy. Specialized medical care is necessary to relearn skills like talking, walking, or driving.

Common therapies for traumatic brain injuries include:

• Physical therapy: therapy to help with movement.
• Occupational therapy: therapy to regain fine motor skills like getting dressed, putting on makeup, holding a fork, or cleaning a home.
• Cognitive therapy: therapy to help with memory function, reasoning, etc.
• Speech and language therapy: therapy to restore speech function, if specifically damaged by the force of the injury.
• Emotional management counseling.
• Assistive technologies to increase independence following rehab.

Do I need a traumatic brain injury lawsuit attorney?

If you or someone you love has sustained a traumatic brain injury, whether due to a car accident, medical malpractice, sports injury, or workplace injury it is vital that you have representation who can deal with insurance companies so that your primary focus can be on your healing or the healing of your loved one. The personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can take over the tedious, oftentimes stressful negotiations with insurance companies. They work with industry experts and medical professionals to ensure that you are compensated for your medical expenses, rehabilitation, long-term care, lost wages, lost earning power, and pain and suffering. Just recently, Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys obtained a record-breaking $26 million settlement for a client who suffered a traumatic brain injury from a truck accident.

The attorneys at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys serve our clients with kindness and respect. Countless client testimonials state that the traumatic brain injury lawyers not only show great compassion and patience towards the client, but diligently fight for them and their rights in the courtroom. Their goal is to take the burden off their clients and carry it themselves. One client said, “…it's so much more than a law firm. It's a family of lawyers, who know the true meaning of family and compassion for their clients. I never felt uneasy or apprehensive at any of our meetings. I always felt like I was the most important person on their agenda…you will know immediately, by your first meeting, they truly care about you.”

A severe traumatic brain injury can be a catastrophic event in an individual or family's life. There are so many unknowns and new norms to navigate. The last thing on your mind should be how to pay the bills, how to put food on the table, or how to make up for the loss of work. This is where Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can help.

If you or a loved one was in an accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, our brain injury lawyers are here to help. Contact Munley Law today to schedule a free consultation. There is no fee unless we win your case.