In most cases, people experiencing injuries present physical manifestations that are clearly recognizable, such as protruding broken bones and bleeding open wounds. These visible cues are more than enough to prove that a person has suffered injuries in an accident. Unfortunately, some damage is not always obvious, at least not from the outside.
This is often the case with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) categorized as mild to moderate.
Immediately after an accident, a TBI survivor may exhibit observable signs such as loss of consciousness or may remain conscious but have impaired speech or be unable to walk. However, even after these obvious symptoms resolve, he or she may suffer residual effects from the accident that cannot be seen.
One of the most difficult facts about brain injuries is the high likelihood that they will continue to affect a person over time, after the outward physical injuries have healed. For instance, a student who was once academically successful may still struggle with short-term memory loss, as well as difficulty organizing his or her thoughts or following conversations.
In addition, TBI often leads to feelings of frustration and depression. Changes like these are usually known to the victim alone and are less visible by the outside world, especially by those who have no constant direct contact with the victim. In the worst case, TBI victims are often baffled by the changes but are incapable of pinpointing the cause.
Although a number of imaging tests, such as computerized tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are made available to help medical professionals uncover the presence of TBI, some indications of mild to moderate brain injuries can be subtle and difficult to detect, even by sophisticated tests.
It is for these reasons that TBIs are sometimes labelled as invisible injuries. A TBI survivor is often doomed to suffer real difficulties in life, but these residual issues often go undiagnosed, untreated, and uncompensated.
It is crucial to realize that the so-called “invisibility” of the injury should not stop a victim from pursuing damages from at-fault parties. The chronic health problems that may result from TBI are very real and can last a lifetime. Thus, TBI victims must seek out the best team of medical and legal professionals with a proven track record of handling TBI cases.
After a severe accident resulting in TBI, experienced brain injury lawyers can engage competent experts to help the invisible injury become visible to a jury.
If you have been seriously injured in an accident, contact the San Francisco personal injury attorneys at Alexander Law Group, LLP right away at 888.777.1776. Delaying could harm your case.
