A traumatic brain injury can cause serious and debilitating injuries, but many times the symptoms
are subtle enough to go undiagnosed and untreated. An untreated brain
injury can result in personality disorders, further brain damage, lifelong
disabilities and even death.
After a brain injury, it’s critical that you seek immediate medical
assistance. While you may definitely feel immediate symptoms, it’s
the delayed symptoms such as amnesia, paralysis, and the inability to
speak or think clearly that you should most worry about. It may take hours
or days until you feel the full effects of your injury.
Below we will discuss two types of traumatic brain injuries—mild
and moderate/severe—and the delayed symptoms to look for.
Delayed Symptoms for a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
A mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as a concussion, typically consists
of minor loss of consciousness (less than 30 minutes) or no loss of consciousness
at all. A simple slip and fall at work that leaves you dazed and confused,
but still conscious, may be classified as a mild TBI. Immediate symptoms
include confusion, headaches, nausea, slurred speech and drowsiness.
Delayed symptoms for a mild traumatic brain injury include:
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Memory problems
- Changes in sense of smell and/or taste
- Mood changes
- Memory loss
- Headaches
- Poor attention/concentration
- Dizziness/loss of balance
- Light sensitivity
Delayed Symptoms for a Moderate/Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
A moderate or severe TBI, like an injury from a
major car accident, is a step up from mild and may include a loss of consciousness longer
than 30 minutes, as well as other immediate symptoms such as vomiting
or nausea, loss of bowels, slurred speech and seizures.
Delayed symptoms for a moderate/severe traumatic brain injury include:
- Amnesia
- Paralysis
- Spinal fluid coming out of ears/nose
- Emotional problems
- Inability to speak or think clearly
- Numbness in limbs
- Epilepsy or seizures
- Coma
Washington DC Brain Injury Attorneys
Regardless of the severity of the injury, it is vital to seek medical assistance.
A simple visit to the ER can help doctors find subtle symptoms that may
affect your health in the future. If you or a loved one has suffered a
serious brain injury, you may need a lawyer to help you acquire potential
compensation to ease financial burdens.
Contact our Washington DC brain injury attorneys at Simeone & Miller,
LLP immediately. Our personal injury lawyers have helped thousands of
clients recover millions of dollars from car accidents,
motorcycle crashes,
workplace accidents and brain injuries.