The federal Centers for Disease Control define a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, as a “bump, blow, or jolt to the head” that disrupts normal brain function. This can range from mild to severe—from a bump on the head that raises a knot and gives you a headache up to a head injury that penetrates the […]
Federal statistics indicate that the vast majority of TBIs are a result of everyday life. Nearly half of all TBIs are the result of falls. Being struck by or against an object—getting hit in the head by a ball or standing up into a fixed object, for example—ranks second on the list. The third leading cause of TBIs is […]
A mild TBI involves either no period of unconsciousness at the time of the injury or less than 30 minutes of unconsciousness. Mild TBIs are also caused concussions and show few apparent effects beyond temporary disorientation, at least at the time of initial diagnosis. Many sports injuries where a player “got his or her bell rung” […]
While a mild TBI can range from almost undetectable symptoms to a significant concussion, a severe TBI is considerably easier to diagnose. Severe TBI involves either a loss of consciousness lasting more than a half-hour accompanied by at least some memory loss after the injury, or an injury that penetrates the skull and injures the […]
Even a head injury diagnosed as a mild TBI can have long-term effects. Because a minor TBI involves less-serious initial symptoms than a severe TBI, doctors in hospital emergency rooms, where many mild TBIs are first diagnosed and treated, are sometimes inclined to take a lack of immediate symptoms at face value and not pursue further treatment. […]
The consequences of TBIs can be lifelong, completely disabling, and resistant to rehabilitation. Even in instances where healing time or therapy, or both, can help return you to your pre-injury condition—or even just to a condition where you can once again function independently—it also is possible that such a recovery simply isn’t in the cards. […]
The answer generally is yes to both. Your medical claims should be filed against your auto insurance first. If you reach your coverage limits for your auto insurance medical coverage, you can then file against your health insurance, subject to any deductible. If you have sufficient medical coverage under your auto insurance policy, you might not […]
If someone else was at fault for your injuries, whether in a traffic accident or in some other kind of accident, then you may hold that party responsible for your damages. Initially, you can deal with the other person’s insurance company regarding your claims, but when it comes to TBI, it pays to take no […]
