If you recently suffered a blow to the head in a car accident, slip and fall or other collision, you may have a very serious injury and not even know it. Any time that you suffer a blow to the head, you run the risk of experiencing a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
You may think that a traumatic brain injury is not a problem if it classified as mild. You wouldn’t be alone in hearing the term “mild” and deciding that meant you were fine. Many individuals believe that mild TBIs are frivolous injuries, and then ignore symptoms that show otherwise. However, a mild TBI is only mild when compared to injuries that leave a person in a coma or dead.
Part of the danger that mild TBIs pose is the way they can affect your ability to think clearly and critically. For those who work in high-stress environments, such injuries can prove absolutely devastating. Contact a Chicago brain injury attorney today.
Your injury may mean many kinds of loss
When you suffer a mild traumatic brain injury, the symptoms may not express themselves for days or even weeks — but, left untreated, they may persist for months or years. Depending on the symptoms you suffer, that is more than enough time for your career and family life to crumble.
Some of the symptoms may seem to correlate easily to your injury, such as persistent headaches, nausea, or even seizures. Others, however, are more difficult to quantify and treat properly if you don’t know to look for them.
You may experience a significant change in your cognitive abilities, or feel as though your thoughts are running slowly. You may find that you often lose your train of thought in the middle of doing or saying something, and can’t remember where you started.
A frustrating symptom is often the loss of ability to understand context in conversation or written text. You may find that you constantly misunderstand others when they speak, or misinterpret the things you read. These losses can be exceptionally trying in the professional workplace.
Furthermore, you may find that you suddenly have no patience and get frustrated easily by the many small things that suddenly go wrong each and every day. You may also find that your injury causes other broad personality changes that your coworkers and family find off-putting.
It is easy to understand how these symptoms can completely destroy your professional and personal life if they are not identified and addressed quickly. Clearly, a mild traumatic brain injury is no small injury after all.
Don’t wait to get the help you need
The good news is that you don’t have to endure this difficult time all alone, even if you don’t know how to relate to your family and coworkers. With the guidance of an experienced, compassionate attorney who understands the intricacies of personal injury claims, you can rest assured that you have all you need to protect you rights while you recover and reclaim you life.