A victim who suffers concussions or head injury in an accident should watch out for symptoms of brain injury as it could cause a disability or worse, a brain injury that could lead to death.

The symptoms of traumatic brain injury include the following:

• Dilated pupils

• Loss of consciousness/confusion

• Changes in vision (blurred vision, seeing double, intolerance of bright light)

• Dizziness or difficulty balancing

• Respiratory failure

• Coma

• Paralysis and trouble moving parts of the body

• Poor coordination

• Weakness/ lethargy

• Slowed pulse and breathing rate

• Vomiting

• Tinnitus

• Cognitive thought problems

• Loss of bowel or bladder control

• Unexplained emotional outbursts

Traumatic brain injury is the type of brain injury suffered mostly by accident victims. It is incurred when the head receives a severe blow caused by an external force. High-speed car accidents and slip and fall accidents are the common cases that result to brain injury. Medical malpractice can also result in brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury has three levels:

1. Mild brain injury- Commonly known as concussions, it is characterized by brief loss of consciousness and a sense of confusion.

2. Moderate traumatic brain injury - This is caused by loss of consciousness that lasts from a few minutes to a few hours. Confusion will last from a few hours to weeks.

3. Severe brain injury - This involves a prolonged unconscious state or coma.

Brain Injury Treatment

Every brain injury is different, hence every victim responds to treatment differently as well. For this reason, a brain injury victim has to go through a personalized rehabilitative treatment plan, which includes physical rehabilitation, medication, community support programs, speech/cognitive thought rehabilitation, neuropsychological services, and other options. Together with medical professionals, psychotherapists, caretakers, and other support groups, family members can help lessen the emotional blows of brain injury.

Taking Legal Response

Aside from medical treatment, the best recourse for a victim to regain loss and damages for his injury is through the services of a personal injury lawyer. A personal injury lawyer who specializes in brain injury cases can help a victim gather and preserve evidence, build an effective case, and win the compensation that he rightfully deserves.

With an average of 1.4 million Americans undergoing some form of TBI, the number of scientists and researchers striving to cure these individuals should be ever increasing, however, dwindling budgets continue to compress and squeeze war-related brain injury funding. In 2006, the U.S. House and Senate slashed the allocated funding for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) in half from the previous year.

Traumatic brain injury has been deemed the “signature” injury of the Iraq war, according to military doctors and experts. It is imperative for struggling soldiers to find assistance with their TBI-related disability.

What is TBI?

Traumatic brain injury is defined as an injury that occurs after an abrupt trauma causes damage to the brain, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

War-related TBI can occur in many ways and individuals suffering from this and related side effects will find symptoms vary on a case-by-case diagnosis. Researchers and scientists are, however, finding several repetitive conditions and symptoms among TBI victims. The common signs and symptoms of these war-related conditions are as followed, according to a studies published in the medical journals of Neuropsychology and Brain Injury:

• cognitive issues
• decreased attention span, including focused, selective and sustained attention problems
• language difficulties
• lack of motivation
• inability to efficiently process information
• irritability
• depression and anxiety
• increased fatigue
• headaches
• memory loss or disturbance
• behavioral issues
• disrupted sleep
• post traumatic stress disorder

In May 2006, the co-founder of the DVBIC testified to a Senate subcommittee that while “body armor may save troops caught in blasts it leaves many with brain damage,” according to a USA Today news report. Additionally, the article cited several disturbing statistics on the state of TBI and war veterans.

• 10 percent of all troops in Iraq suffer from concussions during combat.
• 20 percent of all frontline infantry troops suffer from concussions during combat.
• Scientists believe the Pentagon must screen all troops returning from Iraq.
• The Pentagon has declined screenings for all returning troops and only screen a small population of soldiers.
• If left untreated or untested, multiple head injuries and concussions can cause permanent brain injury.

Also, several equally disturbing statistics have been reported from several specialized journals including Brain Injury, Internal Medicine, Soldiers Magazine, MIT’s Technology Review and Perspectives in Psychiatric Care These statistics area as follow:

• Nearly 25 percent of all military veterans of the Iraq war are diagnosed with a mental illness.
• War-related TBI patients often manifest distinct personality changes.
• Of the 35,000 soldiers screened for TBI, approximately 11 percent have had symptoms of mild TBI.
• No treatments currently exist to cure long-lasting symptoms of TBI.

Flawed Brain Injury Technology

Unfortunately, as budgets are cut, the quality of care and technology also decreases. Most recently the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviewed nine Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and found that the TBI-screening test’s validity and reliability may be flawed. Additionally, the report found that soldiers with TBI may be receiving inadequate or unnecessary care for their brain injuries, according to an Associated Press article from January 2008. The report found that:

• Although the VA has implemented TBI screening tools, the validity and reliability of the tool has not yet been established.
• The VA has implemented a protocol to ensure soldiers testing positive for TBI are adequately treated; however, many of the VA’s medical facilities either did not follow the protocol or had difficulty doing so.
• Culturally, the VA has found that Iraq veterans feel the VA and its facilities cater to elderly veterans and do not want to treat young veterans.
• The VA is struggling with poor rural access to medical centers as well as poor turnout rates for injured vets who in some cases must drive 100 miles plus to reach a nearby VA hospital.

Living With Traumatic Brain Injury

Veterans who are currently living with traumatic brain injury will find that not only does TBI affect them, but the ripple effect among an injured veteran’s family and friends is quite extensive. There are an array of clinical trials that a TBI victim can become involved in to improve the living conditions as well as to treat the symptoms of TBI. Some of these clinical trials can be found through the following organizations Web sites:

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - Brain Resources and Information Network (BRAIN)
• Acoustic Neuroma Association
• Brain Trauma Foundation
• Brain Injury Association of America
• Family Caregiver Alliance/National Center on Caregiving
• National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)
• National Stroke Association
• National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)

Finding Brain Injury Assistance

There are several organizations available to offer assistance specifically to those with war-related ailments. The following are several of the leading organizations/hospitals:

• Walter Reed Army Medical Center
• Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center
• Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury
• National Intrepid Center of Excellence
• Deployment Health Clinical Center
• Center for Study of Traumatic Stress
• Center for Deployment Psychology

The Department of Defense (DoD) also offers a search component through their Web site to assist veterans in finding a veteran hospital in their geographic area.

Additionally, individuals enduring the pain of a war-related brain injury are encouraged to locate an experienced traumatic brain injury attorney who can provide assistance with developing a brain injury lawsuit. Because of the nature of these injuries, there should be no reason why monetary compensation is not rewarded to an injured party. TBI medical bills can be extremely expensive, and this potential for awarded compensation can provide relief from the stress associated with medical expenses.

With so many brain injury associations, they cover just about every aspect of brain injury. There are people from several fields that help to keep the individuals suffering from brain injury informed of different means of medical support, financial support and other resources to make life easier.

One of the main functions of some of these groups is to conduct brain injury prevention research. One of the most successful brain injury prevention research programs that is occuring is researching new protection systems for car accident victims. With the creation of airbags and an increased push for seatbelt usage, the brain injury associations that have been supporting research in prevention in automobiles are starting to see results. Combined with an increase in recovery for several patients, this research proves that such organizations are needed and work.

Another goal of the brain injury associations are to refer people that suffer brain injuries to various organizations. These brain injury associations hope to provide a better life for brain injury victims by providing the best health care possible. Most of the usual treatment for patients consists of medicine and rehabilitation, both physical and psychological.

One of the biggest goals of brain injury associations is to offer legal support to people with brain injuries. Most often people have suffered a brain injury at the hands of someone else. Whether it is from a car accident or other cause, the person who suffered the brain injury might not be at fault for it. Attorneys that specialize in brain injury cases can provide representation to these victims and help them receive compensation for their injuries.

Brain injury associations are a great resource to be utilized and can really make dealing with a brain injury an easier disability to deal with.

When a traumatic brain injury occurs, damage to several parts of the brain can occur.  The cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum and brain stem are affected and those damaged areas can cause a host of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social effects.

While some of the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury can be seen immediately, the majority of other symptoms might not be evident until several days or weeks after the injury.  The symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain.

With a mild traumatic brain injury, the person may remain conscious or may experience a loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes. This can often be associated with a concussion or fainting spell.  Some of the other symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury include headache, confusion, dizziness, blurred vision or tired eyes, ringing in the ears, bad taste in the mouth, fatigue or lethargy, a change in sleep patterns, behavioral or mood changes, and trouble with memory, concentration, attention, or thinking.

A person with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury may show these same symptoms, but may also have a headache that gets worse or does not go away, repeated vomiting or nausea, convulsions or seizures, an inability to awaken from sleep, dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes, slurred speech, weakness or numbness in the extremities, loss of coordination, and increased confusion, restlessness, or agitation.

Small children with moderate to severe TBI may show some of these signs as well as signs specific to young children, including persistent crying, inability to be consoled, and refusal to nurse or eat. Anyone with signs of moderate or severe traumatic brain injury should receive immediate emergency medical attention.

Most of the time, when a minor brain injury occurs, the outcome is usually fine over time. When a moderate or severe brain injury has happened, you might need to consult with a qualified and experienced brain injury attorney to see if you are able to receive compensation for long term care needs.

When a person suffers a traumatic brain injury, it is often the result of someone else’s negligence. Brain injury attorneys can help TBI victims hold the people responsible for their injuries accountable. There are two cases of brain injury: an open injury (that penetrates the skull) and a closed head injury (that most of the times lead to neurological problems). A large number of people involved in serious car accidents suffer head injuries. Symptoms can include memory loss, fatigue, headaches, and the inability to concentrate. People who experience such symptoms because of a car accident or any other accident where other people are involved should contact a lawyer.

There are several groups of attorneys specialized in brain injury. There are organized divisions that represent patients with severe brain injury, subtle brain injury, and other specific types of brain injury. Usually, a brain injury lawyer will offer a free of charge, complete, no obligation legal consultation.

Brain injury attorneys help TBI victims receive the monetary compensation and support they need to recover. The costs of rehabilitation and other long term care is expensive and most people can’t afford the care that they truly need to recover from a traumatic brain injury.

The brain stem is a part of the brain located beneath the cerebrum and in front of the cerebellum. It connects the spinal cord to the rest of the brain. The brain stem controls involuntary muscles such as the stomach and the heart. The brain stem also acts as a relay station between the brain and the rest of the body. Consider the brain stem to be the train station of your body. It holds the train (brain) and controls the people (body).

Since the brain stem controls several functions, it is rarely the only part of the brain that is affected when it is injured. The symptoms of such an injury are similar to a normal brain injury and the effect it has is about the same. Examples are memory problems, difficulty concentrating, difficulty staying focused, and physical defects including the inability to walk, remain balanced, and a loss of strength.

Paralysis may occur when the brain stem is damaged since it is directly linked to the spiral cord. Magnetic resonance imaging is used to properly identify lesions on the brain stem that lead to paralysis. Recovery is possible in some cases but is dependent on the severity of brain damage the patient endured.

The brain stem is especially vulnerable to injury caused by rear impact to the head. Although it is very small, this part of the body is vital to proper body functions and can cause severe disabilities if it is damaged. It is important for people exhibiting the symptoms of a brain injury to seek medical help. In some cases, the brain injury can be treated and the patient can resume a normal life.

Most people that suffer a brain stem injury can end up a paraplegic or quadraplegic depending on the severity of the brain stem injury. In worst case scenarios, death can result from a brain stem injury if either the brain is severed from the stem or the stem is severed from the spine. These people are often in need of a brain injury attorney to help them receive compensation for their injuries as the long term care they are going to need is not affordable.

Many people that have brain stem injuries, although paralyzed, maintain full function of their brain as is nothing has happened to them. This is one key difference between brain stem injuries and traumatic brain injury.