What Is TBI? Is It Just Another Word for a Brain Injury?

You may have heard the term, “traumatic brain injury,” sometimes referred to as a “TBI.” In simple terms, a TBI is just another way to describe a head injury or brain injury. When we think of brain injuries or TBIs, we often think of concussions. In recent years, brain injuries have received a tremendous amount of media attention, and as a result, we’ve made efforts as a society to avoid unnecessary head injuries. For example, the NFL started making serious changes in 2010 to prevent players from suffering unnecessary damage to the head. Since then, the NFL and other sports organizations have made a concerted effort to prevent players from suffering brain injuries. As a result of this movement in our culture, we’ve all started to pay closer attention to brain injuries and the impact such injuries can have on people and their loved ones.

What Would be Considered a “Brain Injury” in Florida?

Florida brain injury lawyer getting scan of brain activityWhen we think of brain injuries, most of us think of concussions or a loss of consciousness. However, a traumatic brain injury could include many types of head injuries other than a concussion. In other words, a concussion is only one type of traumatic brain injury. Additionally, a brain injury may manifest in many ways other than a loss of consciousness or a typical concussion.

In addition, a brain injury does not always involve a high impact, smashing blow to the head, as many people believe. Sure, sometimes a brain injury may be caused by a direct impact to the head. However, other times, a person may suffer a brain injury with no impact to the head at all. For example, a brain injury could result from whiplash in a car accident, or any other jolting movement of the head. A common example is when we get into an automobile accident and our seatbelt holds us to the seat, while our head violently shoots forwards and backwards. When this happens, our brain slams into the front and back of the inside of our skull, and this is a common cause of brain injury.

Anything that causes impact or jolted movement of the head could stretch blood vessels and damage nerves in the brain. These types of injuries can damage brain cells and cause issues with neurotransmitters and neuronal transmission. If you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), you need a Florida brain injury lawyer fighting for you from the outset of your case. We offer free consultations with a real attorney, not some customer service representative or some other legal assistant. All you have to do is call us or fill out a form on our website to get your free legal consultation.

Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury can cause a wide range of short-term and long-term issues with brain function that may manifest as physical, emotional, or cognitive symptoms. Additionally, traumatic brain injuries have been known to cause a range of sleep problems. We have put together a Traumatic Brain Injury Checklist that we offer for free so that you can get a better understanding of whether you may have suffered a serious brain injury. Some of the more common symptoms associated with a brain injury are below:

Physical Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Nausea or Vomiting
  • Blurry or Double Vision
  • Disorientation
  • Spins or Sick Feeling
  • Trouble with Balance
  • Difficulty Waking Up
  • Intense Drowsiness
  • Fading During the Day
  • Difficulty with Writing
  • Changes in Sex Drive
  • Reduced Confidence
  • Feelings of Helplessness
  • Lack of Focus or Desire
  • Taste or Smell Changes
  • Issues with Hearing

Emotional Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Desire to be Alone
  • Mood Swings
  • Easily Angered
  • Intense Sadness
  • Lack of Enthusiasm
  • Feelings of Isolation
  • High Anxiety
  • Intense Nervousness
  • Walls Closing In Feeling
  • Easily Agitated
  • High Irritability
  • High Impatience
  • Intense Frustration
  • High Emotions
  • Feelings of Despair

Cognitive Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury

  • Inability to Focus
  • Difficult Concentrating
  • Feelings of Confusion
  • Inability to Pay Attention
  • Can’t Remember Names
  • Can’t Remember Numbers
  • Difficulty Reading
  • Difficulty with Basic Math
  • Difficulty Learning
  • Difficulty with Concepts
  • Difficulty Understanding
  • Need to Re-Read Things
  • Difficulty Planning
  • Difficulty Problem Solving
  • Inability to Organize

Common Symptoms Associated with a Concussion

  • Loss of Memory Before Injury or “Retrograde Amnesia”
  • Loss of Memory After Injury or “Anterograde Amnesia”
  • Loss of Consciousness
  • Feelings of Being Dazed
  • Feelings of Being Stunned
  • No Memory of Injury Event
  • Confusion About Injury Event
  • Slow Response to Stimuli
  • Slower Social Response
  • Need for Repeated Questions
  • Slow Response to Questions
  • Short Term Memory Loss
  • Inability to Understand Words

If you are experiencing any these symptoms, you may be living with a serious brain injury, and you should reach out to a Florida brain injury lawyer that will fight the insurance company and get you the compensation you deserve. You need a Florida brain injury lawyer with extensive experience in personal injury cases involving traumatic brain injuries, and our managing partners started their careers working on these types of cases.

Incidents that Commonly Cause Brain Injuries in Florida

Any impact to the head or body, as well as any kind of rapid or violent shaking of the head, could cause a traumatic brain injury. Obviously, the harder the blow or the more violent the movement, the more likely a person will suffer a serious brain injury. However, even minor impacts can injure the brain. If you’re reading this, maybe you remember the day when famous race car driver, Dale Earnhardt, died from what seemed like a simple bump against the wall of the track. The video footage of the crash is just not very scary; drivers have survived way more extreme crashes. However, in the aftermath of this crash, people were amazed to learn that the “bump” against the wall was enough to kill the legendary driver because of the way the crash damaged his head.

In the past 20 years, we’ve learned that the brain is a delicate and complex structure through both famous examples and more personal experiences with brain injuries. As we have all learned, there are many ways someone could end up with a brain injury. Some of the more common ways a person might suffer a brain injury are below:

Florida Brain Injury Statistics

There are around 250,000 people in Florida who are currently living with some sort of disability related to a brain injury, and this number is increasing. Every year, roughly 8,000 Florida residents will sustain some type of long-term disability as a result of a brain injury. Additionally, roughly 5,000 people will die in Florida because of a brain injury, and over 20,000 will be hospitalized from non-fatal brain injuries. As more businesses move to Florida, more people will move in, and more cars and trucks will be on the road. It’s simple math: With more cars and trucks on the road, there will be more semi-truck accidents in Florida, and there will be more auto accidents in Florida. Additionally, there will be a lot more Uber and Lyft drivers on the road. Therefore, the number of people with brain injuries in Florida will likely continue to rise every year.

Schedule Your FREE Consultation with a Florida Brain Injury Lawyer

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury as a result of a Florida accident, you should speak with a skilled and aggressive Orlando, Florida brain injury lawyer as soon as possible because you may be entitled to compensation. Please don’t hesitate to contact us on our website, or you can call our Orlando, Florida personal injury law firm today at (321) 352-7588 to schedule your free consultation by phone. When you schedule a consultation at our law firm, you will get a consultation with a Florida brain injury lawyer, not a customer service representative or intake person.

If you need a South Carolina personal injury lawyer, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (843) 638-6590. We have at least one lawyer licensed in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. So, if you’ve been injured in the Southeast, we may be able to help you. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

For more information on personal injury cases in general, you can download our free personal injury guide: P.I. 101: Your Quick Guide to Personal Injury Claims.