Mankato Traumatic Brain Injury

What Is A Traumatic Brain Injury?

Traumatic brain injury is a sudden physical damage to the brain. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are hereditary, congenital, or degenerative. Traumatic brain injury is an injury that is manifested by one or more of the following:

1. loss of consciousness;
2. memory loss of events immediately before or after the accident;
3. alteration of mental state at the time of the accident such as feeling dazed, disoriented or confused, and alteration of mental state;
4. focal neurological deficits that may or may not be temporary.

How Is Traumatic Brain Injury Caused?

The damage may be caused by the head forcefully hitting an object, such as when hitting a windshield or the dashboard of a car, or by something passing through the skull and piercing the brain. A closed head injury may also be experienced without direct penetration of the skull or external trauma when the brain undergoes a severe forward or backward shaking or twisting.

What Are The Symptoms Of Traumatic Brain Injury?

The common symptoms among adults are:

• Low grade headaches or neck pain that won’t go away
• Having more trouble than usual with mental tasks such as remembering, concentrating, or making decisions
• Slowness in thinking, speaking, acting, or reading
• Getting lost or easily confused
• Feeling tired all the time, lacking energy or motivation
• Changes in sleep pattern, feeling lightheaded or dizzy, or losing your balance
• Increased sensitivity to sounds, light, or distractions
• Blurred vision, eyes that tire easily
• Loss of sense of smell or taste
• Ringing in ears
• Mood changes

Symptoms with children include:

• Listlessness or tiring easily
• Irritability or crankiness
• Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
• Changes in the way the child plays
• Changes in performance at school
• Lack of interest in favorite toys or activities
• Loss of new skills such as toileting or training
• Loss of balance or unsteady gait

This webpage contains general information and not legal advice. It is based on Minnesota law in effect at the time of writing. An attorney at Farrish Johnson can advise you about how the law applies to your specific situation.