Brain Injury Awareness Month Brings New Hope and Understanding to Victims

According to the Brain Injury Association of America, someone in this country suffers an acquired brain injury every nine seconds of the day. Many of those injuries are related to strokes, complications of disease or trauma — and they leave victims struggling with a chronic health problem that literally changes everything about them, even their personalities.

With this in mind, March has been designated Brain Injury Awareness Month. This year’s theme is called Change Your Mind, and its goal is to both increase understanding about brain injuries, destigmatize the condition in general and help victims and their families find the support that they need to move forward.

According to data put out by the Brain Injury Association, one out of every 60 people in this country struggles with a disability that is related to a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The vast majority of victims, 47%, suffer their injuries in a fall — like the kind that might happen on a construction site or while repairing a roof. Some of the main early symptoms of a TBI include:

• Headaches and blurred vision
• Slurred speech and other difficulties talking
• Nausea and vomiting
• Disorientation and confusion
• Ringing ears and balance problems
• Memory loss, including a failure to remember the accident
• Loss of consciousness, sleepiness or extreme fatigue

Because a TBI can ultimately go on to cause permanent changes in a victim’s personality or ability to function, it’s important to get medical treatment right away. Prompt medical attention can often lessen the severity of long-term symptoms.

A traumatic brain injury doesn’t just affect the victim — it affects their entire family. If your loved one suffered a TBI, find out what right you may have to compensation for your losses via workers’ compensation or other means.