In the flash of a moment, life changed. You heard the news that your loved one had been in an accident, or perhaps you were involved in the crash too. At the hospital, doctors informed you that your loved one had suffered a brain injury, and your imagination may have had no way to prepare you for what to expect.
A brain injury can be traumatic for the victim, but it is often just as much a trauma for the victim’s family and friends. You likely sat by your loved one’s hospital bed and watched while doctors did their best to make him or her comfortable and prevent further damage to the brain. As painful as that was, you must now face what lies ahead, knowing that a brain injury can mean lifelong struggles for the victim and the family.
What to expect
The brain controls every other part of the body, from your physical movement to the systems that keep you alive. Your ability to communicate, think, solve problems and make plans all happen in the brain. It is a miraculous and complex organ, and medical science knows very little about how to treat it after an injury. What is certain is that even the slightest injury can result in long-term cognitive changes, so a serious blow to the head may lead to more complex impairments, including:
- Paralysis
- Seizures
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Altered sense of hearing, touch, taste, smell or sight
- Loss of balance
- Difficulty recalling words
- Memory deficits
- Trouble understanding written or spoken language
- Inability to concentrate or make decisions
You may also notice emotional or behavioral issues with your loved one following a brain injury, including anger, depression, paranoia or inappropriate behavior. Because everyone’s brain is different, it may be impossible to predict exactly how your loved one’s injury will affect him or her. It is wise to be prepared and to seek the support you need for every change your family may undergo because of the accident.
One important change is the financial crisis you may experience when faced with the ongoing medical bills from your loved one’s injury. If the accident occurred due to someone else’s negligence or reckless behavior, you have every right to feel the unfairness of the outcome. For this reason, you may wish to find an Ohio legal advocate to assist your loved one in obtaining the compensation he or she deserves for the injuries suffered through someone else’s actions.