Anytime people suffer a blow to the head, they run the risk of also suffering a brain injury, even if the blow is relatively minor. Brain injuries come in many forms, and may affect many victims' ability to control their actions or maintain cognitive functions at the same levels they were before the injury.
If you ride a municipal bus and receive a blow to the head while on it, you should go to an experienced medical professional immediately and have them give you a thorough examination to determine if you suffered a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). If you did, then you may have grounds to sue the entity that owns the bus and any other party that may share responsibility for the injury.
Many people may assume that these injuries are not really that serious, especially if they do not cause pain. This is simply untrue. While a mild TBI is usually much less affecting than moderate or severe TBIs, it may go undetected without medical attention, which can lead to numerous difficulties for the victim.
The devastating effects of mild TBIs over time
When a victim's brain suffers damage, even minor damage, the functions of the brain suffer. Consider an intricate drawing created on an Etch-a-Sketch pad. If something shakes the pad, even a little, some of the clarity of the image is lost. Mild TBIs are very much like lightly shaking the Etch-a-Sketch pad that is the victim's brain. While most of the broad strokes may remain unchanged, some of the details get fuzzy and difficult to understand.
These injuries are particularly devastating to those whose work is detail-oriented or involves a lot of communication with others or reading. Some of the most common effects of mild TBIs include difficulty thinking clearly and understanding the contextual meanings of conversations or passages of text. Many victims report that they feel as though their thoughts exist in a cloud, or that they regularly misinterpret what they read or conversations with colleagues and other close relationships.
In addition, it is common for victims to suffer temperamental outbursts and other frustrating behavior, especially when they find they cannot perform tasks that were easy or just familiar before the injury. This temperamental behavior may appear to coworkers and friends like immature or spiteful reactions by the victims, straining personal and professional relationships crucial to maintaining every area of the victims' lives
Without proper treatment, these symptoms can persist for up to a year, which is plenty of time for those around the victim to give up on waiting for him or her to improve.
Focusing on your recovery
If you did recently receive a mild TBI, do not hesitate to begin treatment as soon as you get a positive diagnosis. The sooner that you begin fighting to recover, the sooner you can get back to your old self.
Unfortunately, recovery from such an injury always takes time and hard work on the part of the victim. Be sure that you understand all your legal options clearly before you move forward with a personal injury claim, to keep your interests and right secure.