What is a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)?

A Mild Traumatic Brain Injury or mTBI is the most common type of brain injury. About 2.8 million Americans are treated in hospitals each year for traumatic brain injuries with most being classified as mild. For a traumatic brain injury to be classified as mild the person’s loss of consciousness and or confusion and disorientation lasts less than 30 minutes, however, the effects of an mTBI can last for months and even years. An mTBI is sometimes labeled as a concussion. It is important to remember that while it may be classified as mild it does not mean that it isn’t life-altering because many patients who are diagnosed with an mTBI still have life-altering effects from their mTBI after a year.

What are the symptoms of an mTBI?

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Memory loss
• Trouble Sleeping
• Hard time concentrating
• Dizziness/loss of balance
• Trouble Seeing
• Irritability
• Seizures

Other less common symptoms may be:

• Nausea
• Loss of smell
• Sensitivity to light and sounds
• Mood changes
• Getting lost or confused
• Slowness in thinking

These symptoms may not be present at the time of injury.  They can be delayed days or even weeks before they appear.  The symptoms are often subtle and are often missed by the injured person, family, and even doctors.

The person can often look and function at a semi-normal rate following the accident.  This makes the diagnosis easy to miss.  Family and friends often notice changes in behavior before the injured person realizes there is a problem.  Frustration at work or when performing household tasks may bring the person to seek medical care where they find out they have an mTBI.

What causes mTBI?

Traumatic brain injuries can happen when a sudden hit or jolt to the head that results in damage to the brain. In the United States and across the globe it is a major cause of disability and death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define a traumatic brain injury as “a disruption in the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or penetrating head injury.”

Falls and car accidents account for more than half of all traumatic brain injuries in the United States.

What to do if you believe you have an mTBI?

If you believe you have a mild traumatic brain injury you need to first seek medical attention. If you believe that the trauma was caused due to the negligence of another party talk to a trusted personal injury attorney in your area to receive guidance on how to be compensated for your injury.

               Medical

                              Seek help with a trusted medical professional is important. They will be able to make a formal diagnosis of the trauma and make any necessary recommendations. It is important to know that the effects of an mTBI can last much longer than the initial injury with many patients who suffer from mTBI have life-altering effects a year after the initial injury.

               Legal

                              If your traumatic brain injury has been caused due to the negligence of another party it is important that you seek guidance from a trusted local personal injury attorney. Most personal injury attorneys offer free consultations and work off of contingency which means that you do not have to pay them unless they get you the compensation which they then take a percentage of that winnings. This makes it easy to reach out to an attorney at no cost to see if there is a case and how they can help you through getting the compensation you deserve. To best prepare to talk to attorney gather the basic facts of the day and ask any friends or family that may know details that you may have forgotten.

Am I entitled to compensation from an mTBI?

If you have a mild traumatic brain injury due to the negligence of another party you may be entitled to compensation for your injury. Due to the severity of a brain injury, you can often be compensated for medical bills, lost wages from missing work and the pain and suffering you have and maybe enduring due to a brain injury. Talking to a trusted and qualified lawyer is important in determining if you are entitled to compensation and working at getting you the compensation you deserve.

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