The effects of a brain injury vary greatly from person to person and may last for an unknown period of time after the initial trauma occurs.

When victims in New York sustain trauma to their head, they often experience effects that harm their ability to function independently or go back to work, school or the activities of their daily life. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, the consequences traumatic brain injury victims experience after incurring one of these injuries often depend on the trauma’s severity, cause and location.

The four categories of symptoms

Not only do the symptoms of a TBI vary depending on several factors, but there are also a wide variety of consequences associated with incurring trauma to the head. According to WebMD, the effects of a brain injury can be divided into four separate categories, which include:

• Behavioral or emotional-some of the behavioral or emotional consequences associated with brain injuries include irritability, impatience, increased aggressiveness, sluggishness and a reduced tolerance to stress.
• Perceptual-those who sustain a TBI may experience an inability to sense time, balance issues, disorders of smell and taste and spatial disorientation.
• Physical-extreme mental and physical fatigue, paralysis, tremors, seizures, sensitivity to light, sleep disorders and persistent headaches are some of the physical issues that may develop from a brain injury.
• Cognitive-those who sustain trauma to their head may have a hard time understanding others, processing information and expressing their thoughts and may also experience memory loss and a shortened attention span.

The BIAA states that no two brain injuries are the same and how long the effects last vary by person. For instance, while one TBI victim may experience short-term memory loss for a few weeks after the initial trauma occurs, another brain injury victim may experience seizures and paralysis for the rest of his or her life.

Recovering after an accident

After TBI victims begin to experience the effects of the trauma, there are several steps they can take to aid in the recovery process. According to the BIAA, brain injury victims should get plenty of rest after the accident occurs and refrain from rushing back to work or school-related activities. Those recovering from a brain injury should also avoid participating in any activity that could result in more trauma to their head, wait until their doctor tells them it is safe for them to drive a car or ride a bike and write down things that they have a difficult time remembering.

After an accident occurs, brain injury victims in New York may be entitled to compensation to cover the cost of their medical expenses and the pain and suffering they experienced as a result of the trauma. If you are in the process of recovering from a TBI, speak with an attorney in your area to determine what compensation may be available to you.