Doctors classify traumatic brain injuries as mild, moderate or severe.
Many New Yorkers may already be familiar with the consequences of a severe brain injury. Someone with a severe traumatic brain injury may be comatose for weeks or even months.
In the most serious cases, a brain injury can leave its victim in a persistent coma and, in most cases, unable to survive without medical support.
Other severe brain injuries could require a person to have round-the-clock care, even if they are able to do some basic tasks on their own.
Someone who suffers from what doctors call a mild traumatic brain injury are to some extent lucky. However, no one should think that a mild or minor brain injury is no big deal.
Mild brain injuries can cause a person to experience difficulty speaking, coordination problems, headaches, sleep disturbances and chronic fatigue. They also may develop a sensitivity to noise or light, and they could experience blurry vision, hearing problems or other sensory issues.
The brain injury can also affect a person’s thinking patterns. The end results could include chronic anxiety and depression or profound and sudden changes in one’s mood. A brain injury can also lead to difficulty remembering things and an inability to concentrate.
Thankfully, many if not all of these symptoms will resolve over time. However, until they do, the injury can keep a person out of work. The victim may also have ongoing medical expenses, including the need for various types of therapy.
When a person has to deal with the physical, emotional and financial fallout of any degree of brain injury, it is only fair that the person or business responsible for the injury should do its part to make the victim whole.
