March has been designated Brain Injury Awareness Month by the Brain Injury Association of America for more than three decades.

This year, the Brain Injury Association of America launched a #ChangeYourMind public awareness campaign to educate the public about the prevalence of brain injuries, the needs of people who suffer from brain injuries and their families.

At the Smith Law Center, we help people who struggle to overcome traumatic brain injuries every year. Attorney Stephen Smith is the founder of the Brain Injury Law Center. He has litigated cases involving major catastrophic injuries across the United States and the world. The Virginia-based lawyer won the largest personal injury verdict in that Commonwealth’s history and the largest mild traumatic brain injury verdict ever awarded.

Every year, about 2.8 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury. About 50,000 people die from head injuries. Car accidents, falls, strokes, medical malpractice, assaults, and other illnesses are the leading causes of brain injuries. In some cases, lawsuits are brought against the party that causes a brain injury.

How a Traumatic Brain Injury Can Affect Your Life

The Brain Injury Association of America highlights how brain injuries affect the lives of sufferers and their family members.

A severe or moderate traumatic brain injury often has a long-lasting effect on the life of the victim and his or her family. The symptoms of a brain injury can last years or even be permanent. Although recovery and rehabilitation are possible, many people who suffer from TBIs face challenges for the rest of their lives.

TBI victims often end up with a range of injuries. Even patients who appear to make a recovery may end up with symptoms that never go away.

The ongoing challenges associated with a TBI can affect the sufferer’s personal life, employment, and family members. People who experience brain injuries often struggle with cognitive or “thinking” tasks such as memory, concentrating and comprehension. Brain injuries impact family relationships and put considerable strains on people’s lives.

Brain injuries can cause the following conditions:

• Vision issues
• Paralysis
• Difficulties talking or walking
• Loss of fine motor skills
• Insomnia and interrupted sleep
• Difficulty remembering recent events
• Problems with social relationships
• Irrational outbursts of anger
• Inability to work or study
• Impulsiveness
• Speech difficulties
• Confusion.

The Brain Injury Association of America states these kinds of symptoms often result in a lack of understanding toward brain injury sufferers.

The #ChangeYourMind public awareness campaign aims to educate people about TBIs by:

1. Launching outreach campaigns to remove the stigma of brain injuries;
2. Empowering people who survived brain injuries and their caregivers;
3. Promoting support methods for people living with traumatic brain injuries.

The Brain Injury Association of America states TBIs are unpredictable. Brain injuries affect the way sufferers feel and act. Suffering a TBI can transform the lives of the sufferer in a matter of seconds. We should be acutely aware that people with brain injuries are human beings first rather than cases.

The brain is complex. No two brain injuries are the same. The effects of a brain injury are complicated and vary greatly from person to person.

The extent and nature of a traumatic brain injury depend on factors like the severity, location and cause of the injury.

People who suffer a TBI may not always be aware of the existence of an injury or its consequences. Doctors often miss the signs of brain injuries and scans fail to detect them. You may not realize you suffered a mild traumatic brain injury until behavioral and other symptoms appear.

It is very important to recognize the neurologically-based symptoms of a brain injury including aggression, irritability, and memory loss.

Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) is common after a loss of consciousness. The brain injury victim often suffers confusion and disorientation during this period and is unable to remember recent events.

People who suffer a TBI may require ongoing medical care for the rest of their lives. Medical bills can reach seven figures. It’s vital to hire an experienced Virginia brain injury attorney to fight the at-fault party and to recover as much money as possible.

It’s important for brain injury sufferers to hire experienced trial lawyers who fight for the rights of victims. If you or a family member suffered a brain injury, please call our experienced Virginia brain injury lawyers at (757) 244-7000.