Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a very serious matter. Most of these cases are not treated well because of lack of good information on how to treat such an injury. Oftentimes, some law professionals don't even have a full understanding on the truths about this debilitating injury that it affects the claims that get thru the insurance adjusters and disability examiners. That partly explains for many of claims getting unfair settlements or low disability benefits. What does a lawyer need to know about the truths regarding brain surgery? It is therefore worth noting the myths surrounding traumatic brain injury cases, and discerning the truth behind it.



Myth: You must lose unconsciousness in order to suffer traumatic brain injury.

Depending on the site of the injury in the brain, you don't have to necessarily lose consciousness in order to suffer brain injury. A well-documented example of this case is of Phineas Gage (1823-1860), when an iron bar propelled thru his head and entered his skull, damaging the frontal lobe. He didn't become unconscious during the accident; nevertheless he underwent major personality changes so profound that it affected his life and health on the long run.

Myth: Mild traumatic brain injury is not serious. In fact, it's not even a medical term.

To understand mild brain injury, we need to define it according to medical professionals. According to the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, mild traumatic brain injury means "a physiological disruption of brain function/activity, manifested by any alteration in mental state at the time of the accident - such as confusion, dizziness or disorientation."

Symptoms of mild TBI may include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, blurred vision and fatigue. If not treated properly, it may lead to further complications. Therefore, mild traumatic brain injury is indeed a serous matter. And it's a recognized disorder by medical professionals.

Myth: A rapidly accelerating/decelerating object must hit your head in order to suffer TBI.

Although the above statement is true, traumatic brain injury can still occur even without an object hitting your head. Babies, for example, may suffer shaken baby syndrome when mishandled. A baby's brain is still underdeveloped and any slight shake inside the brain cavity may affect brain tissue, causing bruises and shears that will greatly affect the baby's health and development. Another example are whiplashes - a sudden backward snap of the head may cause the tempoal lobes of the brain to hit the bony protuberances and ridges of the skull, causing brain tissue bruising and shearing.

Myth: Mild TBI is just temporary.

Even with medical treatment, about 10 to 15 percent of patients who suffered mild TBI have not recovered fully. Some symptoms persist even years after the injury, such has troubling headaches, dizziness and neck pain. Medical professionals call it permanent persistent post-concussive syndrome (PPCS). And in the long run, the consequences of mild traumatic brain injury can be life-altering, disruptive and can cause great loss of quality of life.

There are even more myths out there, and people still have insufficient, if not little regard for this kind of injury. A neurologist can explain to you further regarding your traumatic brain injury case and may work together with your lawyer to get a much better claim. Because the incidence of head injury is actually higher that what statistics predict, knowing these truths about traumatic brain injury may greatly help you deal with the right treatment and rehabilitation.