Legal•Info

Little Known Brain Injury Symptoms/Injuries

Call (888) 471-5989 to speak with a personal injury attorney.

It is estimated that more than 50,000 Americans die as a result of traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, and according to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), 1.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury each year. Those who survive TBI are left to deal with the consequences neuropsychological impairments and disabilities that affect all aspects of one's life, including work, social life and interpersonal relationships.

While there are many common disabilities which result from traumatic brain injury such as anxiety, balance problems, depression, difficulty with speech, difficulty listening, headache, fatigue, sleep disturbance, nausea, slow thinking, memory problems, irritability, and mood swings there are just as many little-known brain injury symptoms and little-known brain injuries. These may include vision disturbances (seen in 30% to 85% of TBI cases), alterations of smell and taste (found in mild to moderate head injury cases), glandular dysfunction (found in cases of moderate and severe brain injury), sexual dysfunction (moderate and severe brain injury cases), and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).

Some of the symptoms associated with the frontal lobe of the brain include:

Loss of simple movement of various body parts (Paralysis).
Inability to plan a sequence of complex movements needed to complete multi-stepped tasks, such as making coffee (Sequencing).
Loss of spontaneity in interacting with others.
Loss of flexibility in thinking.
Persistence of a single thought (Perseveration).
Inability to focus on task (Attending).
Mood changes (Emotionally Labile).
Changes in social behavior.
Changes in personality.
Difficulty with problem solving.
Inability to express language (Broca's Aphasia).

Disturbance to the parietal lobe may result in:

Inability to attend to more than one object at a time.
Inability to name an object (Anomia).
Inability to locate the words for writing (Agraphia).
Problems with reading (Alexia).
Difficulty with drawing objects.
Difficulty in distinguishing left from right.
Difficulty with doing mathematics (Dyscalculia).
Lack of awareness of certain body parts and/or surrounding space (Apraxia) that leads to difficulties in self-care.
Inability to focus visual attention.
Difficulties with eye and hand coordination.

The occipital lobes, which are the most posterior in the brain, may be affected by a brain injury with regard to:

Defects in vision (Visual Field Cuts).
Difficulty with locating objects in environment.
Difficulty with identifying colors (Color Agnosia).
Production of hallucinations.
Visual illusions - inaccurately seeing objects.
Word blindness - inability to recognize words.
Difficulty in recognizing drawn objects.
Inability to recognize the movement of object (Movement Agnosia).
Difficulties with reading and writing.

Trauma to the temporal lobes, which are located on the sides of the head, may result in:

Difficulty in recognizing faces (Prosopagnosia).
Difficulty in understanding spoken words (Wernicke's Aphasia).
Disturbance with selective attention to what we see and hear.
Difficulty with identification of, and verbalization about objects.
Short term memory loss.
Interference with long term memory.
Increased and decreased interest in sexual behavior.
Inability to categorize objects (Categorization).
Right lobe damage can cause persistent talking.
Increased aggressive behavior.

Symptoms of brain stem damage may include:

Decreased vital capacity in breathing, important for speech.
Difficulty swallowing food and water (Dysphagia).
Difficulty with organization/perception of the environment.
Problems with balance and movement.
Dizziness and nausea (Vertigo).
Sleeping difficulties (Insomnia, sleep apnea).

At the base of the skull lies the cerebellum, which can exhibit the following problems after an injury:

Loss of ability to coordinate fine movements.
Loss of ability to walk.
Inability to reach out and grab objects.
Tremors.
Dizziness (Vertigo).
Slurred Speech (Scanning Speech).
Inability to make rapid movements.

If you or someone you love has been involved in an accident that results in brain injury, you should hire a brain injury lawyer or attorney to help you recover damages suffered as a result of the accident. While no amount of money can reverse the damage done by a brain injury, it can certainly help cover all current and future medical expenses resulting from the accident. In some cases, the victim may even be able to recover damages for pain and suffering. Each state has its own statutes and laws that apply to brain injuries, so it's important that you hire a personal injury attorney who has experience and success in litigating brain injury cases.

It's best to contact a brain injury lawyer or attorney immediately after experiencing a head trauma, as statutes of limitations do apply in most states. Procrastinating could be costly for you and it could hinder your case in many ways. To locate an experienced and successful brain injury lawyer or attorney in your area, visit the American Bar Association website.