Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries in Victorville
Ranging in severity from mild to severe, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can impact lives in different ways. For some victims, the disruption will be mild and temporary. For others, these head injuries can lead to lifelong and life-altering impacts.
One of the big risk factors is that brain cells do not regenerate. However, that does not mean that the immediate damages are permanent. With time, therapy, and medical intervention, the brain may reroute some signals, allowing for some recovery. Still, the prognosis for TBIs is often grim.
If you are the victim of a TBI, you may wonder if there are legal remedies available for you. The answer is maybe. Any accident can lead to a TBI. You may be entitled to compensation if someone else’s negligence is at the root of the accident or contributes to the injuries. By exploring the causes of traumatic brain injuries in Victorville, we can help victims understand whether they may be entitled to compensation.
Understanding TBIs
Brain injuries can happen because of biological causes like strokes or tumors, anoxia (lack of oxygen), hypoxia (reduced oxygen), or external causes. When linked to an external force, brain injuries are known as traumatic.
The external force does not have to be in direct contact with the victim’s head. A jolt to the body can cause them, as well, by making the brain collide with the inside of the skull.
Another type of external source of a brain injury is a penetrating injury. Gunshot wounds are the most common type of penetrating injury, but anything that goes through the skull and into the brain is this type of injury.
Anyone experiencing these types of injuries should be on the lookout for a TBI. Several symptoms are associated with TBIs, and they can vary depending on whether the TBI is mild, moderate, or severe. The main symptoms to watch out for are:
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Seizures
- Unconsciousness
- Cognitive changes
- Emotional changes
Many people think of TBIs as rare. They are actually very common; around half of all people will experience a TBI during their lifetime.
While most of these TBIs are mild versions known as concussions, concussions are not as harmless as people once believed they were. They can leave lingering effects, and the effects may be cumulative. TBI is a leading cause of disability and death in young children, young adults, and the elderly. Males are also at higher risk, which makes sense when people understand the causes of TBIs in Victorville.
Common Causes of TBIs
Falls are the most common cause of head injuries. People can slip and fall on uneven surfaces, fall from bed, slip in the bathtub, fall from stairs, or fall from ladders. People can fall in their homes, on public property, in businesses, and at work. Many of these falls are due to negligence by someone. For example, uneven ground in a public place could lead to municipal liability, while a slippery floor in a business could make them liable for an injury.
Motor vehicle crashes are another leading cause of TBIs. These incidents almost always have a liable party, though it is possible that the TBI victim was also responsible for the accident. An attorney can explore liability in a wreck, identify liable parties, and help seek compensation for those injuries.
It may surprise people to learn that assaults are another common cause of TBIs. These assaults can include stranger attacks, gunshot wounds, domestic violence, child abuse, and more. Gunshot wounds are the leading cause of TBI deaths in the United States, though many of those are self-inflicted or accidental.
When an assault is responsible for the injuries, an attorney does not need to prove negligence. Instead, they must show that the other party’s intentional behavior created the injuries. When the injury is accidental or self-inflicted, it can be more difficult to establish negligence, though it may still be possible.
Sports injuries can lead to TBIs. Most people are familiar with the risk of concussions in football and other contact sports like hockey or boxing. There is a similarly high risk in sports where falls are likely, including skateboarding, cycling, and horseback riding. A Victorville attorney can examine the causes of those TBIs before advising people about liability.
Learn More About the Most Frequent Causes of TBIs in Victorville
While there are many potential ways to get a TBI, some causes are better known than others. Understanding the causes of traumatic brain injuries in Victorville is the first step to getting the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Schedule a consultation with one of our seasoned legal professionals at Walter Clark Legal Group to learn more about TBIs and personal injury liability.
