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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 2.8 million Americans sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) every year disabling six times more people each year than spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, and breast cancer combined. For children and young adults ages 5-24, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of TBI-related deaths. Even though everyone is at risk of suffering TBIs, males are approximately 1.5 times more likely than females to sustain a TBI and 3 times as likely to die.

However, most TBIs that occur each year are mild TBIs or concussions. These may be caused by a bump, blow a jolt to the head, or a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move quickly back and forth and disturb brain cells, according to the CDC.

Angie Ferguson, an exercise physiologist, and Tony Robbins, a results coach, wrote for The News-Press recently that concussion symptoms can vary from person to person. The specific injury and the part of the brain affected can determine symptoms. Some of the symptoms of a concussion can include:

• Dizziness
• Blurred vision or light sensitivity
• Nausea or vomiting
• Headaches
• Fatigue or drowsiness
• Impaired balance and coordination
• Neck pain
• Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, or confusion
• Sleep difficulties

Recovering from a concussion also varies from person to person. The factors that can determine recovery time include how long a time has elapsed since the injury and the accident victim’s activity level before the accident.

Motor vehicle accident victims, motorcycle accident victims, slip and fall accident victims, and other accident victims must seek medical attention immediately following an accident even if there may seem to be no injuries. Concussions can be diagnosed and treated regardless of the part of the brain that is affected.

Florida law requires accident victims to seek medical attention within 14 days following an accident. Accident victims should not wait to see how they are feeling following an accident, particularly since some injuries, such as concussions, may not exhibit themselves immediately and may only be evident with a CT scan. Moving forward, accident victims must follow their doctor’s and attorney’s advice before resuming activities.

WebMD reported on a University of Georgia study of 14 college-age participants who were tested on a driving simulator within 48 hours of feeling no effects of their concussions. A University of Georgia press release said: “Despite feeling like they had recovered from their head injuries, the patients were still likely to drive erratically. At times, their skill levels were similar to driving after drinking. They had less vehicle control while they were doing the driving simulation, and they swerved more within the lane.  This is a pretty large indicator of motor vehicle accident risk, and this is at a time point when they are considered recovered," said Julianne Schmidt, an associate professor in the kinesiology department.

Fort Myers Brain Injury Attorney Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, P.A. assists brain-injured accident victims throughout Florida.

Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. works with expert medical professionals to assess a victim’s brain injury. The firm’s legal team uses expert information to assist brain-injured victims to recover the monetary damages to which they are entitled. Here are a couple of examples of settlements and verdicts the firm has achieved for its clients:

• A multi-million-dollar judgment was obtained for the victim of a DUI accident who received brain injuries in a Fort Myers car accident when a drunk driver crossed the center line. 

• A multi-million-dollar settlement for a Cape Coral motorcycle accident victim who received brain damage and other injuries in a motorcycle accident caused by a driver who pulled out in front of him. 

Should you or a loved one be injured in an accident please contact Randall Spivey at 239.337.7483, toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or contact us online at SpiveyLaw.com.