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The victim of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have a subtle and persistent symptom. If unrecognized, the persistence of that unrecognized symptom can impede any effort to remain alert and attuned to the signs of a TBI-related disorder.
Characteristics of cycle initiated by TBI-triggered fatigue
• The victim’s fatigue fuels feelings of anxiety and depression, along with a daytime sleepiness. That sleepiness affects the cognitive functions of the sleepy victim.
• Fatigue impairs performance of social interactions.
• Fatigued victims feel a need to set aside time for resting their brain.
Physiological features of a traumatic brain injury
• Neural connections in the brain have lost the ability to send messages to other parts of the body.
• There is no diagnostic test that can demonstrate a link between a victim’s fatigue and a previous brain injury.
Issues that should be of concern to a personal injury lawyer
Fatigue’s effects can keep an accident victim from delivering the expected level of job performance. That indicates the need for a consideration of lost job opportunities in the future, as well as possible problems in meeting the demands of an existing job. That is why you need an Injury Lawyer in Barrie to represent the claim and get the much-needed damages to tide over the loss of wages and medical bills.
How to argue for the existence of a link between irritability, anxiety, depression or sleepiness and an accident-related injury? It helps to get testimony from neighbors or co-workers, those that knew the lawyer’s client both before and after the accident.
How to keep friends and family attuned to the possible appearance of TBI-linked symptoms? Too often, friends and family might view certain behaviors as those that are typical of a child that is the same age as the injured victim. If a child or teen has been the passenger in a car that was involved in an accident, that fact should be brought to the attention of the pediatrician or the family doctor.
Readiness on the lawyer’s part to listen for remarks that might suggest a parent’s failure to note the existence of a TBI-linked symptom. For instance, if a parent has doubts about an honors student’s ability to pursue a career in medicine, due to his or her repeated complaints about feeling tired and sleepy, that could indicate the presence of a TBI.
Personal injury lawyers should maintain connections to pediatric neurologists. Such experts can perform an examination that is more complete than any IME that might have been ordered by an insurance company. Ideally, such experts should stand ready to offer testimony at a trial, if necessary.
An overlooked and untreated TBI can morph into a serious neurological problem. Without training in neurological issues, a doctor might misinterpret one of TBI’s symptoms. For instance, problems with balance might be attributed to a suspected middle ear infection, rather than to the true cause–a brain disorder.