Brain Injury Lawyer Virginia Beach
When you hear the term “brain injury,” you may think of a traumatic accident or medical emergency. You may not think about how deeply these types of injuries can affect every part of a person’s life.
One of our very own Virginia Beach personal injury attorneys—Kevin Sharp—has a unique understanding of brain injuries, as he was diagnosed with one when he was in college. He notes in this video how he experienced many of the same symptoms that his clients describe and how his own experience gave him a unique empathy for brain injury victims.
“As I got more and more into the medical science behind these situations, these problems,” he says, “I had not just a sympathy but an empathy for what they’re dealing with. And it’s driven me to want to get the best outcome for them.”
As a partner at Shapiro, Washburn, & Sharp, Kevin knows how frustrating it can be to feel like something invisible is affecting everything you do and how vital it is to have someone who believes in and supports you.
If you or a loved one suffered from a brain injury, call us today at 833-997-1774 for a free consultation. We will do everything possible to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
What Are Brain Injuries?
According to the Brain Injury Association of America, every 9 seconds, someone in the U.S. sustains a brain injury. These injuries affect how a person thinks, acts, and feels.
A brain injury is any injury that impacts the brain itself. Whether caused by a trauma, such as a fall or an accident, or a medical condition like a stroke or aneurysm, the injury harms some part of the brain, resulting in a wide range of symptoms.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
A traumatic brain injury occurs when some external force impacts the brain. It could happen in a car accident or because of a fall, sports injury, or physical assault. TBIs can be mild, such as mild concussions, or severe, with long-term impacts on brain function.
Non-Traumatic Brain Injury
This type of injury causes damage to the brain from internal factors, such as a lack of oxygen, exposure to toxins, or pressure from a tumor. Examples of this type of injury may include a stroke, near-drowning, aneurysm, tumor, infectious disease (meningitis), or lack of oxygen supply to the brain, which may occur during a heart attack.
Brain injuries may be immediately apparent in some situations, but in other cases, they can be more subtle. Some people will recover fully, but others will face lifelong challenges.
What Are the Different Types of Challenges that Brain Injury Victims Face?
The challenges that result from a brain injury vary and typically affect three main areas of daily function.
Cognitive Challenges of Brain Injuries
Cognitive challenges include those that affect thinking, reasoning, and processing. These impact the individual’s ability to interact with the world in the way they did before.
- Memory Problems: Short-term memory loss is common. Patients may forget appointments, names, or recent conversations.
- Attention and Concentration Issues: Patients may struggle to focus on tasks, especially in noisy or stimulating environments.
- Slowed Thinking: Before, the individual may have enjoyed reading or problem-solving, but after the injury, these tasks may be more difficult or take longer to work through.
- Language Difficulties: Finding the right words to express themselves can be more difficult after a brain injury.
- Executive Dysfunction: This symptom can affect the individual’s ability to plan, organize, and set and achieve goals. Even everyday tasks like creating a grocery list can be overwhelming.
These symptoms can impact a person’s ability to do their job and may even make it difficult for them to retain their independence. Milder symptoms may be less disruptive but can still be deeply frustrating.
Psychological Challenges of Brain Injuries
While the brain isn’t operating as it once did, the individual will likely experience emotional challenges. Survivors often grapple with:
- Depression and Anxiety: The sudden changes in their ability to go about their daily lives can trigger severe mood disorders.
- Irritability or Mood Swings: Damage to the brain can alter the person’s ability to regulate emotions. The individual may be more likely to lash out or cry unexpectedly.
- Loss of Confidence: Patients who feel like they are “not themselves” anymore can experience an identity crisis and take a big hit to their confidence, leading to lower self-esteem and, in severe cases, even a withdrawal from social life.
- Isolation: Patients who don’t have the support and help they need may end up feeling isolated.
These types of challenges can worsen cognitive challenges and vice versa, creating a vicious cycle that leads to a downward spiral. Without proper support, survivors may slip into deep despair.
Physical Challenges of Brain Injuries
Though cognitive and psychological challenges are more common, brain injuries can also lead to physical symptoms such as the following.
- Headaches: These can be persistent and may hurt enough to be debilitating.
- Fatigue: Symptoms may manifest as fatigue and exhaustion, leading survivors to need more rest than they used to.
- Dizziness or Balance Problems: These symptoms are likely, particularly with TBIs, as the part of the brain that regulates balance could be damaged.
- Seizures: Some of the more severe brain injuries can increase the risk of seizures.
- Sensory Issues: Sometimes, survivors mention changes in vision and/or hearing. They may be more sensitive to light and sound.
- Motor Difficulties: In some cases, brain injuries can affect coordination and, in rare cases, may lead to paralysis.
These symptoms can interfere with an individual’s ability to work, drive, or manage personal care, sometimes reducing their ability to manage their lives independently.
How Can a Personal Injury Attorney Help?
Sometimes, someone else’s negligence leads to a brain injury. Perhaps the victim was involved in a car wreck with a reckless driver. Or maybe they experienced a preventable fall caused by an unnecessary safety risk at a public location.
If your loved one suffered this type of injury, contact us at Shapiro, Washburn, & Sharp immediately. In these cases, pursuing a personal injury claim may provide the compensation you need to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation and therapy costs.
For example, in one of our cases, two young members of a family suffered brain injuries when a commercial truck driver rear-ended their car at a red light in Virginia Beach. We gathered the necessary evidence to show negligence and obtained settlements for both victims, including a $5.5 million settlement for the girl who developed intellectual impairments.
For your convenience, we have offices in Virginia Beach, Hampton, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake.