Car accidents are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), as well as related hospitalizations and deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Approximately 1.7 million new cases of TBI are diagnosed in the United States each year.
TBI victims often face life-altering permanent impairments that may necessitate lifelong treatment and assistive care. Read on to learn how a TBI can affect various parts of the brain, and how to seek compensation for a TBI sustained in a California car accident caused by another person or entity's negligence.
Damage to Frontal Lobes After a Car Accident
Located just under the forehead, the brain's frontal lobes make it possible for people to understand their environment and what they're doing in it, including initiating activities in response to stimuli, making judgments, and governing emotional response and expressive language. This part of the brain also assigns meaning to word and language choices and controls memory for habit and motor activities.
TBI victims with frontal lobe damage may experience loss of movement, trouble solving problems, inability to plan or complete complex sequences of events, mood and personality changes, and loss of spontaneity or flexible thinking.
Damage to Parietal Lobes After a Car Accident
The brain's parietal lobes control functions such as locations for visual attention and touch perceptions, manipulation of objects, goal-directed voluntary movements, and integration of senses that allow for the comprehension of concepts. The parietal lobes are located near the back and top of the head. Trauma to this part of the brain may cause issues with hand and eye coordination, inability to name objects or write the correct words, lack of awareness of body parts and surrounding space, difficulty with math and reading, and trouble distinguishing left from right.
Damage to Occipital Lobes After a Car Accident
Positioned at the back of the head, the brain's occipital lobes control vision. After sustaining a TBI to this portion of the brain, victims may have visual defects, including trouble locating objects, identifying colors, recognizing words or drawn objects, or reading and writing. Damage to the occipital lobes can also trigger visual hallucinations
Damage to Temporal Lobes After a Car Accident
The temporal lobes are located on the sides of the head, just above the ears. This part of the brain governs functions such as hearing, the creation of new memories, certain visual perceptions, and the categorization of objects. When the temporal lobes are damaged as the result of a TBI, the accident victim may have trouble recognizing faces, understanding spoken words, and identifying, verbalizing, or categorizing objects. Victims of a temporal lobe TBI may also experience increased aggression, short-term memory loss, long-term memory interference, and an increase or decrease in libido.
Damage to Brain Stem and Cerebellum After a Car Accident
Though not technically lobes, TBI damage to these portions of the brain can also have serious consequences. Located at the base of the brain, leading into the spinal cord, the brain stem governs breathing, heart rate, and swallowing reflexes, as well as sweating, blood pressure, digestion, temperature regulation, alertness, sense of balance and ability to fall asleep. Brain stem trauma can negatively affect all of these functions.
The cerebellum, which is located at the base of the skull behind the brain stem, controls voluntary movement, balance and equilibrium, and some reflex memory. When the cerebellum sustains serious damage, victims may lose the ability to coordinate fine movements, walk, or reach out and grab objects. They may also experience tremors, dizziness, slurred speech, and slowed movements.
Consult a Skilled California Attorney About Your Car Accident Case
Victims who've sustained a TBI in a car accident, a fall injury or a medical negligence claim, that wasn't their fault may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, loss of earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish, scarring or disfigurement, disability, reduced quality of life, loss of enjoyment of life, and other damages. The knowledgeable personal injury attorneys with the Inland Empire Law Group can help you understand your rights, weigh your legal options, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today at (888) 694-3529 or (909) 481-0100 to schedule an appointment for a free initial case consultation. You are also invited to submit information about your claim on our convenient forms or the pop-up form on this website and we will promptly respond to your inquiries. We want to answer your questions and assist you with your injury claim.
|
Related Links: |
