Car accidents are one of the primary causes of traumatic brain injuries in Florida and elsewhere in the country. Some victims recover enough to walk, use their hands and eventually live independently, often after six to 12 months. However, a significant percentage of TBI victims have to adjust to living with the consequences for the rest of their days.
TBI can affect coordination and balance, which could prevent the person from ever returning to sports and other activities in which they participated before the injuries. Brain injuries could also cause personality and behavioral changes. In many cases, the changes also distress the family members of the TBI victims.
Common emotional and behavioral changes and their causes:
- Damage to the brain tissue in the frontal lobe of the brain, which controls behavior and emotions.
- Cognitive damage could cause or worsen emotional changes.
- Impaired concentration abilities could cause frustration when the person struggles to follow conversations.
- Changes that could cause emotional reactions include income loss, inability to return to work and provide for the family.
- Depression and frustration could result when an adult TBI victim needs personal care and supervision.
Personality and behavioral changes could include the following:
- Overwhelming emotions and mood swings
- Restlessness
- Developing dependency on others
- Irritability
- Lethargy
- Aggression
- Lack of motivation
- Inappropriate behavior in certain situations
Another unexpected change in TBI victims involves their unawareness of the changes the brain trauma caused. In some people, the particular area of the brain is damaged. In others, the damage causes the denial of the full impact of the changes.
The financial consequences that include medical and therapy expenses along with income loss could cause additional hardship. If another party’s negligence caused the car accident, there might be grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit in a Florida civil court. If successful, a monetary judgment might cover documented current and future losses and damages.
