An injury to your brain – even those that are considered relatively minor – are serious injuries that can have life-altering consequences. Traumatic brain injuries are very common to traffic accidents of all kinds, to slip and fall accidents, and more. Such injuries are commonly called traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and if you have suffered one as a result of someone else’s negligence, you shouldn’t wait to consult with an experienced New Mexico personal injury attorney who has considerable experience guiding these complicated claims toward beneficial resolutions. 

Traumatic Brain Injuries

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that TBIs are injuries to the brain that interfere with its functioning. In fact, TBIs often lead to death and are a primary cause of disability throughout the nation. Consider the following statistics:

• In 2019 alone, more than 160 people lost their lives to injuries related to TBIs each day. 

• In 2018, more than 233,000 people were hospitalized for injuries related to TBIs. 

These numbers fail to reflect the many, many TBIs that are treated only in emergency rooms, are treated by primary care doctors, or that fail to be treated at all. 

How TBIs Affect the Brain

TBIs directly affect how the brain works, and they are often caused by a jolt, bump, blow, or another kind of impact to the head. TBIs are classified in three categories. 

Mild TBIs or Concussions

The most important point to make about TBIs that are classified as mild, which includes concussions, is that there is nothing mild or minor about them. The impact involved causes the victim’s brain to jostle, bounce, and/or twist in the skull, which can lead not only to chemical changes in the victim’s brain but also to stretched and damaged brain cells. These alterations to the brain itself can lead to changes in how the victim thinks, learns, feels, acts, and sleeps, which amounts to a profound injury. 

Moderate TBIs

For those who are able to survive moderate TBIs, they often face life-altering healthcare concerns that can directly affect every facet of their lives. The overall effects are often compared to living with a serious and chronic disease. 

Severe TBIs

Severe TBIs profoundly affect not only victims and their families but also society and the national economy at large. Of those who suffer moderate and severe TBIs, the prognosis is grim, including: 

• Only 26 percent show improvement over time

• 22 percent maintain their health status 

• 30 percent experience declines in their health status 

• 22 percent of the injuries prove fatal

The overall losses (or legal damages) associated with TBIs in every category can be difficult to overstate.  

You Need an Experienced New Mexico Personal Injury Attorney on Your Side

If you’ve suffered a TBI as a result of someone else’s negligence, the determined New Mexico personal injury attorneys at Salam & Associates have a wealth of experience successfully defending these challenging claims, and we’re here for you too. For more information, please don’t wait to contact or call us at (866) 640-8998 today.