Gabrielle Giffords Recovery Inspires Others Suffering From Traumatic Brain Injuries
Gabrielle Giffords public struggle to recover from a brain injury has inspired many, including others afflicted with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) striving to put their “brain and body” back together after such an injury. As reported in an article about Gabrielle Giffords' brain injury, the congresswoman provides a well-known example of someone coping with the daily effects of a significant brain trauma. Unfortunately, Giffords is not alone in her battle to recover. In the United States alone, more than 1.5 million people suffer brain injuries each year.
TBIs can occur in a variety of manners, and are generally the result of a sudden jolt and blunt force to the head. Although they can occur as the result of a gunshot or aneurysm, they more occur much more commonly as the result of car accident or sports injury. If you believe you or a loved one has suffered a TBI as the result of another’s conduct, it is important to consult with a brain injury attorney to determine your next steps. Often, the extent of a TBI isn’t known at the time of an incident but is discovered much later. As described in the article, one car accident survivor recalled being in a car accident that “didn’t hurt the car but took me down.” She noted that she didn’t worry about her head at first, but then felt as if she “had developed the most massive case of ADD (attention deficit disorder). I could only focus on one tiny thing at a time. You have to learn in different ways.”
Another car accident victim detailed in the article suffered a massive TBI at age 19 and was sent into a coma for three and a half months. Now 40 and living in a skilled nursing facility, his condition has significantly improved to where “he can make himself understood.” However, even after extensive visits to hospitals, convalescent facilities and rehab programs, the man is not back the way he was.
Many war veterans also receive TBIs from explosions, often living with the resulting dizziness, mood changes and disorientation for a lifetime.
TBI symptoms include short-term memory loss, persistent dizziness, memory issues, disorientation, cognitive impairment and for some, the inability to function on their own.
For some people, suffering from a TBI means learning to do things over again. For others, it may be a permanent injury requiring expensive full-time care. Where a brain injury is the result of the negligence or wrongful conduct of another, the responsible party may be required to pay compensation including medical expenses and lost wages.
Seeing such a positive roll model as Giffords provides many others suffering from brain injuries inspiration to “climb back to a new normal.”
For more information or if you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, contact the dedicated Hawaii personal injury lawyers at Bostwick & Peterson, LLP, dedicated to helping those injured by the negligence of others.
