What is an Brain Injury?

According to the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina, approximately 196,000 people live with brain injury in the the state of North Carolina.

Brain injury refers to any injury affecting the brain. Injuries can range from concussions to major brain damage resulting in death. Injuries may occur from open and closed head wounds, with closed head wounds requiring no penetration of the head or skull. Even a simple concussion can have lasting effects, changing brain matter in a way that is visible in testing months after the injury and increasing the risk of long-term complications such as dementia.

Brain injuries can occur in many different ways. Mayo Clinic lists top causes of brain injuries as falls; auto accidents; violence; and sports injuries. For many of these top causes, the injury could have been prevented if reasonable care had been exercised. For example, property owners could have stopped falls through better property maintenance; schools and coaches could have prevented sports-related brain injury through better supervision; and drivers could have prevented brain injury by driving carefully and avoiding accidents.

Brain injury can require costly medical treatment, including rehab services and ongoing medical assistance for permanent brain damage. Those whose negligence caused brain injury to occur can be held accountable for damages by brain injury victims or by families of brain injury victims.

A Charlotte, NC injury attorney can provide assistance to those who suffer injury to the brain. Contact us to talk with a lawyer about your legal rights to obtain damages when brain injury happens.