NEED A BRAIN INJURY LAWYER?

When you need a brain injury lawyer, turn to De Rose. Firstly, an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is damage to the brain that occurs after birth from a traumatic or non-traumatic event. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is damage to the brain caused by a traumatic event such as a blow to the head, a fall, or a motor vehicle or sports collision.

A concussion is a brain injury which can be caused by a sudden acceleration of the head and neck resulting from a blow or contact to the body. You do not need to lose consciousness to have sustained a concussion. Concussions can occur from many different activities. These include falls, assault, motor vehicle collisions, sports or being struck by an object. Symptoms can appear immediately or, in some cases, days following the initial injury.

According to Brain Injury Canada, 160,000 Canadians suffer from a brain injury annually. Ultimately, the brain is responsible for coordinating the rest of your body, so any damage to it can have catastrophic and life changing consequences.

According to the Ontario Brain Injury Association, these are some but not all of the symptoms you might experience:

Physical:

– Balance and coordination problems
– Difficulty or inability to walk
– Hemiparalysis
– Weakness or difficulty moving arms and legs
– Abnormal muscle tone
– Changes in sensation (i.e. areas of numbness & tingling or areas that are overly sensitive
– Vision problems
– Decreased energy and endurance
– Problems with fatigue
– Difficulty sleeping (i.e. sleep very little, getting days & nights mixed up, etc.)
– Changes in hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting
– Light and sound sensitivity
– Ringing in ears
– Dizziness
– Changes in appetite, either hunger or lack of hunger
– Swallowing problems
– Chronic pain, including headaches
– Increased sensitivity to caffeine, alcohol and other drugs
– Possible seizure activity

Communication:

– Difficulty speaking (forming words)
– Difficulty understanding words/conversation
– Problems reading and understanding what was read
– Inability to write
– Unable to stay on topic
– Problems thinking of the right words

Cognitive (Thinking):

– Disorientation to time, place or person
– Poor concentration, easy distraction, and an inability to stay on topic
– Memory problems
– Slowed thinking and slow responses
– Difficulty with reasoning, reaching logical conclusions, and judgement
– Mind getting stuck on one issue
– Difficulty keeping track of two or more things at once, or following a sequence
– Problems planning, organizing, problem solving, making decisions and initiating tasks
– Requiring direction and structure to accomplish tasks
– Problems with pacing activities
– Acting on impulse
– Difficulty dealing with change
– Lack of awareness, insight into problems, and/or a lack of acceptance
– Lack of flexibility in thinking (i.e. rigid thinking)

Emotional:

– Easy irritability or frustration
– Greater sensitivity to stress
– Depression
– Lack of facial expression
– Emotional outbursts
– Emotional lability i.e. crying for no apparent reason
– Poor coping skills
– Withdrawal from friends and family
– Feelings of grief and loss

Behaviour and Social Skills:

– Hard to ‘keep up’ in social situations
– Inappropriateness, either emotionally, behaviourally, or sexually
– Self-centred or childish behaviour
– Personality changes
– Changes and difficulties with relationships, especially family members
– Greater impulsiveness
– Compulsive talking

Functional Changes:

A decrease or inability to do the following:

– Self-care tasks
– Household management tasks
– Driving a car
– Working or returning to work
– Being involved in previous social and/or hobby activities