Both acquired brain injury claims and traumatic brain injury claims are commonly dealt with by personal injury lawyers. While these two types of injuries are closely related, there are key differences between them. Depending on whether an injured person has suffered from an acquired brain injury vs. traumatic brain injury, their claim and lawsuit can differ substantially.
When someone has been injured in a car accident, slip and fall, or other traumatic event, it is important for them to understand the difference between an acquired brain injury and a traumatic brain injury.
What Are Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI)?
An acquired brain injury (ABI) is a change or alteration in brain function that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative nor induced by birth trauma. This means that ABIs do not include brain injuries caused by genetics or degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease.
With an acquired brain injury, there is a range of possible causes. These can include physical trauma, including blunt force, but they can also include strokes, illnesses, infections, hypoxia, exposure to chemicals, and substance abuse. Each of these external factors can cause an injury to the brain.
Acquired brain injuries cause a change in the functioning of the brain rather than a loss of intelligence. An acquired brain injury can be mild, moderate, or severe, but it should always be considered a serious medical concern. It can affect anyone regardless of sex, gender, ethnicity, religion, or age.
What Constitutes a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is actually a type of ABI. With a traumatic brain injury, an external force or blunt trauma is the cause of the brain injury. These external forces can occur in car accidents, fights, slip and falls, an object (like a blade or bullet) entering the brain, or any situation in which a person’s head hits against another object or accelerates/decelerates quickly.
Traumatic brain injuries are the type of head injury that typically occurs in any accident, although it is possible to suffer another type of ABI in an accident (for instance, someone may suffer a stroke after being in an accident).
Signs of traumatic brain injuries include memory loss, decreased consciousness, neurological deficits, brain lesions, and alterations in mental state. To determine if someone has suffered a TBI, medical professionals will look for these signs and may also perform tests, including MRIs or neurological exams.
The Impact of ABI and TBI to the Brain
Brain injuries are serious medical concerns and can have a devastating impact on an individual’s life. For people under the age of 45, TBIs are the most common cause of death. TBIs occur in vehicular accidents, slip and falls, violent acts, sports (such as hockey and football), and other incidents during which people receive blows to the head.
There are very few treatment options available for TBIs, which can make them a particularly debilitating injury. Brain injuries often result in a permanent alteration in brain function. Memory loss, mood swings, fatigue, slowed thinking, and cognitive deficits can all result from a brain injury, causing people to suffer in their careers, relationships, and even with day-to-day functioning.
Consult a Brain Injury Lawyer in Toronto for Brain Injury Claims
When someone has suffered a brain injury due to someone else’s negligence, it is important to seek the help of a brain injury lawyer in Toronto. A personal injury lawyer with experience dealing with brain injuries can be crucial in the patient overcoming the injury and resuming a more normal level of life.
A brain injury lawyer can help secure compensation for medical treatment, loss of income, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other costs that can be incurred following an injury. A personal injury lawyer represents an injured party and helps them receive the compensation they are entitled to and need to recover from their injury.
Choosing a personal injury lawyer? Taverniti | Vashishth LLP handles personal injury claims ranging from dog bites, car and road accidents, slips and falls, and catastrophic claims. We are equipped to handle the most complex legal and insurance issues arising from your accident. To arrange a free consultation with one of our lawyers, call (905)-264-8686.