There are two types of brain injuries. Traumatic brain injury occurs when some form of physical trauma injures the brain. This type of injury can include open and closed head injuries. Acquired brain injuries are not caused by some external force. Either type of brain injury can cause symptoms which can affect the rest of the person's life. At Pomerantz, Perlberger & Lewis, LLP of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania we know the emotional devastation as well as the legal aspects of brain injuries.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury is caused by some type of sudden and violent blow to the brain. This can happen either by the person hitting their head on something, or by something hitting and/or penetrating the person's head and entering the tissue of the brain. Symptoms of traumatic brain injury are generally classified as mild, moderate or severe depending on the extent of damage to the brain and impairment of the person's normal abilities, and are not necessarily related to whether the injury was closed or open. Some causes of traumatic brain injury include:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Construction accidents
• Slip and fall accidents
• Nursing home injuries
• Defective or unsafe products

A traumatic brain injury is probably the most severe of all forms of personal injury and can irrevocably change your life. In one moment, all your plans, hopes, and dreams can be forever altered.

Acquired Brain Injury

Acquired brain injury impairs normal brain function due to neurological damage. It is possible for someone to suffer an acquired brain injury without suffering external bruising or a loss of consciousness. Some causes of acquired brain injury may include:

• Loss of oxygen
• Intracranial tumor
• Neurological disease

Symptoms of a Brain Injury

The brain is a complex organ, and injuries to it are equally complex. Symptoms of traumatic and acquired brain injuries can vary from one person to another depending on their injury. There are four major groups of brain injury symptoms which include physical, emotional/behavioral, perceptual and cognitive. Each of these groups have their own set of symptoms.

Physical symptoms often include:

• Constant headaches
• Mental and physical exhaustion
• Unstable movements that may include shaking, an odd gait or spasms
• Sensitivity to light
• Motor control problems
• Sleep problems
• Lack of control in the tongue, lip and jaw muscles
• Partial paralysis

Emotional and behavioral symptoms may include irritability, impatience, heightened stress levels, apathy, lack of inhibition and extreme emotional responses. Perceptual symptoms often include changes in vision, hearing and sense of touch, as well as disruption of taste and smell senses, disorientation, lack of balance and a lower pain tolerance.

Cognitive symptoms include, but are not limited to:

• Lack of ability to process information
• Shorter attention span
• Inability to make decisions
• Impairment or loss of memory in the short or long term
• Difficulty with language comprehension

Every brain injury is unique to its own manifestations and to the person who has suffered from it. Much of the process of healing and moving forward depends on proper diagnosis and treatment at the onset of the injury. The outcome and quality of life for the victim and the families depends greatly on the severity and the injured person's capacity to adjust to and function in spite of their injuries.

If someone you love has suffered from any type of brain injury, you may feel confused, hopeless and frustrated. This is perfectly normal and there is help available to brain injury victims and their families. To learn more about dealing with brain injuries and to find a skilled and caring brain injury law firm who will take care of the business side of your traumatic experience, please contact brain injury claims attorneys at the offices of Pomerantz, Perlberger & Lewis in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania today.