Traumatic Brain Injuries

When a person suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the consequences are often devastating. TBIs can affect every aspect of life, from a person’s behavior and judgment to their personality and even their fine motor skills.

It’s common for people with TBIs to struggle with tasks that were once routine, including performing their jobs, driving a vehicle, and even living independently. Because of this, the costs associated with a TBI can be enormous for a family, especially when the injury causes them to lose the paychecks they need.

At Lewis & Keller Injury Lawyers, our Greensboro catastrophic injury lawyers understand how impactful and life-changing TBIs are both for victims and their loved ones. We work hard to help those people and their families get the compensation they need to move forward with their lives. If you or a loved one suffered a TBI, contact us today for a free consultation.

What Are the Primary Types of TBIs?

TBIs can range from mild concussions that produce little to no lasting changes to severe trauma that results in life-altering brain damage. The type and severity of a TBI often depend on the force of the impact and the part of the brain affected.

Some of the most common types of TBIs include:

• Concussions: Concussions are often caused by sudden blows or jolts to the head. They’re usually considered mild TBIs, but they can still lead to serious complications, especially if they’re left untreated. It’s important to never disregard or underestimate a concussion, especially if you’ve had more than one in a short period of time.
• Contusions: These are bruises on the brain caused by direct trauma to the head. Severe contusions can require surgery to relieve mounting pressure on the brain.
• Diffuse Axonal Injuries: These injuries occur when the brain rapidly shifts or moves inside the skull, which can cause the tearing of nerve fibers. These are among the most severe forms of TBI and can result in long-term disability or even coma.
• Penetrating Brain Injuries: These are injuries that occur when an object pierces the skull and enters the brain tissue. The damage caused by penetrating brain injuries can be catastrophic and is often fatal.
• Anoxic Brain Injuries: These injuries happen when the brain is deprived of oxygen after events like near-drownings, medical emergencies, or severe accidents.

Even a seemingly mild TBI can have lasting and often permanent consequences. That’s why it’s important to seek immediate medical attention as soon as possible to diagnose your injury and begin receiving treatment that can help reduce the risk of further complications.

What Are the Warning Signs and Symptoms of a TBI?

TBIs can affect victims in many different ways. Some symptoms appear immediately after an accident, while others may take days or even weeks to develop.

Because brain injuries are often hard to detect without a full medical evaluation, it’s important to recognize the warning signs and seek immediate treatment after suffering any type of head trauma.

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms are often the first signs that a person has suffered a TBI.

These may include:

• Persistent headaches
• Dizziness or balance issues
• Nausea or vomiting
• Blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Fatigue or drowsiness
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Slurred speech
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizures in severe cases

Even symptoms that seem minor at first can indicate a serious underlying brain injury.

Cognitive Symptoms

TBIs can affect how a person thinks, remembers, and processes information.

Some of the most common cognitive TBI symptoms can include:

• Memory loss
• Confusion or disorientation
• Difficulty concentrating
• Slowed thinking
• Trouble speaking or understanding conversations
• Difficulty making decisions
• Problems with organization or multitasking

These symptoms can interfere with work, school, and daily responsibilities, especially when severe or if they’re left untreated.

Behavioral and Emotional Symptoms

A TBI can also cause emotional and behavioral changes that impact relationships and quality of life. Family members are often the first to notice these emotional and behavioral shifts after an accident.

TBI victims often experience behavioral and emotional symptoms that include:

• Mood swings
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Irritability
• Increased anger or aggression
• Personality changes
• Impulsive behavior
• Sleep disturbances

While these may not be as immediately impactful as the physical and cognitive symptoms of a TBI, they can be devastating for victims’ relationships with loved ones, coworkers, friends, and others in their lives.

What Should I Do After Suffering a TBI?

The steps you take after a TBI can affect both your health and your ability to pursue compensation later. Even if your symptoms seem minor at first, brain injuries can worsen over time without proper treatment.

If you believe you may have suffered a TBI after an accident in Greensboro, you should:

• Seek immediate medical attention.
• Follow all of your doctor’s treatment recommendations.
• Avoid returning to work or physical activity too soon.
• Document your symptoms and recovery process.
• Keep copies of medical records and bills.
• Avoid speaking with insurance adjusters before consulting a lawyer.
• Contact an experienced TBI attorney.

Get an Accident Report

In addition to taking the steps above, it’s also important to obtain an accident report, especially if you suffered a TBI during an auto accident. The accident or incident report can help document what happened, identify involved parties, and preserve any evidence that may support your injury claim.

Depending on where your accident occurred, your incident report may come from:

• The Greensboro Police Department for accidents within city limits
• The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office for accidents in unincorporated areas of Guilford County
• The North Carolina State Highway Patrol for crashes on major highways and interstates

Where Can I Get Treatment for a TBI in Greensboro?

Prompt diagnosis and specialized care are critical after a TBI. Greensboro offers several hospitals and rehabilitation centers that may provide emergency treatment, neurological care, rehabilitation, and long-term recovery support for TBI victims.

• Cone Health Moses Cone Hospital: This hospital is one of Greensboro’s primary medical centers and provides emergency care, imaging, neurological evaluations, and trauma services for accident victims suffering head injuries.
• Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist: This facility offers access to physicians, specialists, neurological care, and rehabilitation resources that may assist TBI patients during both initial treatment and long-term recovery.
• Kindred Hospital Greensboro: Kindred Hospital Greensboro provides long-term acute care and rehabilitation services for patients recovering from serious injuries and medical conditions, including complex neurological and brain injuries.

What TBI Support Groups Are Available in Greensboro?

Recovering from a TBI often requires more than just medical treatment alone. Support groups and community programs can help victims and families cope with the emotional, cognitive, and practical challenges that follow a serious brain injury.

• Abound Health – Greensboro – Day Program: This Greensboro-area program provides support services and structured programs for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including those affected by TBIs.
• Cone Health Stroke and Brain Injury Support Group: Cone Health offers support resources for stroke and TBI survivors and their families through emotional support, education, recovery guidance, and opportunities to connect with others facing similar challenges.

How Do TBIs Impact Victims and Their Families?

A TBI can affect nearly every aspect of a person’s life. While some victims recover fully, others face permanent physical, emotional, and financial challenges.

TBI victims often struggle with chronic pain, memory problems, impaired communication, and difficulty returning to work or daily routines. Many require intensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, therapy, and long-term care. In severe cases, victims may lose their independence entirely.

Families are also deeply impacted by TBIs. Loved ones frequently become caregivers, helping with medical appointments, daily tasks, and emotional support. The financial burden of ongoing treatment and lost income can place tremendous stress on the entire household.

In addition to the physical and financial effects, TBIs can change victims’ relationships, emotional well-being, and quality of life. Victims and families may experience frustration, anxiety, depression, and uncertainty about the future.

At Lewis & Keller Injury Lawyers, we understand the devastating impact a TBI can have on Greensboro families. Our legal team helps clients pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, future care needs, pain and suffering, and other damages related to their injuries.

What Are Common Causes of TBIs?

TBIs can happen in many different types of accidents, especially those involving sudden impacts or violent forces to the head.

Some of the most common causes of TBIs include:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Slip and fall accidents
• Workplace accidents
• Construction site accidents
• Sports and recreational injuries
• Violence

When a TBI is caused by someone else’s careless or wrongful actions, victims may have the right to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim.

What Are the Long-Term Impacts of a TBI?

Some TBIs heal with time and treatment, while others result in permanent complications that affect victims for the rest of their lives. Even a seemingly mild concussion can lead to ongoing symptoms and lasting medical concerns.

Long-term effects of a TBI may include:

• Chronic headaches or migraines
• Memory and concentration problems
• Permanent cognitive impairment
• Speech and communication difficulties
• Reduced motor skills or coordination
• Emotional instability
• Depression and anxiety disorders
• Increased risk of neurological conditions
• Inability to return to work

Severe TBIs often require lifelong medical care, rehabilitation, occupational therapy, or assisted living support. Many victims also face serious financial difficulties because they can’t earn the same income they did before the accident.

The emotional toll of a TBI can also be devastating. Relationships with spouses, children, and loved ones often change dramatically after a TBI, especially when victims struggle with personality changes or lost independence.

Because the full impact of a TBI is not always immediately clear, it’s important for victims to work with medical professionals and experienced attorneys who understand how to evaluate future damages and long-term care needs.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a TBI?

Determining liability for a TBI depends on how the accident occurred and who was responsible for causing it. In many cases, TBIs happen because another person or company acted negligently or failed to maintain safe conditions.

Potentially liable parties may include:

• Negligent drivers in car, truck, or motorcycle accidents
• Property owners who failed to address dangerous conditions
• Employers or contractors on unsafe construction sites
• Manufacturers of defective products or safety equipment
• Businesses that failed to provide adequate security
• Medical providers in certain malpractice situations

Establishing liability in a TBI case often requires a detailed investigation, medical evidence, accident reconstruction, and expert testimony. Insurance companies are known to minimize brain injury claims and even argue that a claimant’s symptoms are unrelated to their accident.

At Lewis & Keller Injury Lawyers, we work hard to identify every liable party and build strong claims supported by medical records, expert evaluations, and evidence from the accident scene.

What Compensation Can I Receive for a TBI?

A TBI can create overwhelming costs related to its financial, physical, and emotional tolls. If another party caused your injury, you may be entitled to compensation for both your current and future losses.

Damages in a TBI claim may include:

• Medical expenses
• Future medical treatment and rehabilitation
• Lost wages
• Loss of future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Long-term care costs
• Home modifications or disability accommodations

Because TBIs often require extensive ongoing treatment, it’s important that you fully understand the long-term value of your claim before accepting any settlement offer. In personal injury cases, settlements are “one-and-done,” which means you can’t pursue more compensation later.

How Does Compensation Work in North Carolina?

North Carolina follows a strict contributory negligence rule. This means that if an injured person is found even partially responsible for the accident or injury they suffered, they may be barred from recovering compensation altogether. Insurance companies often use this rule aggressively to deny valid claims.

For that reason, having an experienced Greensboro TBI lawyer can make a major difference in the outcome of your case. An attorney at Lewis & Keller Injury Lawyers can help protect your rights, gather evidence, counter insurance company tactics, and fight for the full compensation you deserve.

TBI Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Know if I Have a TBI?

The symptoms of a TBI are not always obvious, especially in the minutes, hours, and even the first few days after one occurs. Headaches, dizziness, confusion, memory issues, mood changes, and sensitivity to light or noise can all be signs of a TBI. Seeking medical attention after any significant head injury is important, even if symptoms initially seem mild.

Can I Recover Compensation for a Concussion?

Yes. Concussions are considered TBIs and can lead to serious physical, emotional, and cognitive complications. If another party’s negligence caused your concussion, you may have the right to pursue compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.

How Long Do TBI Symptoms Last?

Recovery times from TBIs vary depending on the severity of the injuries. Some people recover within weeks, while others experience symptoms for months or years. Severe TBIs may cause permanent impairments that require lifelong care.

What if Symptoms Appear Days After the Accident?

Delayed symptoms are common with TBIs. It’s not unusual for victims to notice headaches, memory problems, or emotional changes days after an accident. Get a medical evaluation as soon as symptoms develop and document all changes in your condition.

Why Should I Hire a Lawyer for a TBI Case?

TBI claims are often complex and heavily disputed by insurance companies. An attorney can help gather medical evidence, prove liability, calculate future damages, and protect you from tactics designed to reduce or deny your claim, especially under North Carolina’s contributory negligence laws.

Contact Our Greensboro TBI Lawyers Today

There’s so much at stake after a TBI for both the person who suffered it and their loved ones. Medical expenses can be overwhelming, as can the prospect of never being able to return to work in the same capacity as before the injury.

The stress you’re feeling during this time can’t be overstated, but you don’t have to experience it alone. The catastrophic injury lawyers at Lewis & Keller have the experience and confident approach that can provide you with well-deserved peace of mind. Contact our Greensboro TBI lawyers today for a free consultation.