Traumatic Brain Injuries Alter How Children Interact with Parents

A young child wearing a blue hospital gown, sleeping in a hospital bed with a nurse in red scrubs and a woman wearing a teal sweater, standing in the background, near the hospital bed having a conversation.

Traumatic Brain Injuries Alter How Children Interact With Parents

Two percent of children under the age of five have suffered from a concussion. That’s 1 out of 50 who have experienced a traumatic brain injury as a result of a slip and fall, car wreck, or other injury. Aside from affecting the child’s ability to perform everyday functions and learn, traumatic brain injuries also alter how the child interacts with his or her parents. We’ve discussed what traumatic brain injuries are in the past; today we want to focus on how these personal injuries can affect your child’s relationship and interactions with you and your family.

Emotional and Behavioral Changes

A child’s behavior and emotions can change considerably after a concussion. Below are some examples we’ve seen in our years representing Georgia children with brain injuries:

  • A child can act out when he becomes frustrated because they cannot remember things as well as they did before;
  • The child’s attention span can be limited, so they can have difficulties focusing in general or on certain tasks;
  • Loss of self-awareness can occur: A child cannot or does not realize they cannot do some things they were once able to do before an injury. For example, they may have lost their “filter,” so they speak without thinking, which hurts you or their siblings as a result;
  • A child suffering from a traumatic brain injury can be diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after a car accident. They may now have panic attacks or become triggered by certain situations they were once comfortable in; and
  • Depression and anxiety are common in children with brain injuries. These disorders can manifest themselves through aggression, isolation, or increased irritability.

Effects on Family

While the behavioral changes of the injured child have the most impact on family dynamics, there are other factors and considerations as well. External stressors, such as medical bills and therapy, cause parents to become increasingly irritable or frustrated. If a child’s brain injury is severe and requires constant attention, then siblings may feel left out or unloved. If the parents or siblings were involved in the same accident as the injured child but were not injured themselves, they could suffer from survivor’s guilt.

It’s important to note that regardless of any effects this injury has on your family, you are not at fault for these changes; someone else caused this to happen to your child. All of these effects and changes are normal, and there is no shame in having any of these thoughts or feelings.

Treatment Options

A traumatic brain injury, whether mild or severe, takes an extreme toll on a family. The injured child, parents, and family members suffer differently due to the increased stress or needs placed on them. Should your child exhibit behavioral changes lasting longer than a few weeks, consider professional counseling. Family therapy may also be beneficial to minimize the effects of the brain injury on your loved ones.

Contact Us

We hope you never have to deal with the emotional stress of having a brain injured child. However, if you or a loved one needs assistance, our experienced Georgia personal injury attorneys are here to help. To schedule your free consultation at our Kennesaw office, please call Joel Williams at  833-LEGALGA.  If you are unable to come to us, we can come to you.

Understanding Traumatic Spinal Injury

A male doctor wearing a white coat, red tie and stethoscope holding a model of the human spine and pointing to it with a ballpoint pen explaining something to the male patient on his left.

Traumatic spinal cord injuries are among the most serious a person can sustain. In the U.S., roughly 12,000 new traumatic spinal cord injuries are diagnosed every year, not including those from people who die on the scene of the accident.

What Is A Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury?

Injuries to the spinal cord take place when there is damage to the ligaments, vertebrae, or disks of the spinal column or on the spinal cord. While nontraumatic spinal cord injuries can be caused by arthritis, cancer, or infection, traumatic spinal cord injuries are brought on by a sudden, a forceful blow to the spine, consequently fracturing, crushing, dislocating, or compressing the vertebrae.

Traumatic spinal cord injuries may either be complete or incomplete, leading to full or partial paralysis and loss of both motor and sensory functions. Motor vehicle accidents are the most common cause of traumatic spinal cord injury, accounting for over 35 percent of new cases. Other causes of traumatic spinal injury include:

  • Slip and fall accidents – Roughly 25 percent of new cases are from slip and falls. Typically spinal cord injuries from fall accidents are most common among people over the age of 62.
  • Violence – Traumatic spinal cord injuries may also be sustained from certain acts of violence including gunshot and knife wounds. These make up almost 15 percent of new cases according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center.
  • Sport/Recreation Accidents – People may sustain an injury during athletic activities, including impact sports and diving. They account for roughly 9 percent of cases.

Alcohol also factors into spinal cord injuries and roughly 1 in 4 new spinal cord injury cases involve alcohol in some way.

Symptoms Of Traumatic Spinal Injury

Spinal cord injuries may manifest immediately or develop within a few hours of the accident. Since reducing the severity of spinal cord injuries is heavily dependent on getting treatment early, anyone who receives head or neck trauma should see a doctor as soon as possible for evaluation.

Signs and symptoms of traumatic spinal injury include, but are are not limited to:

  • Loss of motor and sensory functions
  • Loss of bladder control
  • Extreme pain/pressure in the back, neck, or head
  • Issues with coordination or paralysis of any body part
  • Numbness, tingling, or loss of sensation in extremities
  • Difficulty breathing after an injury
  • Having the neck or back in an oddly twisted position

Treatment Options

Unfortunately, there is no medical treatment that will completely heal or reverse a traumatic spinal cord injury. When stabilizing the injury, medical professionals may turn to surgery, medications, and immobilization. Afterwards, most treatment plans are based on relieving pain and helping victims adjust to their new limitations.

Filing A Lawsuit?

Traumatic spinal cord injuries mean adjusting to limitations for victims and their families. Medical treatment and lifestyle changes are extremely expensive and the mental health issues can be even more taxing. If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury in Cobb County, Georgia, Williams Elleby Howard & Easter  is here to help. Our legal team has years of experience helping victims recover damages for their injuries.  Let us do the same for you.

Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries

understanding traumatic brain injuries

Every year in the U.S., traumatic brain injury (TBI) contributes to significant numbers of deaths and permanent disabilities. Approximately 1.7 million new cases of TBI are sustained annually.  Many are caused by falls and car accidents. Regardless of how the injury happened, the road to recovery is extremely difficult.  Damages may include major medical expenses, loss of income, emotional difficulties, and more.
If you or a loved one has sustained a traumatic brain injury because of the negligence of another person, speak to a Georgia traumatic brain injury attorney like Attorney Joel Williams. They can help you understand how to best claim damages for the injury.

What Is Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries are typically the result of a violent blow or other sudden trauma to the head or body. They may also be caused by an object penetrating the skull. While mild traumatic brain injury may lead to only to temporary dysfunction of the brain cells, more severe instances could lead to torn tissues, bruising, bleeding, or physical damage to the brain.  Severe brain injuries can lead to long-term complications or death.

Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury

A majority of traumatic brain injuries are caused by falls, motor vehicle collisions, or violence, such as gunshot wounds and domestic violence. While symptoms of a traumatic brain injury often appear immediately after the trauma, it may take days or even weeks for any signs to manifest themselves. Signs of traumatic brain injury may be physical, sensory, or cognitive and include:

  • Loss of consciousness or being disoriented, confused, or dazed;
  • Problems sleeping or sleeping more than normal;
  • Headache;
  • Nausea or vomiting;
  • Dizziness or difficulty balancing;
  • Sensitivity to sound or light;
  • Sensory problems, including blurred vision, ears ringing, a bad taste in the mouth;
  • Sudden mood changes or mood swings;
  • Problems with memory or concentration; and
  • Depression or anxiousness.

If you or a loved one demonstrates any of these symptoms after a violent blow or trauma to the head, it is extremely important to seek medical attention.

Treatment Plans And Living With Traumatic Brain Injury

Treatment of traumatic brain injury depends on the severity of the injury. Mild cases of TBI should be monitored closely, but will typically heal on their own with rest and over-the-counter medication. Moderate and severe cases of TBI require immediate emergency medical attention. Treatment may involve surgery, medications, and extensive rehabilitation.
Recovery from more serious traumatic injuries includes individual treatment programs that will likely consist of physical and occupational therapy, physiatry (physical medicine), speech/language therapy, psychiatry, and social support. In many cases, the injured victim never fully heals.  This is devastating for the victim and the family.

Need Legal Help?

If you or a loved one sustains a traumatic brain injury in a car accident, there is help available. The path to recovery is full of struggles and it’s one you should not have to make alone. Call Williams Elleby Howard & Easter to enlist the help of an attorney who will fight for justice on your behalf. We handle cases in Atlanta, Marietta, Cobb County, and all of Georgia. Contact us today to talk about the specifics of your case and get the compensation you deserve.