Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, happens when an outside force disrupts normal brain function. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development defines TBI as an injury from a blow, jolt, or penetrating object, and lists falls, car accidents, sports impacts, and objects piercing the skull as common causes. A mild TBI is often called a concussion. Severe TBI can cause long periods of unconsciousness, memory loss, and permanent changes in thinking, movement, and behavior.

Symptoms can include headache, confusion, dizziness, trouble concentrating, sleep changes, mood swings, and sensitivity to light or noise. Some symptoms appear days later, so anyone with a head injury should get checked, and repeated injuries can add up.

TBI is one of the most serious injuries in personal injury law because the costs can last a lifetime: medical care, rehabilitation, lost earning ability, and help with daily living. Cases arise from car crashes, falls caused by unsafe property, defective products, and sports. Furniture that tips over onto children is one example of a product hazard that can cause head injuries, which is why tip-over recalls matter.

Proving a TBI claim often requires imaging, neurological and neuropsychological testing, and records showing how life changed after the injury. Mild TBI can be missed on scans, so symptom records from soon after the event are important. See our page on the Walmart dresser tip-over recall, and the guides on suing a company and recalls versus lawsuits.