How Long Does It Take To Recover From a Traumatic Brain Injury?
It can take as little as a few weeks to as long as a few months to recover from a traumatic brain injury, and some people never fully recover. Your age, current health status, whether you lost consciousness, and the severity of your injury can influence the length of your recovery. Our lawyers with Cordisco & Saile LLC can help you seek damages for medical expenses and more after your TBI.
A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, can occur in an instant but change your life forever. You might recover from a fall from a ladder at work or a car accident in just a few weeks or land in rehab for months. How long it takes to recover from a traumatic brain injury varies from person to person based on many factors, including your age, the severity of the injury, your current health, and whether and how long you lost consciousness.
Many people with TBIs face extensive and expensive medical treatments and may be unable to work. If you sustained a TBI because of another party’s negligence, you may be able to recover financial compensation for your losses. Our lawyers at Cordisco & Saile LLC can help you seek justice.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury is an injury to the brain that typically results from a violent blow or oxygen deprivation, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Traumatic brain injuries can be closed, such as when the injury results from the head striking an object, or open, such as when the injury results from a gunshot wound. Afterward, the brain may swell, bleed, or undergo chemical changes to compensate for the injury.
Falls and car accidents are the main cause of traumatic brain injuries, but sports injuries, domestic violence, and shaken baby syndrome can also cause TBIs, as can oxygen deprivation from a stroke, seizure, choking, or near-drowning. Traumatic brain injuries can be mild, moderate, or severe
Can You Fully Recover from a Traumatic Brain Injury?
You can fully recover from a traumatic brain injury, but not everyone does. A 2021 study found that many factors, including the severity of your injury, gender, access to health care, treatment, age, and medical history, influence your recovery time and the degree to which you recover. Some people will rapidly recover from a TBI, and others will progress slowly, but some will face long-term impairment.
Can the Brain Heal Itself?
The brain can heal itself, although the process can be slow. Broadly speaking, damaged or destroyed brain cells cannot regenerate, meaning you cannot grow new brain cells. However, your brain may be able to compensate for an injury—certain parts of the brain can take over for areas damaged by the TBI, or the brain may reroute around the damaged area.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Expectations
Many people with a mild TBI recover within a few weeks, and most recover within three months. Some people with mild TBIs experience minimal symptoms and may not even realize they have sustained an injury. People with a mild TBI should refrain from participating in sports and may need to take a few weeks off from work or school.
Some people with a mild TBI will experience symptoms one year after the injury. Adults with a mild TBI are more likely to experience persistent symptoms if they have a history of TBIs, other health conditions, or mental health conditions.
Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Time
Moderate to severe TBI recovery times are typically longer and require more severe medical interventions. Some patients will continue to improve in the months and even years after a TBI, while others experience permanent disabilities. People with moderate to severe TBIs may need acute treatments like brain surgery, anti-seizure drugs, and coma-inducing medications. Some may need long-term treatments such as physical, speech, occupational, and recreational therapies, psychotherapy, behavioral management, and vocational counseling.
Loss of consciousness at the time of the TBI can predict patient outcomes. A 2021 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Neurology found more than half of patients with a moderate to severe TBI lost consciousness after the injury.
Of these patients, 12 percent had a persistent loss of consciousness when admitted to rehab. Only 40 percent of patients with persistent loss of consciousness regained semi- or fully functional independence, whereas 80 percent of patients without persistent loss of consciousness regained fully functional independence.
Potential Long-Term Effects of TBIs
Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that the long-term effects of a TBI include problems with the following:
- Cognition, such as confusion, memory problems, and short attention span
- Mobility, such as weakness, paralysis, balance problems, and poor coordination
- Communication, such as difficulty with speech, understanding, reading, and writing
- Perception, such as changes in sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch
- Function, such as difficulty bathing, dressing, and eating
- Social challenges, such as struggling to make and keep friends or interact with others
- Personality changes, such as irritability, anxiety, or depression
- Bodily regulation disturbances, such as headache, fatigue, and changes in eating and sleeping patterns
- Traumatic epilepsy, which is a seizure disorder brought on by a head injury
Why Hire an Experienced Brain Injury Lawyer?
Traumatic brain injury cases are complex, and the impact of a TBI on your life can be long-lasting. You need a comprehensive estimate of your financial losses to seek fair compensation from the party who caused your TBI and their insurance provider. Otherwise, you may accept an inadequate settlement that fails to secure your financial future.
An experienced brain injury lawyer in Pennsylvania can help you understand the total value of your losses, including past expenses and those you will face in the future.
At Cordisco & Saile LLC, our lawyers tirelessly advocate for our clients. While we can never promise future results, we can promise to commit ourselves to your case and fight for your best interests. Our case results and our many positive client testimonials speak to our dedication to our clients
We have recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdict awards for our clients with brain injuries. Here are a few examples of cases we successfully resolved:
- $10,000,000 for brain and spinal injuries our client sustained in a Philadelphia truck accident
- $2,900,000 for brain injuries suffered in a Bucks County motorcycle accident
- $1,000,000 for injuries sustained in a Bucks County car accident
- $470,000 for a client who suffered brain injuries in a wave runner accident
- $242,500 for a brain injury caused by a minor impact, rear-end car accident
- $195,000 for a brain injury suffered in a Bucks County bicycle accident
Contact Cordisco & Saile LLC Today for Help With Your Traumatic Brain Injury Case
You may be entitled to financial compensation if you or your family member sustained a traumatic brain injury because of another party’s negligence. While no amount of money can truly compensate you for how your TBI has changed your life, it can pay for the care you need and keep you financially afloat during your traumatic brain injury recovery.
For decades, Cordisco & Saile LLC has helped people like you in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including the Lehigh Valley and Bucks County, and we are ready to assist you now. Contact our office today to learn how we can help with your traumatic brain injury case.
