How To Prevent And Deal With Acquired Brain Injuries

Most parents see acquired brain injuries as something that could affect a child that was allowed to pursue a risky endeavor. Yet not all parents realize how risky certain accepted behaviors have become within a small, community environment. For that reason, every mother and father should make a point of studying the message that is being presented here.

The two general categories of acquired brain injuries:

Those caused by an impact to the head: brain surgery; sports injuries; falls; assaultive conduct; gunshot wounds.

Those caused by sources other than an impact: tumor; stroke; heart attack; lack of oxygen; carbon dioxide poisoning; seizure; exposure to a toxic substance; substance abuse.

Matching preventive measures with the various causes:

• Prevent sporting injuries by wearing a head covering.
• Prevent falls among seniors by having members of that group do exercises, in order to improve their balance.
• Prevent acquired brain injuries (ABIs) following surgery by calling for better training of neurosurgeons.
• Counseling youth, in order to prevent ABIs caused by assaultive conduct or utilization of harmful substances.
• Parents can watch for signs of a problem. Symptoms such as headaches, trouble sleeping and dizziness need attention, before a mild condition becomes a serious problem.

Evidence that something is wrong:

Specific clues can alert family members to the fact that a loved one has suffered an acquired brain injury (ABI). An ABI can impair the cognitive development of a child or a teenager. The child’s or teen’s performance in school might show signs of cognitive impairment.

Signs of cognitive impairment:

• Trouble recalling material that has been learned.
• Trouble solving problems
• Slurred speech

The rate at which such clues/signs appear:

Those clues appear slowly, over a prolonged period of time. For that reason, any parent should think twice before accepting an early settlement, if a child or teen has been inside an automobile at the time of a car accident. Instead, the parents should seek a lawyer’s help.

An injury lawyer in Cambridge can fight efforts by an insurance company to pressure a driver to accept an early settlement. Such an action could rob a mother and father of the deserved compensation for a child’s or teen’s ABI. In addition, it could rob the child or teen of compensation for loss of future earnings.

True, an ABI does not rise to the level of a catastrophic injury. Typically, someone with an ABI can engage in meaningful employment. However, periodic problems might cause the affected worker to have “holes” in his or her resume. The existence of such “holes” can prove a challenge, during a job search. For that reason, those young adults that must deal with ABIs have reason to seek compensation for lost future earnings.

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