A recently published study by Canadian researchers in the scientific journal PLOS ONE made headlines by theorizing that there is a link between traumatic brain injuries and risky behavior by teens.
Specifically, the study found that the odds of both teen boys and girls engaging in decidedly risky behavior — smoking, drinking, using drugs and underperforming academically, etc. — increased significantly if they had suffered some sort of traumatic brain injury that left them unconscious for over five minutes or resulted in a hospital stay of at least one day.
While certainly thought-provoking, the study is not without its detractors who argue that it only established an association between risky behavior and TBIs, not a real cause-and-effect relationship.
Regardless of how you may feel about the study, it nevertheless serves to underscore just how much scientists have to learn about TBIs and, perhaps more to the point, just how debilitating they can prove to be.
Indeed, people who suffer serious brain injuries can end up enduring such unfortunate side effects as memory loss, depression, amnesia, and mood swings, as well as physical maladies like crippling headaches.
While immediate medical care coupled with comprehensive rehabilitation can often mitigate some of the long-term damage for those diagnosed with TBIs, others aren’t so fortunate and will see life as they once knew it vanish.
What makes all of this so much more unfortunate is that many TBI victims can attribute their condition to the negligence of another. For instance, a person may have decided it was more important to answer their cellphone than watch the road or get behind the wheel after having just a few beers rather than calling a cab.
In these tragic scenarios, it’s vital for people to have a strong advocate by their side willing to fight to secure the compensation needed to cover not just immediate medical costs, but a lifetime of care as well as the pain and suffering of being unable to enjoy the life they once knew.
Please visit our “traumatic brain injuries” page to learn more about how our firm can help if a loved one suffered a TBI because of another’s recklessness.
