• 05
  • January
    2012

The full consequences of any brain injury are difficult to understand immediately after an accident. Many individuals suffer head injuries in car accidents, truck accidents, train accidents, fall down accidents or other violent impacts and need full medical attention to keep their symptoms under watch-even if they are not readily apparent. However, one overlooked source of severe head injuries involves service members and their military actions overseas.

Severity of Military Head Trauma May Be Overlooked

The blast impact of roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused untold harm to soldiers on patrol, and opened up a new area of study for doctors and medical scientists.

Explosions from IED's and other explosive devices send off powerful energy waves that are absorbed by the body. Even if a soldier did not suffer an impact to the head, loss of consciousness or damage from flying debris, a severe head trauma may have still occurred. In many cases the result is a mild concussion-but far too close for comfort nonetheless.

According to a New York Times article on soldiers and mild traumatic brain injuries, it took several years before the Defense Department and VA began to devote screening policies and serious research funding to tackle the problem. Service members who deploy for more than a month now must undergo neurocognitive testing to create a baseline for future assessment of brain injury effects.

Seeking Help

People injured in auto accidents, construction accidents, athletic events or any other circumstance that cause a blow to the head or whiplash injuries should always seek out immediate medical attention-no matter what.

Head injuries from concussions or other TBIs can have lasting effects on a person's life. Long-term medical expenses, loss of employment prospects, and negative impacts on family relationships are just a few aspects of a sufferer's life that become affected.

Seeking the help of a traumatic brain injury attorney who can advise you of the available options under the law is advised.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/us/26tbi.html?ref=traumaticbraininjury