A brain injury can harm victims’ work life and relationships

A brain injury can occur in many ways, from traffic collisions to slip-and-falls to work accidents and in many other settings. Often, victims do not realize they suffered a brain injury when it happens, because they may not feel pain or see any signs of injury, like bleeding or bruising. Unfortunately, a mild brain injury can cause major problems in a victim’s life, impacting their work and even their personal relationships.

If you recently received a blow the head, it is wise to receive a full medical examination from a doctor. The sooner that you identify a mild brain injury, the sooner you can begin treatment to move toward recovery and begin building an injury claim if some other party is liable for your injury. A strong legal strategy can help protect your rights and communicate your needs to your employer and others around you who may struggle to understand how the injury affects you.

Brain injuries and shifts in personality

A mild brain injury may produce many different symptoms. Some of these symptoms are physical, such as:

• Prolonged headaches
• Nausea
• Sensitivity to light

Other symptoms are much more difficult to recognize, especially symptoms that affect a victim’s personality or their ability to deal with stress. One common symptom of a mil brain injury is difficulty completing tasks that a victim has completed many times before, or tasks that a victim believes should be easy to complete.

A mild brain injury may significantly reduce a victim’s ability to concentrate for any amount of time, even if the victim was skilled in concentration before their injury. To make matters more frustrating, a brain injury may also cause victims to react irrationally or explosively when they cannot concentrate or complete tasks. In both the workplace and at home, this behavior may concern coworkers, managers and family members, so it is important for the victim to communicate clearly about their injury and its symptoms.

Medical documentation from a full examination helps clarify the extent of an injury, and is a useful tool victims can use to communicate about their injury.

Brain injuries and misinterpreting speech and text

Another common symptom that may cause major problems for a victim involves misinterpretion of the words the victim hears or reads. Often, a brain injury does not change the victim’s understanding of individual words, but does impact their ability to understand contextual meaning. For instance, a victim may misinterpret a sign on the road or may have a conversation with a coworker and misunderstand them, leading to conflicts in the workplace.

If you believe that you recently suffered a brain injury, make sure to seek proper medical care as soon as possible. Proper treatment helps victims recover more quickly and rebuild confidence in themselves and their mind. Be sure to use all the legal and medical tools and services you need to address your head injury fully and help you heal a soon as possible, for the sake of your career and the relationships you cherish.