Many people in West Virginia are unaware that a concussion and a brain injury are two somewhat different things. While a concussion may cause a person to lose consciousness briefly or not at all, a brain injury usually results in an extended period of lost consciousness. Brain injuries are more severe than concussions and they can cause a range of different life-altering symptoms.

When a person sustains a traumatic brain injury, the nature of the symptoms will depend on which regions of the brain were injured. A blow to the forehead could result in damage to the brain’s ‘executive center,” or the region that is associated with the organization of normal daily activities. Someone who was injured there may experience difficulty performing simple tasks.

Other symptoms of a traumatic brain injury can include fatigue, mood swings, memory loss and loss of awareness. Some people who have survived serious brain injuries have trouble calibrating new surroundings when they travel from place to place. They may need to arrive at a new setting several minutes early so that they can take time to adapt their awareness to the new environment.

Although they are frequently associated with football and other contact sports, brain injuries are often the result of serious car accidents, falls or physical assaults. Though the symptoms of a brain injury are often serious, they may not be apparent to the victim right after the accident. A lawyer may be able to help a person who has sustained a brain injury to evaluate the damages and then pursue a claim for compensation against the party that was responsible.