Traumatic Brain Injuries Carry Life-Changing Consequences
Last updated on May 28, 2025
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) often causes apparent symptoms like fainting or confusion. However, the symptoms of a closed head injury may be harder to spot. This does not make it less dangerous. Any time someone gets a hit to the head or sudden, rough movement (like whiplash), the brain can have tiny tears or bleeding.
Early signs of a milder head injury can include brain fog or a headache. More symptoms may show up days after the person visits the emergency room. After any serious accident, you must watch your condition (or your loved one’s condition).
Causes Of Brain Injuries
Brain injuries often occur without warning, especially in high-impact incidents involving vehicles. In Washington, most traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) result from car, motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian accidents. These crashes can jolt the head violently or cause direct impact, leading to long-term cognitive and physical effects.
Car accidents are a frequent cause of TBIs due to sudden stops, rollovers or head-on collisions. Even with airbags and seatbelts, occupants can suffer concussions, brain bleeding or skull fractures. Motorcycle riders face even higher risks because they are exposed, lacking the protection of a car’s frame. Head injuries are especially common in crashes involving:
- Ejection from the motorcycle
- Lack of helmet use
- High-speed collisions at intersections
Bicyclists also face dangers from distracted drivers or failure to yield. In Washington, over 1,000 bicycle crashes happen yearly and involve motor vehicles. About 90% of those result in injuries or fatalities, often involving trauma to the head. Pedestrians are also vulnerable. Even low-speed impacts can cause serious brain damage when a person is hit by a vehicle. Common scenarios include:
- Crosswalk accidents
- Cars failing to stop at lights or signs
- Back-over incidents in driveways or parking lots
Falls are another major contributor to TBIs, especially among older adults. In Washington, 31% of adults aged 65 and older reported a fall in 2020. More than 60% of those falls happened at home, downstairs, on rugs or in bathrooms.
These incidents led to over 29,000 emergency room (ER) visits among adults over 60, and nearly half of injury-related deaths in this age group were from falls. Children are also at risk, especially toddlers, who may fall from furniture or down steps, leading to skull fractures or internal brain swelling.
Whether the injury results from a crash or a fall, the effects can be life-altering. A TBI can require months or years of treatment, lost income and emotional strain. Our traumatic brain injury attorney can help secure the support and compensation needed for long-term recovery.
Types Of Brain Injuries
Knowing the types and levels of brain injuries helps victims and their families. Brain injuries range from mild concussions to severe traumatic brain injuries that can change a person’s life forever. Here are the main types:
Concussions
- It is the most common traumatic brain injury.
- It happens from a direct hit to the head or rough shaking that makes the brain move fast inside the skull.
- Called “mild,” but it can cause serious problems.
Symptoms include
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Memory issues
- Nausea
- Sensitivity to light or noise
You don’t need to faint to have a concussion. Post-concussion syndrome can last weeks or months, affecting thinking, emotions and daily tasks.
Mild TBI
- Includes concussions and other brain injuries where you faint for less than 30 minutes, if at all.
- Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is 13-15.
- Doctors call these “mild,” but they can cause big problems.
Symptoms include
- Trouble focusing
- Memory problems
- Mood changes
- Sleep issues
These can hurt quality of life, work, or relationships and may last months.
Moderate TBI
- Happens when you faint for 30 minutes to 24 hours.
- GCS scores are 9-12.
- Causes stronger and longer symptoms than mild TBI.
Symptoms include
- Trouble with planning or solving problems
- Slow information processing
- Poor coordination
- Speech problems
- Sensory troubles
Recovery may take months to years, and some effects may stay forever.
Severe TBI
- Occurs when you faint for over 24 hours.
- GCS scores are eight or below.
- Causes deep and lasting changes to thinking, personality and physical skills.
Symptoms include
- Major memory loss
- Big personality changes
- Immobility or paralysis
- Seizures
- Trouble speaking, swallowing or moving
Patients may stay unconscious or in a coma for a long time, and survivors often need intense rehab and long-term care.
Understanding these injuries helps you see their impact, and our team is here to support your recovery with skilled legal help.
Our Head Injury Lawyers Will Fight For Compensation For You
At the Dubin Law Group, our Seattle brain injury lawyers focus on your financial recovery while you work on your physical and emotional healing. Head injury attorney Matthew D. Dubin gives caring and kind legal help to injured people and families facing the challenges of a significant injury.
Contact our Seattle injury firm to find out if you can file a personal injury lawsuit.
Symptoms Of Brain Injuries
Symptoms of a brain injury can include:
- Changes in sleep, like insomnia or extreme tiredness
- Personality shifts, like grumpiness or sudden mood changes
- Loss of movement or feeling in arms, legs, or fingers, or loss of feeling on one side of the body
- Thinking problems, like memory loss, trouble focusing, poor attention, or difficulty with specific tasks
- Speech issues, like trouble talking or picking the right words
Our Seattle personal injury lawyers will thoroughly investigate the accident and hold all careless parties responsible. We work to get full and fair compensation for our clients’ medical bills, lost pay, long-term care, pain and suffering, and other damages caused by the accident or injury.
Contact A Seattle Lawyer Who Understands Brain Injury Claims
Whether you had a concussion (closed head injury) or a skull fracture with a traumatic brain injury, our Seattle injury attorney can help you get the compensation you need. Please call 206-462-4428 or complete our personal injury form.
Your consultation is free, and you pay no attorney fees unless we win compensation for you.