What Should I Know About Brain Stem Injuries in Florida?

Reviewed by Elizabeth W. Finizio, Esq.

Suffering any brain injury can have incredibly devastating impacts on your life, especially when that injury is to your brain stem. As such, it’s imperative to understand the purpose of your brain stem, what incidents can lead to damage, and what you should do if you or a loved one is hurt because of another person’s negligence. While many people associate accidents like car collisions or slip-and-falls only with broken bones or muscle strains, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are incredibly common due to the violent nature of these incidents. Anyone can suffer the impacts of brain damage, which can completely alter one’s life in an instant. Because these injuries are so serious, it’s imperative to place your case in the competent hands of a Broward County personal injury attorney who can represent you and fight for your best interest during these challenging times.

What Vital Functions Does the Brain Stem Serve?

Your brain stem is a critical part of your brain that acts as a bridge between the brain and your spinal cord. Essentially, whenever you want to move, your brain sends signals through the brain stem to the rest of your body. Additionally, your brain stem is responsible for regulating your circadian rhythm, balance, and breathing. As such, sustaining an injury to this critical link can have devastating impacts.

If you sustain an injury and your brain stem is damaged, you can suffer a number of severe and often chronic impacts. For example, you may find that you can fall into a coma, suffer from “locked-in” syndrome, experience paralysis, suffer from respiratory issues, or have difficulty with motor functions.

Furthermore, it is important to understand the broader categories and symptoms of traumatic brain injuries, which range from mild to severe. Some of the most common types of TBIs include:

• Concussions
• Contusions
• Second impact syndrome
• Hemorrhaging
• Diffuse axonal injury

The symptoms of a TBI can vary depending on the severity of the damage. A mild TBI can present through symptoms such as headaches, nausea, concentration problems, fatigue, dizziness, light sensitivity, changes in sleep patterns, mood swings, and slurred speech. In moderate to severe instances, a victim can experience any of those signs alongside worsening headaches, continual nausea, numbness in the fingers or toes, confusion, profound irritation, fluids draining from the nose or ears, pupil dilation, loss of coordination, and seizures.

What Personal Injury Accidents Can Lead to Brain Stem Damage?

There are a number of ways in which your brain stem and the rest of your brain can become injured or damaged. Generally, however, a violent blow, jolt, or strike to the head in a personal injury accident can lead someone to endure this kind of injury. When your head hits a surface or an object strikes you, it can cause your brain to jolt and bounce off the inside of the skull. This leads to twisting, bruising, or tearing of brain tissue and triggers chemical changes that can damage brain cells. In severe cases, the brain may swell, causing further complications. Additionally, something penetrating the brain, like a bullet, can cause catastrophic traumatic injuries.

These include car accidents, unsafe premises, slips and falls (such as tripping due to an unmarked hazard or a wet spot a store manager forgot to sign), medical malpractice, being hit by falling merchandise, or dangerous working conditions. While these injuries are famously frequent in recreational sports, they regularly happen to everyday people during standard daily activities due to someone else’s negligence.

It’s also important to understand that conditions, like a heart attack, can damage your brain stem. As such, if you suffer from a heart attack because of a car accident, for example, you can suffer a brain stem injury even if you did not endure a blow to the head.

What Should I Do Legally and Medically if I’ve Hurt My Head?

If you are hurt, the most important thing you can do is seek immediate medical attention. Though these injuries can be severe, you may find that the sooner you can catch and treat the injury, the better your chances of achieving some form of recovery are. Seeking immediate treatment is especially critical because many people might not realize they have a severe brain injury right away; symptoms do not always manifest immediately following the accident.

Sustaining a brain injury can be frustrating, isolating, and devastating. Beyond the physical pain, you may experience depression and anxiety because you are no longer able to live a typical life. You may also face immense financial pressure from losing your income due to an inability to work.

If you suffered a head injury due to another party’s negligent actions, such as a drunk driver crashing into you, you shouldn’t suffer in silence. That’s why it’s imperative to connect with an experienced attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal options. By pursuing a personal injury claim, you may be entitled to recover economic damages like accumulating medical bills and lost wages from time spent away from work. You may also receive compensation for non-economic damages like pain and suffering. Under Florida Statutes § 95.11, the legal time limit to file a personal injury lawsuit for negligence is typically two years from the date the accident occurred.

Contact an Experienced Broward County Personal Injury Firm

At the Finizio Law Group, our dedicated legal team understands that these matters can be complex. That’s why we’re committed to fighting for you during your legal battle to protect your best interests and ensure you receive the justice and compensation you deserve. Connect with us today to learn how we can assist you.