The human brain is an amazingly complex organ that is responsible for creating and controlling every thought we have and movement we make. In cases where an individual is involved in an accident in which the brain is damaged, significant and permanent changes and deficiencies in cognitive functioning can occur.
For children whose brains are still developing, the effects of a brain injury can be particularly devastating. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that traumatic brain injuries are most commonly suffered by children ages zero to four and 15 to 19. In children; car accidents, sporting accidents and falls are among the leading causes of TBIs.
Much like an adult who suffers a TBI, a child who suffers a brain injury may experience a range of physical, cognitive and emotional changes and impairments. For example a child may have problems with his or her speech or vision or experience seizures. Additionally, TBIs in children may adversely impact a child’s ability to think clearly, process information, pay attention, recall information and make appropriate decisions.
When it comes to TBIs and the brain’s ability to adapt and recover, so much is unknown. Consequently, doctors often struggle to provide parents with a long-term prognosis and parents may fail to realize that symptoms exhibited later on, like depression and anxiety, are attributable to a TBI suffered in earlier childhood.
A brain injury can change an individual’s entire life and severely limit one’s prospects for education and future employment as well as negatively impact the overall quality of one’s life. For parents who have a child that suffered a TBI due to a sporting injury or car accident, it makes sense to discuss one’s case with an attorney who may be able to assist in the recovery of compensation to aid in providing a child the best opportunities to succeed in life.
Source: Brain Injury Association of America, “Brain Injury in Children,” April 29, 2015
