March is Brain Injury Awareness Month

brain injury

What do you know about brain injury, its causes, and treatment?

What is brain injury?

Brain injury is a complex condition that impacts each person differently. Brain injury typically affects the neurons and nerve tracts in the brain, making it difficult or impossible for the body to carry vital messages to the brain. The injury might affect how a person thinks, acts, feels or moves. It might affect a body’s internal workings such as blood pressure or bowel and bladder controls.  It might cause memory loss or impair a person’s ability to concentrate or use logic. The symptoms of brain injury depend largely on whether the accident caused trauma to the left brain, right brain, or the entire brain.

What causes brain injury?

Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a brain injury that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma.  According to the Brain Injury Association of America, ABI affects more than 3.5 million children and adults each year. Causes of ABI include: electric shock, infectious disease, lightning, near drowning, oxygen deprivation, seizure disorders, stroke, substance abuse, toxic exposure, tumors, and trauma.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a specific type of ABI that results when an external force causes trauma to the brain.  A shocking 2.5 million children and adults suffer TBI every year in the U.S.  Two of the most common causes of TBI include: Falls – 40.5%, and Motor vehicle crashes – 14.3%.  At the Bottaro Law Firm, LLC we regularly fight for treatment and compensation for people who suffer TBI from car crashes and falls in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

How is brain injury treated?

Brain injury experts state that early and vigorous rehabilitation following injury is the most cost effective way to speed recovery and help ensure independence.

Massachusetts is a gold standard state – one of only three states – for providing health care services to treat and rehabilitate brain injuries.  The Massachusetts Benchmark Plan covers the following services essential to TBI patients:

  • Inpatient medical care in a rehabilitation hospital and in a skilled nursing facility
  • Durable medical equipment for use at home
  • Prosthetic devices that augment communication
  • Early intervention for children up to age 2
  • Occupational therapy
  • Speech, hearing and language disorder treatment

Living with brain injury can be extremely difficult for victims and those that care for them.

If you suffered a brain injury and believe that someone else is at fault, contact the team at the Bottaro Law Firm, LLC today to discuss your rights to getting on the road to recovery.  We are passionate about helping brain injury victims, not just by fighting for our clients but also through our membership in The Brain Injury Association of Rhode Island. Last October, The Bottaro Law Firm, LLC employees and their families came together to walk in the Association’s annual fundraising run at Goddard Park.