Delaware’s Injury & Medical Malpractice Leaders

Living with the cognitive consequences of TBI

On Behalf of | Jul 26, 2021 | Brain Injuries

Diminished ability to think is one of the many consequences of traumatic brain injuries. Many car accident victims in Delaware have to cope with permanent or long-term aftereffects of brain injuries. Cognitive problems vary from person to person, depending on the region where brain damage occurred. 

Concentration, focus and attention impairment                                

TBI victims might struggle to focus and concentrate, and have a short attention span. Additional problems include the following: 

  • Concentration difficulties cause restlessness 
  • Distractions due to impaired focus 
  • Difficulty finishing individual projects 
  • Problems doing two or more tasks simultaneously 
  • Inability to sit still and participate in long conversations. 

Communication problems 

Other cognitive problems involve the following: 

  • Problems selecting or remembering proper words 
  • Difficulty expressing and understanding information 
  • Trouble understanding, following and starting conversations 
  • Quickly going off the topic and rambling on 
  • Problems organizing thoughts before expressing them 

Impaired planning and organizing skills 

Planning and scheduling are typically necessary for day-to-day life. Hardships resulting for TBI victims with damage to that part of the brain include the following: 

  • Arranging tasks and appointments in day-to-day living in an executable manner 
  • Navigating multi-step tasks in the prescribed order, such as cooking, laundry, driving and checkbook management 

Mental fog 

TBI slows down thinking speed and the ability of the individual to process the information and understand it quickly enough to follow conversations and more. Examples of mental fogginess include the following: 

  • Trouble understanding, processing and then following directions 
  • More time to read, understand and process information, including magazines, newspapers and books 
  • Following and understanding movies, television shows and theatre 

Learning and memory 

Those with traumatic brain injuries may be unable to learn new information and remember it. Furthermore, they could have difficulty recalling events that occurred months or weeks before the injury. These cognitive consequences of TBI affect much more than the victim’s day-to-day life. Even experiencing only one of the mentioned conditions can prevent returning to work or school. 

Imagine the impact this could have on a family if the primary income provider suffers TBI due to another person’s negligence. Fortunately, the Delaware civil justice system allows TBI victims to pursue financial relief by filing personal injury lawsuits. 

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