If you suffer from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a motor vehicle accident, it can come with significant symptoms. You may be fatigued, you may have memory loss, you could experience brain fog and much more. People often report emotional changes, mood swings, and even the loss of mobility or cognitive skills.
But how long are these symptoms going to last? Are you going to heal and recover, or could they last for the rest of your life, turning into a long-term disability?
How the brain heals
Both outcomes are possible, and brain healing is very complex. In many cases, people will see some recovery from a TBI, especially in the early stages. Over the days, weeks and months after the accident, some of your symptoms may resolve themselves.
But it’s also possible for some of your symptoms to last for life. Your healing may stop progressing even though you’re getting the appropriate treatment.
The problem could be that the brain injury was significant enough to cause cell death. When neurons die, the brain typically cannot replace them by creating new ones or replicating brain cells in their place. Instead, the brain tries to find new connections and neural pathways. But since it can’t create new cells like other parts of your body—such as your skin—full healing may simply not be possible, even with medical care.
At a time like this, it’s very important for you to understand all the legal options you have when seeking compensation for lost wages, medical bills and any long-term costs that you may be facing due to your injury.