Traumatic Brain Injury Guide
Traumatic brain injuries change everything, altering how a person thinks, feels, and functions. They affect families, work, and the rhythm of daily life. In Ohio, thousands of residents each year experience the far-reaching effects of a TBI after a car crash, slip and fall, workplace incident, or sports accident. This guide explains what TBI is, what signs to look for, how recovery works, and why legal help can be vital when someone’s injury stems from another person’s negligence.
Legally Reviewed by:
Mark S. Gervelis, Esq.
Last Updated:
- December 1, 2025
TABLE OF CONTENTS
For anyone facing the confusion that follows a serious accident, we offer clarity and direction, along with a reminder that experienced help is available through Gervelis Law Firm.
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, occurs when an external force disrupts normal brain function. It can happen in an instant—from a vehicle collision, a sudden fall, or a blow to the head. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that TBIs range from mild concussions to catastrophic injuries that permanently change a person’s abilities.
Mild
A mild TBI, often called a concussion, might seem harmless at first. Symptoms can include temporary confusion, loss of consciousness, dizziness, or sensitivity to light and sound. Even minor injuries need careful attention. Repeated concussions over time can cause ongoing memory problems or emotional instability.
Moderate
Moderate TBIs pose more noticeable cognitive or physical challenges. Headaches, mood changes, longer periods of unconsciousness, and concentration issues can persist for weeks or months. In Ohio, these injuries often result from car, truck, or motorcycle accidents on major routes such as I-76 or I-680.
Severe
Severe TBIs are medical emergencies. They may involve coma, bleeding in the brain, or physical disability. Victims often require months of rehabilitation or lifelong care. Incidents such as a high-impact truck collision, construction accident, or violent assault can inflict damage with permanent consequences.
In Ohio communities, TBIs occur in everyday environments, such as on roads, at work sites, in retail stores, or during recreational activities. Understanding how they happen is the first step toward prevention and legal accountability.
Our firm’s long-standing community involvement across Ohio reflects our commitment to supporting families beyond the courtroom.
Common Causes of TBIs
Across the state, motor vehicle collisions remain the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. Sudden deceleration, impact with a steering wheel, or being ejected from a vehicle can cause the brain to violently move inside the skull. Slip and fall accidents—especially among older adults—come next, often occurring in workplaces or commercial properties where hazards go unaddressed.
Sports injuries, physical assaults, and industrial incidents also rank high among causes. The American College of Surgeons’ Best Practices Guidelines for Traumatic Brain Injury emphasizes that blunt trauma and rapid acceleration are primary culprits in both urban and rural regions. Regardless of how they occur, each TBI demands proper diagnosis, documentation, and support.
Signs and Symptoms of a TBI
Traumatic brain injury symptoms differ by person. Some appear immediately; others surface days later. Recognizing them early can shape recovery.
Cognitive changes may include memory lapses, difficulty concentrating, slowed thinking, or confusion during everyday tasks. Physical symptoms range from persistent headaches and dizziness to fatigue, blurred vision, or loss of balance. Some individuals experience nausea, ringing in the ears, or changes in sleep patterns. Emotional or behavioral shifts such as irritability, anxiety, sudden mood swings, or depression often emerge as the brain struggles to regulate itself after trauma.
According to specialists at UC Health, even mild concussions can produce delayed symptoms. That’s why a full medical evaluation after any head injury is critical. Early detection can prevent complications that develop silently over time.
The Effect of Traumatic Brain Injuries
A TBI is a spectrum. The brain’s complexity means two people with similar injuries can face completely different recoveries and outcomes. Some improve quickly, while others spend months relearning how to think, move, and live.
Short-Term Effects
In the early weeks after an injury, common short-term effects include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and vision problems. People may feel disoriented or emotionally off-balance. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, early symptoms reflect the brain’s attempt to heal and reconnect neural pathways disrupted by trauma.
Long-Term Effects
When damage affects specific brain regions, symptoms can become long-lasting or permanent. Harm to the frontal lobe, which is responsible for judgment and impulse control, can leave a person prone to engaging in risky or inappropriate behavior. Damage to the left hemisphere can impair language, reading, or speech comprehension. The right hemisphere influences spatial awareness and emotional processing—injury there can cause difficulty recognizing faces or interpreting social cues.
Over time, many survivors require ongoing rehabilitation, occupational therapy, or psychological counseling. The Mayo Clinic reports that long-term recovery may support gradual progress, but life will likely be different from what it was before. Support networks such as family, health care providers, and community services play a pivotal role in how survivors adapt.
The Traumatic Brain Injury Survival Guide, by Dr. Glen Johnson, offers patient-focused information and practical insights into rehabilitation and long-term care strategies.
Legal Considerations After a TBI
When a traumatic brain injury results from another person’s carelessness, Ohio personal injury law may provide a path to compensation. Establishing liability involves proving that negligence directly caused the injury. Documentation such as medical records, witness statements, and accident reports forms the backbone of a claim.
Ohio follows a comparative negligence system, which allows injured individuals to recover damages even if they were partly at fault, as long as they were not more than 50% responsible for the accident. Cases involving car wrecks, unsafe property conditions, or workplace hazards all require careful handling to ensure accountability.
To better understand these legal rights, speak with a personal injury attorney for clear explanations of how such claims proceed.
How Can an Attorney Help After a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Recovering from a brain injury requires a certain level of mental fortitude—energy that is hard to spare when it comes to filing a claim or a lawsuit. A skilled attorney will handle the legal complexities, including coordinating medical evidence, calculating financial losses, and negotiating with insurance companies.
At Gervelis Law Firm, experienced attorneys understand how to prove invisible injuries such as cognitive decline or emotional trauma. They work closely with neurologists, rehabilitation specialists, and economists to paint a full picture of your damages. If negotiations fail, they will be fully prepared to litigate the case in court to fight for the compensation you deserve.
Our attorneys, including Mark S. Gervelis, David Michael Tschantz, and Stephanie M. Mehle, handle even the most serious injury cases. Their experience in personal injury litigation brings strength and credibility to every case the firm handles.
Our work throughout Ohio reflects a consistent goal: helping injury victims rebuild without financial ruin.
Compensation for TBI Victims
Injured victims can pursue compensation to make them whole and hold responsible parties accountable for negligence. In a brain injury claim, you can seek compensation for the following damages and more:
- Medical expenses: hospital care, surgeries, rehabilitation, and future treatment.
- Lost wages: income gaps during recovery and future earning loss if returning to work isn’t possible.
- Pain and suffering: the physical discomfort and effects caused by the injury.
- Emotional distress: accounting for depression, anxiety, and trauma tied to the incident.
If a TBI results in a loved one’s death, their surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim to cover funeral costs and other expenses and compensate for the loss of support, inheritance, and companionship.
The Gervelis Law Firm understands that sensitive cases like these require both compassion and precision, as our past clients have attested in testimonials.
Don’t Wait to Get Justice After a Traumatic Brain Injury
Time moves fast after an accident. Acting early can preserve both your health and legal rights. A personal injury claim can help cover the costs of care, replace lost income, and secure a more stable future after a traumatic event.
Life after a brain injury is rarely simple, but no one should face it without guidance. Gervelis Law Firm offers free consultations and personal attention from experienced attorneys who understand the weight of recovery.
Call 866-792-2728 or contact us online today to take the next step toward justice and stability.
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