Gone are the days when movie and TV actors and comedians took pratfalls to the raucous merriment of onlookers. If you suffer a slip-and-fall injury in North Carolina, you will quickly discover that these types of injuries are no laughing matter whatsoever. In fact, real slip-and-fall injuries can result in your receiving a traumatic brain injury that could render you unable to work and leave you in a debilitated state for the rest of your life.
Should you suffer a TBI because of your slip-and-fall accident, the impact of your head suddenly and violently hitting an unforgiving surface such as a floor, sidewalk, parking lot, wall, etc. will jolt your head enough that your brain will quickly “slosh around” inside your skull. The catastrophic result could be nerve and/or tissue damage that causes your brain to malfunction.
TBI symptoms
No two TBIs are alike, and no two people who sustain one exhibit symptoms at exactly the same time or in exactly the same manner. This is why you should seek immediate medical assistance if you hit your head during your slip and fall. Even if you think you only received a minor bump to your head, you need the assessment and tests that only an experienced head trauma specialist can provide. Remember, the sooner you receive a TBI diagnosis and begin receiving the appropriate treatment for it, the less risk you face of your TBI symptoms worsening over time.
Even if your initial medical assessment reveals little or no brain damage, watch out for any of the following symptoms that you begin exhibiting during the month following your slip-and-fall head injury:
- The onset of decreases in your sight or hearing
- The onset of frequent headaches, some of which could be severe
- The onset of nausea and vomiting bouts
- The onset of speech problems such as slurring your words or failing to come up with the right word at the right time
- The onset of mental problems such as decreases in your ability to remember, concentrate or think clearly
- The onset of emotional problems such as confusion, disorientation, fear, anxiety, etc.
Extraordinary TBI costs
If you indeed suffer a TBI because of your slip-and-fall accident, you could face enormous immediate and ongoing costs including the following:
- Protracted hospital stay
- Possible surgery
- Significant amounts of prescription medications
- Physical and/or occupational therapy
- Prolonged rehabilitation
- Possible need for assisted living caregivers and/or facilities
While these costs escalate, you likely will need to take a leave from your job. In fact, a TBI could leave you permanently totally disabled and unable to perform either your job or any other type of employment.
