Many individuals in Maryland and elsewhere can recognize concussions in others. However, actually defining this type of brain injury can be quite challenging. The reason for this is that a concussion is a mild form of a brain injury, and determining what makes a brain injury mild is not always simple.
As a general rule of thumb, a brain injury is a jolt, blow or bump to someone’s head that disrupts the brain’s normal function. A mild form of this injury leads to a brief alteration of the person’s consciousness or mental status. In this situation, a brief alteration refers to a change that lasts for under half an hour. In addition, the symptoms usually resolve within a few weeks, days or even hours.
If a person loses consciousness for longer than half an hour, he or she is considered to have suffered a severe or moderate brain injury. Unfortunately, this type of injury can have long-term impacts on the victim’s body. Fortunately, a severe brain injury is not as common as a mild one.
A brain injury can easily happen in Maryland as a result of the carelessness of another individual. For instance, a careless driver may cause another driver to suffer a brain injury in a head-on car crash. In this situation, the victim may experience headaches, mood changes or memory problems. However, he or she has the right to file a personal injury claim against the reportedly at-fault driver to seek reimbursement of monetary damages. A successfully litigated lawsuit may result in a damage award that might help with covering medical costs and other losses stemming from the injury-causing accident.