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North Carolina Personal Injury Law FAQ | Tatum & Atkinson

Personal Injury Law FAQ

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Q: Can a Childhood Head Injury Cause Problems as an Adult?

Can a childhood head injury cause problems much later? Absolutely.

All head injuries should be taken seriously. Children’s brains, especially, are still developing, and every case is different.

Head injuries that occur during childhood have been linked to a higher chance of subsequent mental illness, poor school attainment, and premature death, according to a study published in the Public Library of Science Medicine.

Oxford University conducted a large research project with help from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Sweden. They analyzed data from more than a million Swedes born between 1973 and 1985 to identify the long-term impact of having a traumatic brain injury before the age of 25.

The researchers discovered that traumatic brain injuries during childhood increased the likelihood of low educational attainment, instances of psychiatric care, receiving welfare and disability benefits, and early death. More serious brain injuries and repeated brain injuries made these even more likely.

An over-the-shoulder shot of a doctor checking the eyes of a freckled, curly-haired boy.

What Long-Term Effects Can You Get From a Childhood Head Injury?

There is a chance for a child to experience lingering effects from a traumatic brain injury for about seven years after the injury, according to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s research. They have found that children with mild to moderate brain injuries are twice as likely to develop attention problems.

Children with severe brain injuries are often about five times more likely to develop secondary attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In the same study, doctors found that the environment the child is exposed to after a head injury also has a significant impact on whether they develop attention deficits. Both parenting and the home environment are directly linked to the child’s recovery.

Children with severe brain injuries in optimal environments experienced fewer effects than children with mild brain injuries living in chaotic or disadvantaged homes. Parents play a critical role in their children’s recovery as research has proven that childhood head injury long-term effects may be minimal when exposed to effective parenting skills.

The greatest long-term effects are often observed in the children’s skills that affect social functioning, such as:

  • Inhibition
  • Speed of Processing Information
  • Reasoning

Many children recover and do well after a head injury and do not have serious deficits. However, some effects from a head injury will not be seen for quite some time after the injury.

The injury may also affect skills that are not readily used yet.

Unfortunately, some healthcare providers diagnose this incorrectly and do not realize that the underlying problem is from a head injury that occurred years ago. They may treat your child’s condition as though it’s a learning disability or emotional problem.

How Pediatric Brain Injuries Are Different From Adult Brain Injuries

The fact that children’s brains are still developing when the injury occurs means that potential problems or disabilities may go unnoticed for quite some time. Pediatric brain injuries are, therefore, often treated as a chronic disease process instead of a single event.

The child’s symptoms may change with time and growth to reveal the actual extent of the damage.

Children’s brains are typically more adaptable than adults’ brains, and oftentimes other parts of the brain will bypass the damaged tissue to avoid deficits. Unfortunately, brain injuries may also disrupt information retention and the child’s ability to learn.

This is especially problematic when the child is very young, as they have not learned much yet. These children will struggle with learning disabilities and be at a disadvantage when placed with other children.

They usually become discouraged and suffer from diminished self-esteem as they nor the people around them understand where the problem is coming from.

What Potential Symptoms Should Parents Watch For in Their Children to Determine Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Brain injuries should be diagnosed as soon as possible after they hit their heads. Young children are typically unable to communicate what they are feeling, and they may not realize any changes in themselves.

Possible symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include:

  • Excessive crying
  • Crankiness or being more irritable than usual
  • Lack of interest in favorite things or toys
  • Dazed appearance
  • Balance problems and walking unsteadily
  • Getting tired very easily and showing signs of listlessness
  • A change in their sleeping or eating patterns

Over time, other symptoms may begin to emerge. Parents should watch for memory and concentration issues or personality changes. Some children may also develop a sensitivity to noise and light, or they may start suffering from depression or psychological adjustment problems.

Statistics on Brain Injuries in Children

Brain injuries are the leading cause of death and disability among children and teenagers, according to the Brain Injury Association of America. The age groups with the highest risk for brain injury are children under four years old and also between the ages of fifteen and nineteen.

Around 62,000 children between the ages of 0 and 19 are hospitalized every year for brain injuries resulting from:

  • Falls
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Sports injuries
  • Child abuse
  • Other accidents

Emergency departments see an average of around 564,000 children with head injuries who are then released. Children aged 0 to 14 account for approximately 2,685 deaths, 435,000 emergency room visits, and 37,000 hospitalizations per year.

Tatum & Atkinson Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers Can Help

The brain injury lawyers at Tatum & Atkinson want to give your child the best chance of recovery. Our lawyers understand pediatric brain injuries and what to look for.

We can even help you find medical professionals who can help if you have not begun treatment yet.

Your child may need specialized care and treatment both now and in the future. If someone else’s negligence is responsible for your child’s injuries, we will hold them accountable.

Parents should not have to worry about the future or how they will handle potential developmental problems without professional guidance.

Don’t leave your injured child’s future to chance. Let the heavy hitters at Tatum & Atkinson help you.

We have decades of experience helping injured victims just like you and your family. We give every client the individualized attention they deserve, and we have a proven record of success in collecting compensation for our clients.

Contact our office today at (800) LAW-0804 for a free consultation to learn more about how we can assist you.

Contact the Heavy Hitters to Ensure You Receive Full Compensation

Traumatic brain injuries cause some of the most devastating injuries imaginable. Children are at risk of experiencing long-term symptoms and are at an increased risk of developing learning disabilities.

Victims and their families often feel overwhelmed, isolated, stressed, frustrated, and confused about what to do next to be able to continue with their lives. Personal injury attorneys help by ensuring victims receive full compensation for their injuries, so they can receive the treatment, medication, and care that they need.

By hiring Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters, you will have a lawyer who is fully invested in your case. They will ensure a full investigation into the accident that caused your child’s injury.

They will collect evidence to prove negligence and build a strong case using medical evaluations, police reports, and witness statements.

The lawyers at Tatum & Atkinson are experienced and will help you determine an accurate assessment of the damages your child has suffered. Traumatic brain injuries can affect every aspect of your child’s life as well as the parent’s life, including their finances.

Rehabilitation is expensive, and you should not have to worry about being able to afford your child’s treatment, medications, special equipment, or other care that they need as a result of someone else’s negligent actions. Our lawyers will make sure your compensation is enough to cover everything needed.

You should not have to fight for what you are legally entitled to receive, especially while your child is in recovery. The attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson are aggressive and will not stop fighting on your child’s behalf until you recover everything that is rightfully yours.

If your child has suffered from the effects of a traumatic brain injury, you should have all the support you can get. For a free consultation about your case, call (800) LAW-0804 today to get your process started. When we take your case, we won’t charge you anything until we win or settle it for you.

Q: Can Head Trauma Accelerate Dementia?

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving, and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.

A person with a group of conditions characterized by impairment of at least two brain functions, such as memory loss and judgment, will likely be diagnosed with dementia.

There has been extensive research on head injuries and dementia, but there are still many questions that remain unanswered. But regarding how often can a head injury cause dementia: a link has been made between moderate and severe head traumas and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive decline years after the injury.

Older people who have had a moderate TBI have been found to be 2.3 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than seniors who have not had a brain injury. If they had a severe brain injury, the increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease jumps up to 4.5 times more likely.

A surgeon's gloved hand against a white background, holding up the last puzzle piece for a jigsaw puzzle of a brain.

Fortunately, there has been no evidence found that a mild traumatic brain injury increases the victim’s chances of developing dementia. However, newer studies are showing that multiple mild traumatic brain injuries are potentially associated with a greater risk of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome or certain brain changes that occur with chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

People at high risk of multiple mild traumatic brain injuries primarily include anyone involved in sporting activities such as football, hockey, soccer, and boxing.

The symptoms of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome and chronic traumatic encephalopathy can begin years and even decades after the traumatic brain injury. These symptoms include the following:

  • Impulse control problems
  • Impaired judgment
  • Memory loss
  • Confusion
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Aggression
  • Suicidal tendencies
  • Parkinsonism
  • Progressive dementia

Boxers are among the most well-known sufferers of the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries. Research has shown that they have a higher chance of chronic traumatic encephalopathy-related brain changes, which may be associated with changes in their cognitive functions.

The brain changes these boxers have succumbed to were commonly known as punch drunk syndrome or dementia pugilistica. These brain changes are closely related to the number of rounds the boxers endured and not how many times they were knocked out.

This discovery suggests that repeated mild traumatic brain injuries may be responsible for increasing the risk of developing dementia, even without the loss of consciousness.

Changes in the brain associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy have been observed in patients with a low number of severe traumatic brain injuries and also in a large number of mild traumatic brain injuries. Any pattern of head trauma seems to have a significant correlation to the development of head injury dementia symptoms later in life.

According to a study published in the Journal of Neurology on March 23, 2016, Wei Li and his colleagues discovered that people with a history of traumatic brain injuries may experience an acceleration of the onset of cognitive impairment or dementia by two or more years. Other studies support these findings and show that traumatic brain injuries are associated with the onset of cognitive impairments and dementia at an earlier age and are a significant risk factor for cognitive decline.

A study performed at Umeå University in Sweden discovered that traumatic brain injuries are a risk factor for dementia. Their research suggests that the chances of receiving a dementia diagnosis are highest during the first year following the head injury.

During this first-year time period, people with traumatic brain injuries are four to six times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than people who have not had a traumatic brain injury. They also discovered that even mild traumatic brain injuries increase the likelihood of developing dementia even 30 years after the initial injury.

GeroScience published a study in 2021 that shows that people with mild traumatic brain injuries and people with Alzheimer’s disease have similar brain changes. They both have a reduced cortical thickness when compared to people without Alzheimer’s disease or traumatic brain injuries.

This reduction in cortical thickness has been linked to the following symptoms:

  • Memory deficits
  • Difficulty making decisions
  • Impaired verbal fluency
  • Trouble learning new information

Research is still being conducted to help understand the correlation between traumatic brain injuries and dementia. Doctors and scientists are working to determine why people with repeated mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injuries have a higher likelihood of developing memory problems, difficulty thinking, and reasoning impairments later in their lives.

Genetic research has found that people with a specific variant of the gene for apolipoprotein E may be more likely to have an increased chance of developing dementia after having suffered a traumatic brain injury. This variant is called APOE e4.

More research is being conducted to fully understand the relationship between the gene variant APOE e4 and the development of dementia in individuals who have experienced a traumatic brain injury.

Dementia Symptoms From a Traumatic Head Injury

Traumatic brain injuries are always serious and have the potential to affect the overall cognitive functioning of the brain, leaving the survivors with life-changing difficulties with thinking, behavior, speech, movement, and learning.

Traumatic brain injuries may cause symptoms of dementia depending on the location of the injury in the brain. These symptoms include the following:

  • Memory deficits
  • Trouble with concentration
  • Attention problems
  • Difficulty speaking
  • Trouble eating or swallowing
  • Balance problems
  • Incoordination

People who develop dementia after a traumatic brain injury often experience difficulties remembering recent events and forming new memories. Long-term memories are not usually affected, but short-term memory becomes a problem.

Traumatic brain injuries often result in temporary or permanent changes in how the victim thinks, acts, moves, speaks, and feels. The victim’s body is also affected. The internal functions that are most often affected are:

  • Regulation of body temperature
  • Sleep
  • Appetite
  • Reproductive abilities
  • Energy levels

The symptoms and signs of a traumatic brain injury may appear immediately after the head injury occurred, or they may take several days or weeks to appear after the injury was experienced.

A TBI is often categorized as either a mild, moderate, or severe brain injury.

How to Reduce Your Risk of Dementia After Brain Injury

There is still no proven method to completely prevent dementia. However, the World Health Organization has recommended some measures that people should take to reduce their risk of developing dementia.

These methods are actually used to treat brain injuries, so your traumatic brain injury treatment plan should already be working to reduce your likelihood of developing dementia. The top four methods for reducing the risk of dementia are as follows:

  • Stay Physically Active. Low-impact exercise increases the flow of blood and nutrients to your brain to promote better brain function. It also improves sleep cycles and mood.
  • Challenge Your Brain. Your brain makes more neural connections when it is stimulated. More neural connections create stronger cognitive functions. Try learning something new, playing musical instruments, playing challenging games, or reading interesting books.
  • Stay Socially Active. People with prolonged social isolation have an increased risk of developing dementia. Socially active people have a stronger cognitive function and a lower risk of developing dementia.
  • Maintain a Healthy Diet for Your Brain. Foods rich in omega-3 and antioxidants promote healthy brain function. Dark, leafy greens, berries, nuts, and whole grains are some examples of foods your brain needs to stay strong and healthy.

Contact the Heavy Hitters to Support Your Case for Compensation

Traumatic brain injuries cause some of the most devastating injuries imaginable. Many people experience long-term symptoms and are at an increased risk of developing dementia later in life.

Victims and their families often feel overwhelmed, isolated, stressed, frustrated, and confused about what to do next to be able to continue with their lives. Personal injury attorneys help by ensuring victims receive full compensation for their injuries, so they can receive the treatment, medication, and care that they need.

By hiring Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters, you will have a lawyer who is fully invested in your case. They will ensure a full investigation into the accident that caused your injury.

They will collect evidence to prove negligence and build a strong case using medical evaluations, police reports, and witness statements. The lawyers at Tatum & Atkinson are experienced and will help you determine an accurate assessment of the damages you have suffered.

Traumatic brain injuries affect every aspect of your life, including your finances. Rehabilitation is expensive, and you should not have to worry about being able to afford your treatment, medications, special equipment, or other care that you need as a result of someone else’s negligent actions.

Our lawyers will make sure your compensation is enough to cover everything you need.

You should not have to fight for what you are legally entitled to receive, especially while you are in recovery. Tatum & Atkinson are aggressive and will not stop fighting on your behalf until you recover everything that is rightfully yours.

If you or your loved one has suffered from the effects of a traumatic brain injury or if your loved one has died, you should have all the support you can get. For a free consultation about your case, call (800) LAW-0804 today to get your process started.

When we take your case, we won’t charge you anything until we win or settle it for you.

Q: Can Hitting Your Head Cause Seizures?

Head injuries are serious whenever the brain is affected. Hitting your head hard enough or having a violent blow or jolt to your head can cause a traumatic brain injury, better known as a concussion.

Most people who suffer from traumatic brain injuries do not have seizures, but they are a possible complication of this type of injury.

As for how often can concussions cause seizures: seizures happen in about one to five out of every ten people who have suffered from a traumatic brain injury. Their likelihood depends on the location of the head injury and its severity.

The seizure usually occurs where the scar or damage is located as a consequence of the trauma. Most seizures occur within the first several weeks following the head injury, but it’s possible for them to occur months or years later, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Medications have been successful in helping people return to their normal activities in about 75% of all cases. In rare circumstances, seizures can cause a decline in cognitive ability and may even lead to death.

A woman in front of an orange background, with an upset expression on her face, holding her forehead in pain.

How Long Can a Seizure Last Before Brain Damage?

According to John Hopkins Medicine, a seizure that lasts longer than 5 minutes, or having more than one seizure within a 5-minute period, without returning to a normal level of consciousness between episodes, is called status epilepticus. This is a medical emergency that may lead to permanent brain damage or death.

What Happens During a Seizure?

When there is a sudden abnormal electrical disturbance in the brain, that person is having a seizure. The symptoms associated with seizures may include a combination of the following:

  • Hearing sounds
  • Strange smells
  • Feeling odd
  • Having a strange taste in your mouth
  • Vision changes or seeing images or spots
  • Sudden tiredness or dizziness
  • Not being able to speak or understand others
  • Unresponsiveness and staring
  • Strange movement of your head, body, arms, legs, or eyes, such as stiffening or shaking
  • Chewing, lip-smacking, or fumbling movements

Seizures and their symptoms happen suddenly and uncontrollably. They typically only last a few minutes or less but sometimes can continue for five to ten minutes.

People suffering from a seizure often lose control of their bladder and bowels and may bite their tongue or cheeks. Once a seizure has subsided, the person usually feels weak, exhausted, and confused and may have difficulty speaking or understanding other people for a while.

People who have had a severe seizure of over two minutes may have trouble standing or walking and may need assistance taking care of themselves for at least the next few days.

Seizures After a Traumatic Brain Injury

When someone has a seizure during the first week after a traumatic brain injury, it is called an early post-traumatic seizure. Approximately one-quarter of patients who have an early post-traumatic seizure will experience another seizure months or even years later.

Having a seizure after the first week has passed after a traumatic brain injury is called a late post-traumatic seizure. The risk of having another seizure after a late post-traumatic seizure is high. About 80% of these people experience another seizure.

What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is when someone has had more than one seizure. This condition may be permanent. Doctors are able to speculate your likelihood of having seizures based on the cause, severity, and location of your brain injury.

For instance, a subdural hematoma is bleeding between the brain and the skull and can cause seizures. Over 60% of people who have had more than two surgeries on their brains after suffering a brain injury will experience a seizure. 65% of brain injuries caused by bullet wounds leave people with seizures.

Other conditions that may increase the risk of having a seizure include:

  • High fever
  • Loss of sleep and extreme fatigue
  • Drug and alcohol abuse
  • Chemical changes in the body, such as low sodium or magnesium, or high calcium

What Medications Are Used to Treat Seizures?

Antiepileptic drugs are used to control seizures. These medications are also used to help with other conditions, such as restlessness, chronic pain, and mood instability. The type of medication you receive will depend on the following factors:

  • Your type of seizures
  • Your overall health
  • Your age
  • Any side effects you get

Side effects from anti-epileptic drugs typically subside after taking the medication for three to five days. Common side effects consist of:

  • Dizziness or lack of balance
  • Lightheadedness
  • Sleepiness or fatigue
  • Confusion
  • Trembling
  • Double vision

To determine an adequate dosage, blood tests are often performed, which will also help to ensure that the medication is not causing any adverse effects.

It is vitally important to inform your doctor right away if you become pregnant or are trying to conceive a child. These medications can cause birth defects in newborns, although it is rare.

Some people will require two or more anti-epileptic drugs to stop their seizures. Some common medications are as follows:

  • Carbamazepine (also known as Tegretol)
  • Lamotrigine (also known as Lamictal)
  • Levetiracetam (also known as Keppra)
  • Gabapentin (also known as Neurontin)
  • Oxcarbazepine (also known as Trileptal)
  • Phenobarbital
  • Phenytoin/ fosphenytoin (also known as Dilantin)
  • Pregabalin (also known as Lyrica)
  • Topiramate (also known as Topamax)
  • Valproic acid or valproate (also known as Depakene or Depakote)
  • Zonisamide (also known as Zonegran)

What Happens if the Medications Do Not Stop the Seizures?

In the rare case that the medications are not stopping the seizures, your doctor will most likely refer you to the experts at the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. These experts will perform further testing and examinations.

The specialists may conduct brain wave tests and capture a seizure on video to help identify the cause of your seizures. These tests may help identify the correct medication or medication combination, or they may determine that other types of treatment may be beneficial for solving your problems.

What Should Caregivers Do During a Seizure?

When someone is having a seizure, caregivers or family members should watch closely what happens and later explain it in detail to medical professionals. They should keep a journal of the date, time, duration, and description of each seizure.

The doctor will use the recorded information to adjust the type of medications used to control the seizures.

Most seizures do not cause serious injuries, and they do not last for very long. Caregivers should still know what to do to prevent injuries to the person having a seizure.

  • Loosen tight clothing, especially around the neck.
  • Make sure the person does not fall. Hold them steady if the person is sitting on a chair, couch, or bed. If the person is standing, get them to the ground safely.
  • Turn them and their head to the side so that anything in the mouth, even spit, does not block the throat or cause choking.
  • It can be dangerous to put anything in the mouth as you can get bitten.
  • If you know CPR, check the heart rate in the neck. Start CPR if there is no pulse. Call 911.
  • Listen for breathing at the mouth and extend the neck if breathing is difficult. If there is no breathing, begin giving rescue breaths by sealing your lips over the person’s mouth and breathing two quick breaths. Continue breathing for them every 5 seconds until they start breathing on their own. Call 911.
  • If this is the first seizure after a traumatic brain injury, call the person’s doctor for advice.
  • If the seizure does not stop after 3 minutes, call 911.
  • If the seizure stops within 3 minutes, call the person’s doctor.
  • If the patient does not return to normal within 20 minutes after the seizure, call 911.

Contact the Heavy Hitters to Support Your Case for Compensation

Seizures are a medical emergency, especially when they are caused by a head injury. Many people experience long-term symptoms from head injuries and are also at an increased risk of having seizures later in life.

Victims and their families often feel overwhelmed, isolated, stressed, frustrated, and confused about what to do next to be able to continue with their lives.

Personal injury attorneys help by ensuring victims receive full compensation for their injuries, so they can receive the treatment, medication, and care that they need.

By hiring Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters, you will have a brain injury lawyer who is fully invested in your case. They will ensure a full investigation into the accident that caused your injury, and they will collect evidence to prove negligence and build a strong case using medical evaluations, police reports, and witness statements.

The lawyers at Tatum & Atkinson are experienced and will help you determine an accurate assessment of the damages you have suffered.

Traumatic brain injuries causing seizures affect every aspect of your life, including your finances. Rehabilitation is expensive, and you should not have to worry about being able to afford your treatment, medications, special equipment, or other care that you need as a result of someone else’s negligent actions.

Our lawyers will make sure your compensation is enough to cover everything you need.

You should not have to fight for what you are legally entitled to receive, especially while you are in recovery. Tatum & Atkinson are aggressive and will not stop fighting on your behalf until you recover everything that is rightfully yours.

If you or your loved one has suffered from the effects of seizures from a traumatic brain injury, you should have all the support you can get. For a free consultation about your case, call (800) LAW-0804 today to get your process started.

When we take your case, we won’t charge you anything until we win or settle it for you.

Q: Can I Have a TBI Even If I Feel Fine?

Can you have a concussion without knowing? Yes.

Traumatic brain injuries range from mild to severe, and the accompanying symptoms vary depending on the location and severity of the injury. Some symptoms do not appear until days after the injury, and they may not be apparent for weeks or even longer.

A black-and-white frontal shot of a woman holding her hands to her head in pain, with painful areas highlighted in red.

Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include:

  • Headaches
  • Behavior or mood changes
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Confusion or memory problems
  • Dilated pupils or blurred vision
  • Dizziness, fainting, or fatigue
  • Convulsions or seizures
  • Restlessness or agitation
  • Sensitivity to light and smell
  • Sleeping too much or too little
  • Slurred speech

It is possible to feel fine after a traumatic brain injury. According to the Hope Network, some people do not recognize their symptoms until they try to perform a certain skilled task or something that involves concentration, and they experience difficulty.

What Are Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms?

Severe TBI symptoms are similar to those of mild brain injuries. Doctors grade the severity of the traumatic brain injury by measuring the length of time that the patient’s symptoms persist.

According to the Mayo Clinic, initial signs that indicate a potentially severe traumatic brain injury include:

  • Loss of Consciousness: less than 30 minutes is considered mild, while longer than 24 hours is severe
  • Memory Lapse and Amnesia: lasting less than 24 hours is mild, and greater than seven days is severe
  • Abnormal Brain Diagnostic Imaging: mild injuries may appear normal immediately following the initial injury. Severe injuries usually appear as abnormal on brain scans but can still appear normal right after the injury. Follow-up visits are critical for brain injuries.

Just like mild brain injuries, symptoms may appear right away, or they may take days, weeks, or even longer to show themselves. The most common symptoms of severe traumatic brain injuries are as follows:

  • Headaches or migraines
  • Dizziness, vertigo
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Sensitivity to sound
  • Seizures
  • Eye symptoms (dry eye, blurry vision, etc.)
  • Chronic pain
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Disruption of sleep
  • Emotional disorders

Headaches or Migraines

Headaches are probably the most common complaints patients have after a serious head injury. Almost half of all survivors of traumatic head injuries suffer from headaches or migraines at some point within the first year following their injuries.

The likelihood of all people with head injuries having headaches is high, no matter the severity of the injury or their recovery.

Dizziness and Vertigo

People with moderate to severe brain injuries will most likely experience dizziness or vertigo. These symptoms are typically long-lasting; over a third of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury survivors reported lightheadedness and imbalance five years after their injuries.

Dizziness and vertigo are often causes of disability and poor recovery.

Sensitivity to Light

Painful sensitivity to light is called photophobia. This symptom has been studied in veterans with serious brain injuries.

The research revealed that about 40% of patients with moderate to severe brain injuries developed light sensitivity and that number jumps to 70% when the patients had a loss of consciousness at the time of their injuries. Photophobia is the most common symptom of a traumatic brain injury that affects a person’s vision.

Sensitivity to Sound

Approximately 25% of survivors of brain injuries are left with a sensitivity to sound. They develop a lower tolerance for noise and find loud noises to be painful.

Seizures

The risk of seizures following a traumatic brain injury is increased depending on the type and severity of the injury. Seizures are less common than other physical symptoms but may happen at any point after the injury and during the recovery phase.

The seizure almost always occurs in the exact location of the damage to the brain, whether it’s a scar or a bruise. Symptoms of the seizure include:

  • General unresponsiveness
  • Inability to speak
  • Involuntary movement of specific parts of the body

Brain injury survivors usually only experience these symptoms for up to a few minutes. There are some cases where the seizures continued until the patients were diagnosed with epilepsy.

Seizures are more commonly seen in children who have had traumatic brain injuries.

Eye Symptoms

The eyes are directly connected to the brain and are at a high risk of being affected by a traumatic brain injury. The vestibulo-ocular reflex connects and stabilizes visual processing during head movements and is commonly disrupted by head trauma.

Many survivors also experience blurry or double vision. More serious brain injuries have been linked to dry eye disease and ocular pain.

Chronic Pain

Moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries are also associated with chronic or ongoing pain in any location of the body. The head, neck, shoulders, and back are the most common sites of pain.

Veterans are at a higher risk of chronic pain than civilians, according to multiple studies. Depression and other emotional disorders increase the survivor’s risk of chronic pain.

Cognitive Impairment

About two-thirds of people who have suffered from traumatic brain injuries experience cognitive impairments that disrupt their daily mental well-being. These cognitive deficits include:

  • Trouble concentrating
  • Lack of impulse control
  • Slow or impaired decision making
  • Having a lack of motivation
  • Diminished attention span and awareness
  • Displaying poor judgment
  • Lapses in memory
  • Altered overall intelligence

These impairments also negatively impact the patient’s recovery process and treatment plans, and therefore, their return to normal function is impacted as well.

Disruption of Sleep

Severe traumatic brain injuries have been shown to disrupt normal sleep patterns in over half of patients. The risk of excessive sleep, or hypersomnia, is slightly higher than experiencing difficulty falling asleep, or insomnia.

Children who have suffered from head injuries are also at risk for disruptions to their sleep. They typically encounter drowsiness and impaired breathing while sleeping.

Emotional Disorders

Emotional distress is very common in all chronic illnesses, and life-altering injuries and traumatic brain injuries are no exception. Depression, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety are the most prevalent emotional disorders that accompany a serious head injury and impact about a third of all survivors.

Behavioral and personality changes are also commonly seen after brain damage. Paranoia and psychosis are less common but are often associated with brain injuries as well.

Contact the Heavy Hitters to Handle Your Case for Compensation

Traumatic brain injuries cause some of the most devastating injuries imaginable. Many people experience long-term symptoms and lose their ability to control their emotions and behaviors.

Victims and their families often feel overwhelmed, isolated, stressed, frustrated, and confused about what to do next to be able to continue with their lives. Personal injury attorneys help by ensuring victims receive full compensation for their injuries, so they can receive the treatment, medication, and care that they need.

By hiring Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters, you will have a lawyer who is fully invested in your case. They will ensure a full investigation into the accident that caused your injury, collecting evidence to prove negligence and building a strong case using medical evaluations, police reports, and witness statements.

The lawyers at Tatum & Atkinson are experienced and will help you determine an accurate assessment of the damages you have suffered.

Traumatic brain injuries affect every aspect of your life, including your finances. You should not have to worry about being able to afford your treatment, medications, special equipment, or other care that you need as a result of someone else’s negligent actions.

Our lawyers will make sure your compensation is enough to cover everything you need.

You should not have to fight for what you are legally entitled to receive, especially while you are in recovery. Tatum & Atkinson are aggressive and will not stop fighting on your behalf until you recover everything that is rightfully yours.

For a free consultation about your case, call (800) LAW-0804 today to get your process started.

Q: Can You Die From a Head Injury Years Later?

Traumatic brain injuries have the potential to cause devastating life changes. Research has shown that people who have suffered from head injuries have an increased risk of death in the years following the injury, however, there are still unknowns as far as what exactly links the head injury to the cause of death.

International studies have shown that even mild brain injuries make people almost twice as likely to die within the following fifteen years than people who have never had a brain injury. Researchers have not been able to determine why this likelihood is so high.

Other studies suggest that the increased risk of death is the greatest within the following seven years of the brain injury.

Some theories of why traumatic brain injuries increase the survivor’s chance of death are that the symptoms caused by the brain injury are actually what cause the fatalities. For instance, rain injuries can cause seizures, which can develop into epilepsy, and any uncontrolled seizures can lead to death.

A red-haired woman grasping her head in pain while lying on a couch next to an opened bottle of medication.

What Is the Life Expectancy of Someone With a Traumatic Brain Injury?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, despite initial hospitalization and inpatient rehabilitation services, about 50% of people with traumatic brain injuries will experience further decline in their daily lives or die within five years of their injury.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries?

Head injuries have been known to cause a multitude of symptoms. Some people see their symptoms fade away quickly, while others have to endure them for many years or possibly for the rest of their lives.

Traumatic brain injuries can leave people with the following long-term effects:

  • Cognitive Impairment
  • Chronic Pain
  • Speech Difficulties
  • Trouble Speaking
  • Debilitating Headaches
  • Disabilities in Moving and Walking

Survivors of more severe brain injuries are faced with drastic changes in their lives. They may lose their ability to work, causing an extreme financial crisis when they have to pay their medical bills.

Rehabilitation and recovery treatments like physical and speech therapy are highly beneficial for many people, but some may never recover to their former level of ability. These rehabilitation programs are expensive, and most insurance policies have a limit to how much they will pay.

There are many brain injury patients who need treatment and are just beginning to see improvements when their insurance companies stop paying, and they are forced to stop.

How Will a Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer Help You Get the Treatment You Need?

Navigating life after a traumatic brain injury is overwhelming. Your health insurance may not cover all the treatments, equipment, or care you need, and you may find yourself unable to work because of your injury and subsequent disabling symptoms.

Not being able to work leads to being unable to pay for expensive rehabilitation services. When your brain injury is the result of someone else’s negligent actions, trying to get them or their insurance company to pay can often be a long and difficult battle that only leaves you feeling frustrated and exhausted.

If this situation sounds familiar to you or someone you love, a traumatic brain injury lawyer will be able to help you. Insurance companies regularly offer better settlement offers when you have a lawyer involved in your case, and they are quicker with the process as well.

Your lawyer will combat any excuses they try to use to avoid paying. Our aggressive attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson will negotiate and fight on your behalf to get you the full amount of compensation that you are legally entitled to receive for your damages.

Arguing with insurance companies without any experience or knowledge about your legal rights or the complexities of insurance policies is not advisable, and the majority of people are not equipped to appeal a denial of their claim.

Many people accept insufficient settlement offers because they do not realize how expensive their treatments are going to be or how much they are actually entitled to receive as compensation for the damages they have suffered.

Insurance companies often use loopholes to avoid paying for claims. They will also use anything you say against you.

They will use the recordings of your phone calls with them by taking what you say and twisting it into something that you did not mean, but they will use it to justify the denial of your claim. This is why it is so important to have an experienced lawyer correspond with the insurance companies on your behalf.

Lawyers know all the insurance company’s tricks, and they know what to say to avoid causing new problems.

Insurance adjusters may also attempt to place some of the blame for your injury onto you. According to the North Carolina Pure Contributory Negligence law, as stated in Legal Knowledge Base, if you had any part in causing the accident that caused your injuries, you are not entitled to any compensation.

This is a common way for insurance companies to avoid paying for the damages you have suffered.

Determining who was at fault for an accident can be difficult, and you should not believe an insurance company’s accusations. Your best course of action is to discuss your accident report with your lawyer. Your lawyer will investigate and determine whether you are eligible for compensation.

How Long Do Traumatic Brain Injuries Take To Heal?

Recovery from traumatic brain injuries depends on the type and severity of the damage. Some patients make a full recovery within weeks or months of the injury, while others take much longer.

Immediate medical attention serves to get an early diagnosis so you can begin treatment sooner, which will help your chances of making a fast and complete recovery. When complete recovery is not possible for your type of injury, treatment therapies improve your condition and help prevent other problems.

Sadly, there are people who have to endure chronic or long-term symptoms. Some brain injury survivors are left with permanent impairments like cognitive deficits or difficulties with speaking, walking, or moving.

Although many people make improvements with rehabilitation programs, some conditions worsen over time.

Most people make their greatest improvements within the first two years following their injury, but progress is also possible five and even ten years later. Occupational and physical therapies are proven to be beneficial as long as the patients continue their treatments.

Long-term disabilities commonly associated with traumatic brain injuries include:

  • Balance and coordination difficulties that contribute to movement issues.
  • Movement problems, including issues with fine motor skills, gait, walking, or talking.
  • Speech or language deficits. This can easily prevent a person from continuing their work in many settings.
  • Mental health challenges. Depression and anxiety are so common that many people do not consider that they are caused by their brain injuries. The brain’s ability to regulate emotions and moods is affected by head injuries and is a common symptom of brain damage.
  • Cognitive issues, such as trouble with memory or critical thinking.
  • Visual disturbances or deficits. These deficits sometimes cause the injured person to no longer be able to drive or do their job.
  • Coma or persistent vegetative state. When an injured person falls into a coma or a deep state of unconsciousness, these are the most severe cases aside from those that cause death. The patient is considered to be in a permanent vegetative state when the unconsciousness does not resolve within three weeks. People in this condition are able to remain alive for many years using intensive medical support. The expense of the required medical support is often financially devastating for their families.

Contact the Heavy Hitters to Support Your Case for Compensation

Traumatic brain injuries cause some of the most devastating injuries imaginable. Many people experience long-term symptoms and lose their ability to control their emotions and behaviors.

Victims and their families often feel overwhelmed, isolated, stressed, frustrated, and confused about what to do next to be able to continue with their lives.

Personal injury attorneys help by ensuring victims receive full compensation for their injuries, so they can receive the treatment, medication, and care that they need.

By hiring Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters, you will have a lawyer who is fully invested in your case. They will ensure a full investigation into the accident that caused your injury.

They will collect evidence to prove negligence and build a strong case using medical evaluations, police reports, and witness statements.

The lawyers at Tatum & Atkinson are experienced and will help you determine an accurate assessment of the damages you have suffered. Traumatic brain injuries affect every aspect of your life, including your finances.

Rehabilitation is expensive, and you should not have to worry about being able to afford your treatment, medications, special equipment, or other care that you need as a result of someone else’s negligent actions. Our lawyers will make sure your compensation is enough to cover everything you need.

You should not have to fight for what you are legally entitled to receive, especially while you are in recovery. Tatum & Atkinson are aggressive and will not stop fighting on your behalf until you recover everything that is rightfully yours.

If you or your loved one has suffered from the effects of a traumatic brain injury or if your loved one has died, you should have all the support you can get. For a free consultation about your case, call (800) LAW-0804 today to get your process started.

When we take your case, we won’t charge you anything until we win or settle it for you.

Q: Does TBI Get Worse With Age?

Every brain injury is different. The type of injury, severity, location, and rehabilitation process all play a part in whether or not symptoms may get worse.

Many effects from a brain injury get better over time, while others may continue on and make rehabilitation more difficult. Thankfully, there are actions you can take to prevent or reverse any decline in your recovery.

People who have suffered from traumatic brain injuries with long-term effects often experience regression during their recovery period. Ongoing rehabilitative treatment is crucial for staying proactive about recognizing, preventing, and reversing any signs of regression after a brain injury.

An old woman seated at a table in a dim room, holding her left hand up to her forehead.

What Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms Show Up Years Later?

Everyone’s brain is different, and their brain injuries are just as unique. Some people experience one or more of the following traumatic brain injury symptoms years later:

  • Headaches
  • Memory Loss
  • Difficulty Sleeping
  • Depression
  • Foggy Thinking
  • Anxiety
  • Personality Changes

Symptoms that appear years after a traumatic brain injury can be difficult to attribute to the brain injury as there are many other possible explanations for the symptoms. A thorough work-up is necessary to rule out any other causes before the brain injury can be identified as the culprit.

What Causes Traumatic Brain Injuries to Get Worse Over Time?

According to the CDC, about 50% of individuals with a traumatic brain injury may experience decline or premature mortality within five years of the injury. There are many causes for a decline in recovery, but there are two main reasons why people may get worse over time.

  1. Secondary Brain Injuries
  2. Chemical Changes in the Brain

What Are Secondary Brain Injuries?

Complications may occur after an initial injury to the brain. Some examples of these complications include:

  • Hypoxia – a lack of oxygen reaching the brain causing brain cells to die
  • Inflammation – swelling in or around the brain puts pressure on the brain because the skull will not expand to accommodate the increase in size
  • Thrombus or Embolus – blood clots may form as a result of the injury or from injuries to another part of the body.
  • Infections – bacteria enter the brain

These complications are secondary injuries because they often restrict or stop the flow of blood to certain areas of the brain, causing brain cells to die. The symptoms that arise from brain cell death are not always immediately noticeable, and, as a result, the brain injury appears to become worse over time.

What Causes Chemical Changes in the Brain?

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the brain. When the brain is injured, an excess amount of neurotransmitters may become present and will overstimulate the brain cells causing them to eventually die.

Other harmful chemical events and an excess of neurotransmitters may cause someone with a brain injury to become worse over time.

How Does the Rehabilitation Process Affect Recovery?

Recovery from a traumatic brain injury depends heavily upon the rehabilitation process. The risk of complications greatly increases when someone suffering from a brain injury does not receive the necessary treatment for any secondary symptoms as soon as possible.

For example, someone who is having involuntary muscle contractions, known as spasticity, following a traumatic brain injury must undergo rehabilitation right away. Without treatment, the muscle fibers may stay contracted in a serious complication known as contracture.

The brain, as well as the rest of the body, is more susceptible to developing a secondary injury or other medical conditions when complications arise.

This is why following your treatment plan and communicating all of your symptoms and any changes in your condition with your doctor and rehabilitation team is so important. Prevention and quick intervention is the best way to combat any chances of decline after suffering from a brain injury.

Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries

All effects of traumatic brain injury are dependent upon the severity and location where the injury occurred.

  • Frontal Lobe – the front of the brain behind the forehead is what is responsible for impulse control, problem-solving, reasoning, planning, and judgment. Damage to this area can cause inappropriate and risky behavior, personality changes, and emotional disorders.
  • Left Side – the left side of the brain is responsible for language, number skills, reasoning, scientific skills, spoken language, and right-hand control. Damage to this area may lead to speech difficulties, problems understanding others, and trouble with logic.
  • Right Side – the right side of the brain is responsible for attention, memory, reasoning, and problem-solving. Injuries to this area may cause difficulty processing visual information, neglect, and apraxia. Apraxia is the loss of the ability to perform a skilled task or movement, even though the person still has the physical capability and desire to carry out the action. For example, a person may be physically able to reach out and grasp an object, but they are unable to make their body perform the correct sequence of movements to reach the object.
  • Cerebellum – the back of the brain is the cerebellum, and it coordinates voluntary muscle movements and helps to maintain posture, balance, and equilibrium. Damage to the cerebellum can lead to the loss of coordination of motor movement, the inability to judge distance and when to stop, the inability to perform rapid alternating movements, movement tremors, staggering, wide-based walking, a tendency toward falling, weak muscles, slurred speech, and abnormal eye movements.

The severity of the trauma to the brain has a direct effect on the long-term symptoms that the sufferer has to endure. The more severe the injury, the higher likelihood of having physical impairments, cognitive impairments, problem-solving challenges, sleep disturbances, and depression.

Long-term effects may include any combination of the following:

  • Memory loss
  • Headaches
  • Seizures
  • Dizziness
  • Visual changes
  • Fatigue
  • Paralysis
  • Balance problems
  • Reduced language skills
  • Mood swings

According to The Brain Injury Association of America, more than three million people in the United States live with a permanent disability caused by a traumatic brain injury. More than two million people sustain a traumatic brain injury every year in our country.

Traumatic brain injuries often have wide-ranging, long-term physical and psychological effects.

Head injuries should never be ignored. According to the CDC, a brain injury can be caused by a jolt, a blow, or sometimes just a bump to the head. A person’s cognitive, physical, and emotional behaviors may be impaired for days or years depending on the severity, location, and the treatment of the injury.

Some symptoms present themselves right away following the event of the injury, while others may not appear until weeks or even months later.

Researchers have been studying the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries that have been left untreated for months or longer because they were not taken seriously and ignored or undiagnosed. Their findings are concerning and prove that head injuries are serious, even when they do not cause a loss of consciousness.

A common type of traumatic brain injury is actually so common that many people fail to take them seriously. These injuries are commonly referred to as concussions.

Concussions are extremely common in sports and traffic accidents, as well as in serious falls where the brain is slammed against the skull.

According to a journal in the American Academy of Neurology, there is still visible damage in brain scans months after the injury in people who only suffered mild concussions. This is why medical attention is important after every head injury.

Contact Tatum & Atkinson to Get Your Compensation Fast

If you or someone you care about has suffered a traumatic brain injury due to someone else’s negligence, contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters right away. Call (800) LAW-0804 for a free consultation to see if you are eligible for compensation.

Q: How Does Traumatic Brain Injury Affect Your Behavior?
Q: How Much do Car Accident Lawyers Charge?

Great news—it costs you absolutely nothing to hire us to handle the entirety of your case and if we don’t win, you don’t pay us. That’s right, our no win/no fee approach means that you get top notch legal representation at no cost to you. We take all our cases on a contingency fee basis meaning what you pay us is contingent on how much we get you paid. While we won’t know this amount until your case settles, our contingency percentage is a fair industry standard and something we discuss when you hire us.

Q: How Much Should I Sue for Pain and Suffering?

Pain and suffering is an important part of your overall compensation following a personal injury accident. Different than more tangible expenses like medical bills and missed work, your pain and suffering compensation is intended to be a financial reflection of the overall impact of the accident. Unless it is a medical malpractice case, there is no limit to how much you can get for pain and suffering and the more devastating the accident, the more pain and suffering you should get.

Q: Should I Hire a Lawyer for a Minor Car Accident?

Is it worth getting the most money possible following your accident? Here’s how you can decide if you need a lawyer or not—if you have injuries that have resulted in things like medical bills or missed work, then you should strongly consider setting up your obligation-free consultation with us. If your minor accident only involved property damage to your car, you could handle your case on your own with the insurance companies. Keep in mind that not all car accident injuries are immediate—many, such as whiplash, have a latent onset which is why it is best to always listen to your body and see a doctor following even a minor accident.

Q: Supporting a Loved One With TBI: Tips for Caregivers

The best support system for people with traumatic brain injuries is provided by their caregivers. These caregivers are typically family members, close friends, homecare professionals, or any combination of these people.

Caregiving is one of the most important roles in helping people recover from traumatic brain injuries. The support and encouragement provided on a daily basis are essential for recovery and also ensure patients stay compliant with their treatment plans.

Unfortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control, caregiving often takes a serious toll on the giver. Staying positive, being emotionally strong, and sometimes taking on verbal and even physical abuse from the patient is exhausting.

Having to care for your loved one while seeing them suffer through pain and depression is draining, and having to watch their struggles and the change in their daily lives is beyond difficult. Thankfully, there is support for caregivers as well through support groups and family and friends.

Two parents smiling and embracing their daughter in a hospital bed while she is attached to an IV and EKG machine.

Tips For Caregivers

  • When giving instructions to your loved one, be mindful to only ask for one thing at a time, as people with brain injuries have trouble multitasking.
  • Use calendars and make lists to help them remember events. The detail involved will depend on the severity of the person’s difficulty with memory. For example, some people will need a reminder about an appointment at three. Other people will need additional details, such as telling them to put on their shoes, bring their wallets, and comb their hair.
  • Routines are highly beneficial for people with brain injuries. They will know what to expect, and important tasks are less likely to be forgotten when following a schedule. Most important tasks should be completed in the morning as the injured person typically loses energy throughout the day.
  • Always remember that both the patient and the caregiver will have good days and bad days. It is important to take breaks to keep from feeling overwhelmed. Emotions and physical stress are often unpredictable and are affected by a multitude of factors.
  • Accept help and use your resources before you begin to feel burned out. The process of recovery is sometimes more difficult for the caregiver than it is for the patient. Remember to take breaks and accept help from other family members and friends. You do not have to do it all.
  • Join a support group for caregivers. Talking to people in similar situations is very therapeutic. Confiding your feelings with someone who understands will help you feel validated in your emotions and give you the strength to keep going; even when you feel like you are not making a difference, you are making the biggest impact on your family member’s life and recovery.
  • Attend the patient’s medical appointments and provide the doctor with details about any progress and challenges. Many people find it difficult to discuss these issues, but not mentioning a problem will hinder the recovery process. Also, take note of recommendations or changes in the treatment plan, as people with brain injuries tend to forget or have difficulty understanding. They need you with them.
  • Take care of yourself. Self-care is extremely important for caregivers but is often overlooked. Do what you need to do to stay healthy and to keep motivated. Your family member needs you, even if they do not want to admit it.
  • Get plenty of rest, and remember that you are not alone.

Best Traumatic Brain Injury Care Facilities in North Carolina

There are several care facilities in and around Raleigh, North Carolina, for patients with traumatic brain injuries.

  • STEPS for Recovery
  • Brain Injury Association of North Carolina
  • WakeMed Raleigh Campus
  • Rex Hospital
  • Duke Health Raleigh Hospital
  • Sunnybrook Rehabilitation Center
  • Precision Brain Center

These facilities are just a few of many throughout the area. Your doctor will be able to recommend the best treatment facility for your specific needs and insurance requirements.

Brain injuries are often life-changing. They are also complex injuries that affect people differently.

Therefore, personalized treatment plans are formulated for your individual needs. What worked for someone else may not work for you, so try not to get frustrated if you do not see the same results as people around you.

It is best not to compare yourself with others. Your recovery journey is your own, and only you can know how it feels.

The best treatment facility for you is a place that will make you feel safe and supported. They should offer you the following:

  • Support groups for you and your family
  • Peer mentoring, you should have the opportunity to connect with other people who have survived similar injuries, and your family should connect with other caregivers for support
  • Ongoing care, your treatment should start either in the hospital or right after you are discharged and should continue as long as you need it
  • Home modifications, the treatment facility should also assess your injuries and your home for any necessary modifications to make your home life safe. These modifications may include items such as wheelchair ramps or safety rails in the bathrooms.
  • Most importantly, the treatment facility should offer you individualized care, and they should be willing to adapt their approach for your benefit.

Examples of Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injuries

There are many different types of treatments and techniques for rehabilitation after a brain injury. Depending on your injury and symptoms, your unique plan may include some of the following examples.

Behavioral Management and Neurobehavioral Program

Many brain injuries have the potential to cause behavioral disorders, including personality changes and difficulty with impulse control. Treatment for these symptoms often involves a quiet space that provides a low-stimulation environment.

Avoiding triggers such as loud noises and bright lights helps to decrease distractions. Caregivers and family members should also be involved and taught techniques for managing behavioral changes.

Aquatic Therapy

Water is an amazing tool when it comes to healing the body. Knowledgeable aquatic therapists will guide patients in techniques to regain mobility and strength by utilizing weight training as well as gait training while in a heated pool.

Being submerged in water provides a safe environment for movement with the assistance of buoyancy while improving strength by providing resistance to movement as well. Pain management strategies are also taught in this setting.

Robot Assisted Gait Training

Your gait is how you walk or take your steps. Your gait may have been significantly altered by your injury, or you may need this therapy as a part of your recovery from paralysis.

Not all facilities will have robotic machines to assist you, but they will all have equipment that will help you move safely. You should be able to move effectively so that your balance, strength, and mobility are improved.

Wheelchair Seating Clinic

Physical therapists and mobility specialists should be available to assist you if your injury has caused you to require a wheelchair. They will help you select the appropriate chair for your needs and abilities.

They will ensure the correct controls, cushioning, and support are provided to optimize your mobility and comfort while using the wheelchair. They will also help work with your insurance company and advocate on your behalf to see that your needs are met through proper equipment.

Emerging Response Program

Severe traumatic brain injuries can leave patients in a minimally conscious condition. An emerging response program uses advanced therapies to assist patients in becoming more aware and engaged in their surroundings.

Patients should begin to understand and engage in purposeful activities and movements. This type of rehabilitation from brain injuries is a team effort that includes doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, and case managers specializing in brain injury rehabilitation.

Community Fitness Center

Many people recovering from brain injuries want to continue to exercise to build and maintain strength after their rehabilitation is complete. They may not yet feel comfortable joining a mainstream gym, so some treatment facilities offer the option of having continued access to their specialized equipment for a small fee.

This is a very beneficial option for those who have finished their treatment plans as well as for the individuals still receiving treatment. They have the opportunity to motivate and inspire each other while continuing to work towards improving their health.

How Can a Brain Injury Lawyer Help With My Treatment?

An experienced brain injury lawyer is most helpful in dealing with insurance companies for you. The lawyers at Tatum & Atkinson will ensure that your claim is complete and filed correctly to maximize your likelihood of approval.

If you have already been denied, there is still hope for your case. Our lawyers will file an appeal and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf for your claims.

We will also fight for you if your insurance company stops paying for your necessary treatments.

Tatum & Atkinson Are Ready To Fight For Your Wellbeing

Treatment is crucial for recovering from traumatic brain injuries. Unfortunately, specialized medical treatments are astronomically expensive in the United States, especially if the insurance company stops paying or refuses to pay.

Do not give up hope for yourself or your injured loved one. Contact the attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters at (800) LAW-0804 for a free consultation to discuss your case.

We will explore your options for possibly negotiating with the insurance companies or seeking compensation for your injuries from a guilty party. Whatever the case may be in your unique situation, we will find a solution if there is one to be found.

Q: Traumatic Brain Injuries in Veterans: Resources and Support for Recovery

Many brave soldiers have been injured while they were serving our country. During the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the signature injury was a traumatic brain injury.

According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense reported more than 375,000 diagnosed cases of traumatic brain injuries among members of the armed forces between 2000 and 2017. Veterans who were in vehicle crashes, exposed to explosions, or received blows or jolts to the head, may have suffered a brain injury without them even being aware of it.

Some brain injuries do not manifest any symptoms until months after the injury. Many veterans do not realize the symptoms are connected to the trauma to their brains because so much time has passed by, and so they do not know where or how to receive the proper treatment.

A soldier in uniform, sitting at home on a couch and holding his hands up to his head.

Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury in Veterans

Traumatic brain injuries bring a multitude of different symptoms. Veterans are at high risk of receiving brain injuries from the dangers associated with their work.

These injuries leave veterans with cognitive, physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms, all of which affect every aspect of their lives. Medical professionals with experience in brain injuries are required for proper diagnosis and treatment because of the complex variables involved.

The majority of traumatic brain injuries in veterans are considered mild, but even mild injuries sometimes have serious, long-lasting consequences. Memory, the ability to think, mental focus, and mood are all affected by brain injuries.

The most common symptoms include the following:

  • Blurred Vision
  • Headaches
  • Difficulty Speaking
  • Dizziness
  • Hearing Problems
  • Changes in Taste and Smell
  • Trouble Concentrating
  • Difficulty Remembering
  • Often Repeating Yourself
  • Quick to Anger
  • Easily Frustrated

Many veterans diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injuries find their symptoms fade away within hours or days of the initial incident. Some have to wait weeks or months for their symptoms to resolve, while others must endure persistent symptoms that last much longer.

What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a traumatic brain injury is caused by a forceful bump, blow, or jolt to the head or from an object that pierces the skull and enters the brain. These injuries disrupt the normal functioning of the brain.

Traumatic Brain Injuries From Exposure to Explosions

Exposure to explosions is a common cause of brain injuries. Explosive forces affect the entire body, and these multiple injuries interact with each other resulting in more disabling symptoms and longer recovery times.

Traumatic brain injuries caused by exposure to blast waves are typically more complex than those caused by other events.

Explosions also send shrapnel into all objects in the surrounding area, including people. These high-speed fragments can hit or penetrate the head and cause traumatic brain injuries and can also damage other parts of the body, causing massive blood loss, which could cause brain damage.

In addition to TBIs, explosions can also cause chemical brain injuries when victims inhale toxic substances created by the explosion.

Diagnosing Traumatic Brain Injuries in Veterans

Veterans who have served in combat operations must undergo mandatory screening for traumatic brain injury if they use Veterans Affairs health care. They are asked four simple questions to identify whether they have been exposed to events of increased risk for traumatic brain injuries and if they have any symptoms related to that event.

The medical examiner will discuss the results with the veteran after completing comprehensive evaluations. The veteran will receive recommendations for follow-up care and referrals to specialists if necessary.

Support for Veterans Diagnosed With Traumatic Brain Injuries

All veterans in the United States of America have resources for support. The Department of Veterans Affairs provides benefits for veterans during and after their time of service.

Some of the benefits they can receive are as follows:

  • Health Care
  • Disability Compensation
  • Education and Training
  • Pension
  • Insurance
  • Home Loans
  • Veteran Readiness and Employment
  • Burial
  • Support for Caregivers

Caregivers

The best support system for veterans and anybody else with traumatic brain injuries is provided by their caregivers. These caregivers are typically family members, close friends, homecare professionals, or any combination of these people.

Caregiving is one of the most important roles in helping people recover from traumatic brain injuries. The support and encouragement provided on a daily basis are essential for recovery.

Caregivers also ensure patients stay compliant with their treatment plans.

Unfortunately, caregiving often takes a toll on the giver. Staying positive, being emotionally strong, and sometimes taking on verbal and even physical abuse from the patient is exhausting.

Having to care for your loved one while seeing them suffer through pain and depression is draining, and having to watch their struggles and the change in their daily lives is beyond difficult. Thankfully, there is support for caregivers through Veterans Affairs as well.

Tips For Caregivers

  • When giving instructions to your loved one, be mindful to only ask for one thing at a time, as people with brain injuries have trouble multitasking.
  • Use calendars and make lists to help them remember events. The detail involved will depend on the severity of the person’s difficulty with memory. For example, some people will need a reminder about an appointment at three. Other people will need additional details, such as being told to put on their shoes, bring their wallets, and comb their hair.
  • Routines are highly beneficial for people with brain injuries. They will know what to expect, and important tasks are less likely to be forgotten when following a schedule. Most important tasks should be completed in the morning as the injured veteran typically loses energy throughout the day.
  • Always remember that both the veteran and the caregiver will have good days and bad days. It is important to take breaks to keep from feeling overwhelmed. Emotions and physical stress are often unpredictable and are affected by a multitude of factors.
  • Accept help and use your resources before you begin to feel burned out. The process of recovery is sometimes more difficult for the caregiver than it is for the patient. Remember to take breaks and accept help from other family members and friends. You do not have to do it all.
  • Join a support group for caregivers. Talking to people in similar situations is very therapeutic. Confiding your feelings with someone who understands will help you feel validated in your emotions and give you the strength to keep going even when you feel like you are not making a difference; you are making the biggest impact on your family member’s life and recovery.
  • Attend the veteran’s medical appointments and provide the doctor with details about any progress and challenges. Many veterans find it difficult to discuss these issues, but not mentioning a problem will hinder the recovery process. Also, take note of recommendations or changes in the treatment plan, as people with brain injuries tend to forget or have difficulty understanding. They need you with them.
  • Take care of yourself. Self-care is extremely important for caregivers but is often overlooked. Veterans Affairs has a support line for caregivers, 1-855-260-3274. Do what you need to do to stay healthy and to keep motivated. Your family member needs you, even if they do not want to admit it.
  • Get plenty of rest, and remember that you are not alone.

Disability Claims for Veterans

Traumatic brain injuries qualify for disability claims. If you or your loved one have suffered a head injury, it is important to file a claim for disability with Veterans Affairs as soon as possible.

You do not need a traumatic brain injury diagnosis before filing your claim. If you have experienced any of the symptoms listed above, keep a written daily log of the frequency and severity of each episode.

The medical personnel at Veterans Affairs will need this information to process your claim. Contact the attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson if your claim is denied by Veterans Affairs or if the process is taking too long.

Call Tatum & Atkinson to Get Your Disability Claim Approved

There are times when valid claims get denied or hung up in processing at Veterans Affairs. The attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters can help.

We are experienced in getting disability claims approved and will make sure you have all the necessary evidence, documentation, and medical evaluations to get your claim processed and approved. Call 800-LAW-0804 for a free consultation to discuss how we can help your case.

You have served our country. Now let us serve you by ensuring you get the benefits you are entitled to receive.

Q: What Are Common Types of Spinal Cord Injury?

The spinal cord is a tight bundle of nerves that acts as a two-way highway for signals traveling to and from the brain and the rest of the body.

The spine starts at the base of the skull from the brain and extends down through the lower back. It is protected by interlocking bones called vertebrae that allow for movement.

Damage to this bundle of nerves or the surrounding tissue is called a spinal cord injury. Changes or loss of sensation, strength, voluntary movement, and normal body functions can occur below the location of an injury and are either temporary or permanent.

A doctor in his clinic holding up a model of the human backbone and pointing at one of the discs.

Spinal cord injuries are classified according to their location and as complete or incomplete. The types of spinal cord injuries are as follows:

  • Cervical – neck
  • Thoracic – upper back
  • Lumbar – lower back
  • Sacral – base of the spine, in the pelvis

Damage to the spinal cord causes problems below the site of the injury, so the higher the injury, the more devastating the damage.

Damage to the cervical spinal cord is anything in the neck. These injuries typically cause the loss of sensation and function in both arms and legs, which is referred to as quadriplegia.

Injuries in the thoracic region of the spine cause paraplegia, meaning paralysis from the chest downward, including the loss of use of the legs.

Injuries to the lumbar and sacral regions will also often cause paraplegia or the loss of function in both hips and legs.

There are also two types of injury to the spinal cord:

  • Complete
  • Incomplete

A spinal cord injury is classified as complete when there is a total loss of function below the site of the injury. Loss of function means there is a loss of voluntary movement and sensation.

When a spinal cord injury is considered incomplete, there is still some function below the level of the injury. These injuries vary in severity and location of their effects.

Some people lose function in one leg but not the other or can feel sensations but not be able to move. Incomplete injuries are becoming more common as advancements are made in the acute treatment of spinal cord injuries, according to the Shepherd Center.

Most Common Cause of Spinal Cord Injuries

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the most common cause of spinal cord injury is a tie between motor vehicle accidents and catastrophic falls. Other common causes of spinal cord injuries are as follows:

  • Gunshot Wounds
  • Assault
  • Sports Injuries
  • Surgical Injuries
  • Industrial Accidents
  • Diseases
  • Conditions That Cause Damage To The Spinal Cord or Surrounding Tissue or Bones

Risk Factors for Spinal Cord Injuries

Catastrophic falls typically involve people between the ages of 16 and 30 or over 65. Other risk factors include the use of alcohol, not using proper safety equipment such as seatbelts or supportive sports equipment, and certain diseases that may or may not be genetic.

Damage to the spinal cord has the potential to completely change a person’s life in an instant. Even the most mundane tasks become challenges, and victims may have to struggle with everyday activities for the rest of their lives if the damage is permanent.

Injuries involving the spinal cord are never expected but are more common than most people imagine, given the severity of the consequences.

Motor vehicle accidents falls, and medical malpractice happen every day and often result in spinal cord damage. The devastating effects of these injuries drastically affect every aspect of the victim’s life and reach their families and loved ones as well, no matter what caused the tragedy.

At Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters, our personal injury lawyers have a special understanding of spinal cord injuries and are ready to fight on behalf of victims to ensure they receive full compensation. We hold negligent parties accountable for the injustice they have caused our clients.

If you or someone you love has suffered from a spinal cord injury, contact us today at (800) LAW-0804

What Are Symptoms of a Spinal Cord Injury?

Symptoms of spinal cord injury include paralysis, numbness, tingling, reduced coordination, loss of bowel or bladder control, and pain. Any trauma that cuts, compresses, pushes, or pulls your spinal cord has the potential to permanently injure the cord.

When someone is suspected of having a traumatic spinal cord injury, the spine must be stabilized as soon as possible to prevent further injury. Damage is detected by diagnostic imaging involving any combination of X-rays, computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.

Other disorders and diseases can also cause spinal cord injuries. Problems such as tumors pressing against the spine, blood clots, abscesses, and severe osteoporosis are all examples of non-traumatic causes of spinal damage.

Treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries

Depending on the type and location of the injury, some patients need to continue to wear immobilization devices for quite some time. These can include back or neck braces or even a halo device.

Other patients may need stabilization from surgery. The surgeon will implant internal fixation using rods, pins, or plates with screws.

What Is the Cure for Spinal Cord Injuries?

There is currently no known cure for spinal cord injuries. There have been many advancements in treatments and therapies, and researchers are still working on finding even better ways to treat spinal cord injuries as they continue their search for a cure.

So far, the best treatments developed for spinal cord injuries involve decreasing the amount of damage at the time of the injury. Swelling is a common cause of secondary injury to the spine when the initial injury occurs.

Medications, such as methylprednisolone, have been found to reduce swelling and inflammation at the site of the injury.

How a Personal Injury Attorney Will Help With Your Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord damage causes some of the most devastating injuries imaginable. Many people lose their autonomy and require care from others for the rest of their lives.

Victims and their families often feel overwhelmed, isolated, stressed, frustrated, and confused about what to do next to be able to continue with their lives. Personal injury attorneys help by ensuring victims receive full compensation for their injuries, so they can receive the treatment, equipment, and care that they need.

By hiring Tatum & Atkinson, you will have a lawyer who is fully invested in your case. They will ensure a full investigation into the accident that caused your injury, collecting evidence to prove negligence and building a strong case using medical evaluations, police reports, and witness statements.

The lawyers at Tatum & Atkinson are experienced and will help you determine an accurate assessment of the damages you have suffered.

Spinal cord injuries affect every aspect of your life, including your finances. You should not have to worry about being able to afford your treatment, medications, special equipment, or other care that you need as a result of someone else’s negligent actions.

Our personal injury lawyers will make sure your compensation is enough to cover everything you need.

You should not have to fight for what you are legally entitled to receive, especially while you are in recovery. Tatum & Atkinson are aggressive and will not stop fighting on your behalf until you recover everything that is rightfully yours.

For a free consultation about your case, call (800) LAW-0804 today to get your process started.

Q: What Are Some Teen Drunk Driving Statistics?

One of the leading causes of death among teenagers is drunk driving.

These tragedies are completely preventable, and through aggressive educational campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of drunk driving, the good news is that the number of teenagers who drink and drive has significantly decreased in the past thirty years.

A teenage driver holding her head as a police officer leans through her driver-side window talking to her.

Facts about teenage drunk driving

Teenagers know that they should not drink alcohol and that they should not drive if they do drink alcohol.

Unfortunately, teenagers’ brains are still in a developmental stage and are not fully reliable for making the best decisions in every circumstance. Their immature brains are also vulnerable to the effects of alcohol in an exaggerated way when compared to an adult’s brain.

Consciousness

Adults commonly experience short-term effects after consuming alcohol, such as slurring their words and feeling fatigued. The brain of a teenager responds differently to alcohol than an adult’s brain.

Teenagers are more likely to believe that they are safe to drive after drinking alcohol because they do not notice the effects of the alcohol on their bodies as quickly. This false sense of invulnerability leads more intoxicated teenagers to drive and endanger everyone, including themselves.

Impaired Judgment

Teenagers are more prone to making poor decisions simply because their brains have not fully developed yet. This lack of decision-making skills is amplified while under the influence of alcohol.

Even if teenagers notice their symptoms of impairment, they may still choose to drive. Alcohol affects the drinker’s judgment and decision-making skills, and these effects are greater in teenagers than in adults.

These impaired decisions include choosing to enter a vehicle as a passenger of a drunk driver. Peer pressure also plays a part in teenagers’ decisions to act in ways that they normally would not if they had a clear mind.

Lack of Impulse Control

Teenagers are impulsive by nature, again because of their level of brain development. Their lack of impulsive control deepens in severity with the influence of alcohol.

Teenagers are less likely to react quickly to their surroundings due to the suppression of their brains’ hormonal responses to stress that alcohol induces. This suppression is also why they often make quick decisions that do not make logical sense to a sober person.

Loss of Coordination

Alcohol has a direct effect on the cerebellum of the brain. The cerebellum is the section of the brain that is responsible for balance and muscle coordination.

Alcohol disrupts the cerebellum’s control of the body’s motor functions. This disruption also increases the time it takes the driver to react, which is extremely dangerous while driving.

Blacking Out

A blackout occurs when the individual is still conscious but they later have no memory of the events they took part in or of their actions during that time. Blackouts are different from passing out, in which the individual loses consciousness and does not move.

A driver who blacks out will not remember driving drunk, whether they were involved in an accident, or the details surrounding such an event.

Fear of Consequences From Parents

Most teenagers live with their parents and often drive their parent’s car to social events with their friends, where they are exposed to alcohol.

Perhaps they did not plan on drinking, but whatever the case, they are likely to feel anxious about admitting their guilt of drinking alcohol to their parents. They may choose to drive in an attempt to return the car home to hide the fact that they took part in illegal activity.

What Percentage of Accidents Are Caused by Underage Drunk Driving?

Approximately one-quarter of fatal crashes for teenagers involve an underage drunk driver. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2021, 27% of young drivers aged 15 to 20 years old who were killed in car crashes had a blood alcohol content of 0.01 g/dL or higher.

Teenagers consume alcohol and operate motor vehicles approximately 2.4 million times every month in the United States. 40% of all fatal drunk driving accidents involve an underage driver.

Over 350 teenagers are killed every year as passengers in underage drunk driving accidents, and 56% of those teenagers were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision. 30% of teenagers admit that they were a passenger of an underage, drunk driver, and 10% of teenagers admit to driving after consuming alcohol.

Consequences For Underage Drunk Driving

It is illegal for anyone under 21 years of age to consume alcohol in North Carolina. If you are hit by an underage drunk driver, you can expect that driver to have to face serious consequences of both criminal charges and administrative penalties.

Administrative Penalties

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is responsible for imposing administrative penalties on driving while intoxicated offenders.

Underage drunk drivers have their driver’s licenses revoked at the time of their arrest as a civil suspension and again when they are convicted as a criminal suspension.

The immediate license revocation is for 30 days. If convicted, the offender will lose their driver’s license for one year.

Just like with adults, underage drivers are subject to North Carolina’s Implied Consent Law. This law states that since driving is a privilege, everyone who chooses to drive on North Carolina’s public roads is therefore consenting to take a breath test for alcohol if asked to do so by an officer of the law.

A police officer will choose to administer the test on anyone they suspect is driving while intoxicated. The driver has the right to refuse the test but will be penalized by having driving privileges revoked for a year.

The revocation stays in effect even if the driver is not convicted of drunk driving in court. Underage drivers are not allowed to have any alcohol in their system while driving, so even the smell of alcohol on their breath is enough for a conviction of a DWI.

Criminal Penalties

A driver under 21 years old can potentially face charges of driving while intoxicated, as well as underage driving while intoxicated. The charges of each will not be combined, but the offender will have to face the higher maximum penalties of the two.

In North Carolina, underage DWI is a class two misdemeanor that carries a maximum fine of $1000 and up to 60 days in jail. The judge has the discretion of whether to send the offender to jail or put them on probation and have them perform community service or attend an alcohol treatment facility.

The offender also has to undergo a drug and alcohol assessment, as well as any recommended treatment.

If the underage drunk driver already has a DWI on their record, their punishment can be either community, intermediate, or active for up to 45 days at the discretion of the court.

Intermediate punishment would be probation, as well as electronic house arrest, and having to stay in a residential program, special probation, participation in a day reporting center, or drug treatment court.

Jail time is considered an active punishment. If the driver is given less than 90 days, it will be served in a county jail; anything more than 90 days will be served in a state prison.

Call the Heavy Hitters to Make Sure You Get the Compensation You Deserve

Whether the drunk driver was an adult or underage, you still deserve compensation for all damages you have incurred. At Tatum and Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters, you can expect our attorneys to treat your case like any other, seriously and without holding back.

Call us at (800) LAW-0804 for a free consultation today to see how we can handle your drunk driving accident case.

Q: What Are the Deadliest North Carolina Cities for DUI Accidents?

When you enter your vehicle to embark on a journey down North Carolina’s beautiful roadways, you should not have to think about other people choosing to drive irresponsibly. Unfortunately, many people tend to drive distracted or otherwise impaired, and they cause collisions with other vehicles every day.

The reality is that drunk drivers are probably the most dangerous people on the roads.

The deadliest city in North Carolina for accidents caused by drivers who choose to drive while intoxicated is Charlotte. The city had 49 alcohol-related fatalities in 2020 and 780 crashes with 699 injuries.

Our city of Raleigh had 446 crashes with 293 injuries and, thankfully, only three fatalities, but that is still three too many. Greensboro had 16 fatalities and 302 injuries from 349 alcohol-related accidents, while Durham had 12 fatalities and 149 injuries from 226 alcohol-related collisions.

A drunk driver at night with both hands off the wheel, one holding a bottle and the other rubbing his eyes.

Interestingly, the percentage of accidents involving alcohol does not correspond to the number of people living in the area. Although the cities with higher populations have more crashes, the cities with the highest percentage of accidents in 2020 are as follows:

1) 6.16% Waynesville

2) 6.06% Laurinburg

3) 5.63% Summerfield

4) 5.24% Statesville

5) 5.04% Carrboro

These cities are the most dangerous in terms of the highest likelihood of getting into an accident with a North Carolina driver under the influence.

What Time Are Most Drunk Drivers On the Road?

The likelihood of getting involved in an accident is higher when there are more vehicles on the road and during less-than-optimal driving conditions, but it skyrockets when the number of drunk drivers on the roads increases.

Research shows that accidents caused by drunk drivers increase in number during the summer and on holidays. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 31% of fatal drunk-driving accidents occur on the weekend.

The time with the highest number of drunk drivers on the road is between midnight and 3 a.m.  Crash fatalities are also four times more likely to happen at night than during the day.

Drunk Driving Makes Holidays Deadly

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an average of 37 people are killed every day by drunk driving. This number jumps up to 45 during the Christmas season and jumps up again to 54 over the New Year’s holiday.

The Fourth of July holiday is considered to be the deadliest day of the year and averages about 144 alcohol-related traffic fatalities every year.

Summer Season Drunk Driving

Summer brings warmer weather and the best overall driving conditions with high visibility, long daylight hours, and dry roads. Tragically, these optimal conditions also cause an increased number of vehicles to use the roads, including holiday travelers unfamiliar with the roadways and also drivers impaired by alcohol.

This combination leads to nearly double the number of traffic fatalities during the summer season than during the rest of the year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Summer Vacation and Underage Drunk Driving

The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is known as The One Hundred Deadliest Days for teen drivers. These young drivers are more likely to consume alcohol and drive during their summer vacation from school.

National Drunk Driving Statistics

In 2019, there were 10,142 deaths from drunk driving crashes in the U.S., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That means that drunk driving caused 28% of all traffic fatalities for the year.

North Carolina Driving While Intoxicated Statistics

Driving is a dangerous activity, and North Carolina’s roads offer no exception to this fact.

Drunk drivers only serve to compound the danger, and even after great efforts by the government, surviving victims of drunk driving collisions, and family members who have lost loved ones due to drunk drivers, people are still choosing to drink and drive.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Crash Facts report provides an accurate description of exactly how dangerous North Carolina’s roads are and how greatly impaired driving contributes to the peril.

In 2020, there were 412 people killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents in North Carolina. There were 11,475 reported crashes, and 7,426 of those crashes involved injuries. To compare, there were 1,658 people killed, 247,214 reported accidents, and 69,001 crashes with injuries in the entire United States.

This data shows that drunk driving only represents 4.6% of all crashes, yet 24.8% of all traffic fatalities, proving that accidents caused by drunk drivers are more severe than accidents caused by sober drivers.

Victims of collisions caused by intoxicated drivers are six times more likely to die than victims of collisions with sober drivers in North Carolina. Yet, even with these statistics being released to the public, people are still choosing to drink and drive.

In North Carolina in 2020, there were 44,128 traffic accidents caused by distracted driving, and 157 people died in these crashes. Drunk drivers caused almost a quarter as many collisions, yet 412 people died in them that year. That is over 250% more.

North Carolina’s Most Dangerous Counties From Drunk Drivers

Logically, the counties with the higher populations also have the highest number of people driving while under the influence of alcohol and causing traffic accidents.

The Top 3 Counties in North Carolina for Car Accidents Caused By Drunk Driving in 2020 Are:

1) Wake County with 949 crashes

2) Mecklenburg with 901 crashes

3) Guilford with 602 crashes

The 3 Counties With the Highest Drunk Driving-Related Car Accidents with Injuries in 2020 in North Carolina Are:

1) Mecklenburg with 452 injury crashes

2) Wake with 422 injury crashes

3) Guilford with 307 injury crashes

The North Carolina Counties With the Highest Number of Drunk Driving-Related Fatalities in 2020 Are:

1) Mecklenburg with 53 fatal crashes

2) Guilford with 25 fatal crashes

3) Wake with 21 fatal crashes

Allegheny County only had five reported traffic accidents that were alcohol-related in 2020, and there were only two injuries and no deaths as a result. There are only about 11,000 people living in this county.

To put the statistics into perspective, in North Carolina, someone died every 21.2 hours from a drunk driver causing an accident. Every 71 minutes, there was an accident involving an injury caused by a driver under the influence of alcohol in 2020.

If You Have Been Injured in an Accident With a Drunk Driver, Contact the Heavy Hitters

The team of attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters knows how dangerous drunk drivers are and how much damage they cause in North Carolina every year.

If you or someone you care about has been injured in a collision caused by a drunk driver, call us at (800) LAW-0804 for a free consultation.

We will make sure you get the compensation you deserve.

Q: What Does Trauma Do to the Brain?

The regions of the brain that control emotional regulation, fear and stress responses, and executive functions can be affected by trauma. Trauma increases the likelihood of development of emotional, behavioral, and mental health problems, especially when it occurs in childhood.

Thankfully, with the guidance and support of a trauma-informed therapist, the effects of trauma on the brain are reversible.

Several miniature people posed around and on a model brain as though studying it.

Can Emotional Trauma Cause Brain Damage?

According to the Highland Springs Clinic, emotional trauma and PTSD both cause brain and physical damage. Neuropathologists have seen overlapping effects of physical and emotional trauma upon the brain.

We see through this overlap that both of these traumas have a detrimental effect on the Amygdala, the Hippocampus, and the Prefrontal cortex of the brain, which means that emotional trauma or PTSD does indeed result in brain injury or damage.

Emotional Trauma Affects the Amygdala

The section of the brain that controls emotions, memory, and survival instincts is called the amygdala. The amygdala gathers information and uses your memory to determine threats.

Through the use of your senses, the amygdala will respond to perceived threats with a feeling of fear. People who have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder have been found to have hyperactive amygdala responses.

People suffering from emotional trauma often experience enhanced fear of the stressors that caused their trauma. These stressors cause overactivity in the amygdala, so the person feels more fear than people who have not suffered from the traumatic event.

An overactive amygdala may also cause chronic stress and increased irritation, along with heightened fear. This overactivity is why people with emotional trauma often struggle with remaining calm and sleeping.

How Does Trauma Affect The Brain?

The hippocampus is the main part of the brain responsible for the storage and retrieval of memories. It also differentiates between past and present experiences.

Research has shown that people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder have a smaller hippocampal volume than other people. A smaller hippocampus will affect the brain’s ability to recall certain memories.

Some people with reduced hippocampus volumes often experience vivid and repetitive memories of their traumatic experiences. Certain environments and situations may trigger feelings of stress, fear, and panic because their hippocampus does not differentiate their current situation from their previous trauma.

The brain, therefore, perceives a threat and activates a fight or flight response.

Mental Health Issues From Emotional Trauma

People who have experienced trauma also have significant changes in their brains. These changes often lead to depression and anxiety.

People who develop post-traumatic stress disorder are particularly susceptible to having their brain rewire itself in response to the trauma. The developing brains in children are also susceptible to the impacts of trauma.

Variations in the function and volume of the brain are associated with childhood trauma.

Researchers are working to understand the effects of trauma on the brain in an effort to help ease the suffering of painful emotional symptoms. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are the most extreme manifestations of emotional distress.

Research on changes within the brain caused by trauma is being used in the recovery process of sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder.

How Do Researchers See the Difference Between a Healthy Brain and a Traumatized Brain?

Researchers use neuroimaging to create maps of the brain when they study sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder, and they compare these images to the brains of people who have not experienced trauma.

They are able to see significant differences in brain function and structure between the two types of people. The traumatized brain changes cause the person to experience continuous stress.

What Is the Treatment for Brain Damage Caused by Emotional Trauma?

The symptoms of the significant effects of emotional trauma on the brain may be reversed.

Treatment methods are used to help improve emotional regulation and memory. The brain responds to these treatments with improved functioning in the affected areas.

There are also therapeutic methods and medications that rebuild the lost volume of certain sections of the brain, such as the hippocampus.

People have made progress through trauma-releasing exercises that help them reconnect with themselves and improve their brain function. Management of post-traumatic stress disorder helps to improve the individual’s emotional and mental health.

Treatment of emotional trauma helps heal the effects on the brain. There are many ways to treat emotional trauma, and medical professionals should be able to help you to find a plan that best works for you. Some helpful tips that you can practice on your own to aid in your recovery include the following:

  • Participate in physical activity. Walking or swimming have positive effects on the brain.
  • Talk to people about how you are feeling. It is important to avoid isolating yourself.
  • Calm yourself when negative feelings start to build up. Deep breathing or removing yourself from certain situations can keep your emotions under control.
  • Take care of your brain with plenty of sleep, exercise, water, and a healthy diet.
  • Follow your regular routine. Get up and do something, even when you do not feel like it.
  • Participate in activities that give you meaning. Volunteering, gardening, or taking care of animals is extremely beneficial for your emotional well-being.
  • Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, as they make symptoms worse.
  • Talk to a mental health professional if symptoms persist.

Mental health can be significantly affected by trauma, and a person’s brain functioning suffers serious impacts. Through treatment methods that focus on emotional regulation and rebuilding brain volume, recovery is possible for anyone who has suffered from emotional trauma.

How Does Childhood Trauma Impact the Development of the Brain?

Experiencing trauma early in life is very common. People react differently to trauma, and children who develop post-traumatic stress also develop variations in the volume and surface area of the insula of their brains.

According to Science Direct, the insula is a cortical region linked with salience detection, self-awareness, interoception, pain processing, and addiction.

Early treatment to minimize the effects of childhood trauma is important because children tend to be more significantly impacted by trauma than adults. Teaching children how to cope with trauma events and stress can prevent long term damage to their mental health.

Children typically make full recoveries and improve their brain functions with treatment.

Contact Tatum & Atkinson to Get the Compensation You Deserve

If you or your loved one has suffered emotional trauma as a result of someone else’s negligent actions, you may be entitled to receive compensation.

Our team of brain injury attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters are experienced with emotional trauma and brain injuries. We will build a strong legal case to prove the extent of your injury with the help of medical experts.

Contact us today at (800) LAW-0804 for a free consultation to learn more about your options.

Q: What Is a Coma?

When someone is in a prolonged state of unconsciousness, they are in a coma. This is a medical emergency, and immediate action is required to save the individual’s brain function and life.

A series of blood tests and brain scans will be conducted to determine the cause of the coma so that the correct treatment can be administered as soon as possible.

It is rare for a coma to last longer than several weeks. When people are unconscious for an extended period of time, they are classified as being in a persistent vegetative state or brain death.

An out-of-focus shot of a comatose patient in a well-lit hospital room at daytime.

What Is The Cause of Coma?

A coma is caused when there is a serious problem with the brain’s arousal system or the reticular activating system or with its communications between other brain areas, such as the cerebral hemispheres. These problems cause the brain’s activity to become impaired.

There are many possible causes for someone to experience a coma. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, some of the most common causes include:

  • Traumatic Brain Injury – these are usually caused by traffic accidents, falls, or violent acts
  • Stroke – blocked arteries or broken blood vessels can stop or reduce blood flow to the brain resulting in a stroke
  • Brain Tumor – growths in the brain or brain stem can put pressure on the brain and its blood vessels
  • Diabetes – too high or too low blood sugar levels can cause a coma
  • Lack of Oxygen – survivors of heart attacks, strangulation, or drowning may experience a lack of oxygen to their brains, causing them to not regain consciousness
  • Infections – encephalitis and meningitis are infections that cause swelling in the brain, spinal cord, or tissues surrounding these areas. Brain damage and coma are possible outcomes when these infections are severe
  • Seizures – untreated and ongoing seizures can result in a coma
  • Toxins – exposure to carbon monoxide, lead, or other harmful toxins can cause brain damage and a coma
  • Drug or Alcohol Intoxication – a drug or alcohol overdose commonly results in a coma

What Are the Symptoms of a Coma?

Symptoms of a coma typically include the following:

  • Closed eyes
  • No response to painful stimuli except for reflex movements
  • No responses of limbs except for reflex movements
  • Depressed brainstem reflexes, such as pupils not responding to light
  • Irregular breathing

What Are Possible Complications From Being In a Coma?

Many people slowly recover from a coma, while others succumb to a persistent vegetative state or death. According to the Mayo Clinic, survivors of comas may be left with a mild or severe disability, typically due to the cause of the coma or delayed treatment.

Other problems people in comas commonly experience are:

  • Urinary Tract Infections
  • Bedsores
  • Blood Clot Formations

What Immediate Care Is Given to Coma Patients?

Doctors will search for the cause of the coma, but a proper diagnosis may take hours or even days because of all the diagnostic testing that needs to be performed. Coma is a medical emergency, so the patient will be given immediate intensive care, which may include any or all of the following:

  • Constant monitoring of their vital signs, including pulse, breathing, and blood pressure
  • An intravenous line to provide fluids and medications
  • An oxygen mask
  • A respirator, if the person is unable to breathe on their own
  • Urinary bladder catheterization
  • Intravenous glucose if their sugar levels are low
  • Pumping of the stomach, if it is believed that the person ate or drank something poisonous
  • Administration of a narcotic antidote, if a drug overdose is suspected

What Is the Treatment for Coma?

The severity and cause of the coma will determine the proper course of treatment. The most common treatments include:

  • Antibiotics if there is an infection
  • Intravenous administration of glucose in the case of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar
  • Intravenous administration of naloxone in the case of a heroin overdose
  • Surgery if the patient has a hemorrhage, for example, subdural hematoma (a bleeding bruise made up of blood clots between the brain and its covering)

Recovery From Coma

Comas are very serious. Anyone who becomes comatose has a high chance of not waking up again.

Death is a strong possibility. Recovery mostly depends on the severity and the cause of the coma, as well as the treatment and how quickly the patient received that treatment.

There are many cases where the patient makes a full recovery with no lasting side effects. Unfortunately, there are also a large number of people who suffer various amounts of brain damage and lost brain function.

The symptoms from the damage may last for the survivor’s lifetime.

What Is a Persistent Vegetative State?

When people do not recover from a coma, they may descend into a persistent vegetative state. This is where the brain loses all higher functioning, such as consciousness, personality, and self-awareness.

The brain is still capable of maintaining involuntary functions, such as heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and swallowing.

A vegetative state typically occurs when someone has suffered from a severe traumatic brain injury or when they have been deprived of oxygen for a prolonged amount of time. Doctors typically wait until the coma has lasted for at least three weeks before diagnosing a persistent vegetative state.

The patient may still respond to loud noises, breathe, and swallow, but they will not be capable of achieving consciousness or displaying personality.

A vegetative state may continue for months or even years with the proper care. The longer someone remains in this form of coma, the less likely they are to make a recovery.

What Does a Vegetative State Coma Look Like?

Vegetative state coma patients are similar to coma patients. Some of the characteristics of this prolonged state include:

  • The person looks like they are asleep
  • Heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration continue
  • They cannot wake up
  • They will not talk or respond to commands
  • Their eyes may open in response to stimuli
  • The person is able to move their body
  • The person can randomly laugh, cry, or make faces

What Are the Complications of a Vegetative State Coma?

Common complications patients may suffer from while in a persistent vegetative state include:

  • Infections
  • Pneumonia
  • Bedsores or pressure sores
  • Contracture – when muscles atrophy or shorten and contort the body

What Is the Ongoing Treatment For Vegetative State Coma?

If there is any hope that the patient will recover from their comatose condition, it is critical that they are kept as healthy as possible. There is no way to know how long a vegetative state will persist, but the patient’s chances of recovery decrease the longer they remain in a coma.

When the patient’s family wishes to continue medical care for the patient in hopes that they will recover, the ongoing treatment will include:

  • Keeping the skin clean and regularly turning the person to prevent bedsores and ulcers
  • Physical therapy to help keep the muscles supple
  • Prevention and treatment of infection
  • Good nutrition delivered via an intravenous drip or nasogastric tube, which is placed in through the nose and down into the stomach

What Is Recovery From a Vegetative State Coma Like?

Recovery from a vegetative state is possible, but it is typically a slow process. The patient will first become aware of their surroundings and eventually become able to respond.

Sadly, only a very small number of people who wake up from a persistent vegetative state that has lasted over six months are able to continue with their daily activities and live independently. The vast majority of these survivors remain permanently disabled with brain damage.

What Is Brain Death?

When someone has suffered from severe brain damage and is no longer able to breathe on their own, they are diagnosed with brain death. Patients with brain death need to be kept on a respirator to keep their bodies alive.

Patients are given an electroencephalogram or EEG to check for brain activity. When there is no brain activity, that person has suffered brain death and is considered to have died.

Their heart will continue to beat, but the person will die when disconnected from the medical machinery.

Pursuing Compensation for Damages

The damages suffered by someone who had sustained a coma are often monumental. Patients and their families have to deal with ongoing medical and nursing home care, lost wages, loss of future income, and loss of enjoyment of life.

The attorneys at Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters have successfully achieved favorable compensation for coma patients and patients still suffering from a persistent vegetative state.

If your family member or loved one has suffered a coma as a result of someone else’s negligent actions, contact the brain injury lawyers at Tatum & Atkinson right away at (800) LAW-0804 for a free consultation to see how we can help.

Q: What Is the Best Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury?

Everyone’s brain is unique, and so is their brain injury. Victims of traumatic brain injuries will have an entire team of medical professionals working to develop a treatment plan for their individual needs.

Patients with mild traumatic brain injuries may only need a short rest from strenuous activities such as work, school, and sports. Even with minimal treatment, their symptoms should improve within only a few weeks.

On the other hand, patients with severe traumatic brain injuries often need hospitalization and intense rehabilitation treatments. Their recovery process could take years, and some symptoms may be permanent.

A woman in a hospital gown lying down and about to enter a CT scanner.

Treatments for traumatic brain injuries vary widely, but most patients will receive some form of the following during their recovery process:

  • Counseling for emotional support. Traumatic brain injuries are terrifying and stressful. Patients worry about their recoveries and what the rest of their lives will be like. They may experience difficulty returning to work, school, or their other daily activities and feel frustrated with their progress. Counseling can help keep things in perspective and is often used alongside other medical treatments.
  • Surgery. Intracranial hemorrhage, or bleeding in the brain, often requires surgical repair. Brain swelling may also require surgery to relieve pressure within the skull.
  • Rehabilitation. Patients often benefit from occupational, physical, and speech therapy, depending on their needs.
  • Rest. Everyone who has experienced a head injury will benefit from rest. Rest is not the same as sleeping. It means taking a break from strenuous physical and mental activities. Patients should also avoid stress during this time. A doctor will advise the patient on how long their rest period should be depending on the type and severity of brain injury. Some patients will only need a day or two, while most severe cases will require more time before returning to normal activities.
  • Return to typical activities. People with mild brain injuries actually benefit from returning to their normal routines. Resting too long can make the return more difficult. Typical activities include school, work, hobbies, and socializing. Patients should follow their doctor’s advice on when to return to these activities. Returning too soon can exacerbate symptoms in patients with more severe injuries.

All traumatic brain injury treatments have the goal of reducing their symptoms and improving their quality of life. Some symptoms will subside after a short time, while others may linger for years, especially with severe brain injuries.

Is There Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury?

There are multiple treatment options used for patients with traumatic brain injuries. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and cognitive therapy are all commonly prescribed for recovery treatments and are grouped into the patient’s rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation focuses on helping with the recovery from the many symptoms that accompany traumatic brain injuries. It also helps with the following:

  • Treatment of the mental and physical problems from the brain injury
  • Improves the patient’s ability to function as independently as possible both at home and at work or school
  • Aid in the patient’s adaptation to changes that arise during recovery
  • Provide emotional and social support through support groups, mentorships, and comradery

Rehabilitation is an important component of the recovery process and helps prevent dangerous complications of traumatic brain injuries such as:

  • Pain
  • Blood Clots
  • Pressure Ulcers or Bed Sores
  • Drops in Blood Pressure Upon Movement
  • Bladder and Bowel Problems
  • Breathing Problems and Pneumonia
  • Muscle Spasms and Weakness
  • Reproductive Problems

Are There Any Negative Side Effects From Rehabilitation?

Rehabilitation itself will not cause any harm or new problems. However, certain parts of some treatment plans, occupational or physical therapies, for example, carry the risk of potentially causing new injuries or exacerbating existing injuries and symptoms if not performed correctly, according to Hopkins Medicine.

Working closely with licensed medical professionals is of the utmost importance to avoid injuries or other problems. Always discuss problems and be open about any concerns you may have with your providers before you begin.

After a traumatic brain injury, everyone’s needs and abilities are different.

Your rehabilitation team will work together to create a unique treatment plan for your specific needs and will consist of multiple specialists from different fields. There should be a case coordinator that you can talk to as your one central person who will communicate with your team.

Your treatment plan will change over time to adapt to your changing needs and abilities. Your rehabilitation may take place in multiple locations depending on your location, needs, and insurance policies.

Some rehab facilities have everything in one large location, while others only have one or two specialties in each location. You and your family will discuss with your case coordinator which type of facility will work best for your needs.

Possible facility types include:

  • A comprehensive day program
  • Inpatient rehab hospital
  • Outpatient rehab hospital
  • An independent living center
  • Home-based rehab

Your unique treatment plan may include any or all of these treatments:

  • Physical therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Speech and language therapy
  • Physical medicine
  • Psychiatric care
  • Psychological care
  • Social support

Your rehabilitation team will work together to determine your individualized treatment plan. There are many potential options, so they will make a full assessment of your needs and abilities in order to create your plan for recovery.

This assessment will consist of the following:

  • Speech ability
  • Swallowing ability
  • Strength and coordination
  • Mental and behavioral state
  • Ability to understand language
  • Bowel and bladder control
  • Social support needs

What Happens After Rehabilitation Is Completed?

The length of your rehabilitation is dependent on the severity of your injury and symptoms. How well you respond to your treatment program also determines how long your rehabilitation treatment will last and how much follow-up care you will require.

Some people need care for the rest of their lives, while others make a full recovery and return to the same level of ability as before their brain injury.

Sometimes, symptoms of traumatic brain injury manifest themselves years after the injury occurred. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, some brain injury survivors are at higher risk of brain diseases such as:

  • Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Dementia

When your rehabilitation treatment has been completed, you will be given specific instructions that should include:

  • Symptoms and signs that are to be expected
  • Symptoms and signs that should cause you to call your healthcare provider
  • Advice on safety and self-care
  • Community support resources available to you
  • Advice on alcohol and drug use

Be sure that your primary healthcare provider receives all your medical records and recommendations from your rehabilitation team. This way, they will be able to ensure you continue to receive the care you need.

Contact the Heavy Hitters to Handle Your Case for Compensation

Traumatic brain injuries cause some of the most devastating injuries imaginable. Many people experience long-term symptoms and lose their ability to control their emotions and behaviors.

Victims and their families often feel overwhelmed, isolated, stressed, frustrated, and confused about what to do next to be able to continue with their lives. Personal injury attorneys help by ensuring victims receive full compensation for their injuries, so they can receive the treatment, medication, and care that they need.

By hiring Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters, you will have a lawyer who is fully invested in your case. They will ensure a full investigation into the accident that caused your injury. They will collect evidence to prove negligence and build a strong case using medical evaluations, police reports, and witness statements.

The lawyers at Tatum & Atkinson are experienced and will help you determine an accurate assessment of the damages you have suffered.

Traumatic brain injuries affect every aspect of your life, including your finances. Rehabilitation is expensive, and you should not have to worry about being able to afford your treatment, medications, special equipment, or other care that you need as a result of someone else’s negligent actions.

Our lawyers will make sure your compensation is enough to cover everything you need.

You should not have to fight for what you are legally entitled to receive, especially while you are in recovery. Tatum & Atkinson are aggressive and will not stop fighting on your behalf until you recover everything that is rightfully yours.

For a free consultation about your case, call (800) LAW-0804 today to get your process started.

Q: What is the Role of Technology in Preventing Drunk Driving Accidents?

There has been a fight against drunk driving for almost as long as cars have been around. Thousands of people are injured or killed every year because of impaired drivers despite these efforts.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 13,384 people died in completely preventable alcohol-impaired driving collisions in 2021 in the United States of America. That is about 37 people getting killed every day in our country.

We can all agree that this is unacceptable, and Congress has decided to act. New anti-drunk driving technology is being utilized in an attempt to reduce the number of drunk driving collisions and, therefore, to also reduce the number of people getting injured or killed by these impaired drivers.

A sleek digital breathalyzer with two additional mouthpieces next to it, lying on a black surface.

There is a law that has recently come to light that requires automakers to install specialized safety systems into their vehicles to prevent drunk driving accidents beginning in 2026.

According to WSFB, there is new technology ready to be all new cars by the end of 2025. These new safety features will be able to detect the driver’s blood alcohol concentration level through a sensor in the steering column and in the door.

This drunk driving deterrent technology is called the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety and is being developed by KEA Technologies. If the system detects the driver’s blood alcohol concentration level to be 0.08 grams per deciliter, which is the legal limit for intoxication, the car will start, but it will not move.

This technology works similarly to the breathalyzer and ignition interlock systems, but it is integrated into the vehicle.

Another technology being developed will be able to detect the driver’s blood alcohol concentration level through their hand at the ignition.

These technologies are being researched and implemented because the government believes that the current laws and educational campaigns already in use have not been effective enough. Although they have saved many lives, people are still dying.

Other technologies that have been in use to combat drunk driving are:

  • Breathalyzers
  • Ignition Interlock Devices
  • Rideshare Networks

Ways to Prevent Drunk Driving

There are several strategies already put in place to reduce drunk driving. The two main reasons why we still have a problem with drunk drivers are:

  1.  that alcohol consumption directly impacts a person’s ability to make smart decisions and also,
  2. ignorance of the fact that driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous for everyone and not just other people.

Not Serving Alcohol to Intoxicated Individuals

According to North Carolina law, it is not legal to serve alcohol to someone who is visibly intoxicated. Servers of alcohol are legally allowed to refuse service to intoxicated customers and are encouraged to delay service to anyone who is drinking multiple alcoholic beverages.

Permits Are Required for the Ability to Serve Alcohol

All businesses that wish to serve alcohol on their premises must first obtain a permit. In order for an establishment to receive a permit to serve alcohol, the permittee must accept the responsibility of refusing service to an intoxicated customer.

The Alcohol Beverage Control Commission issues the permits and enforces the laws upon the permittees. They provide control over the sale, purchase, transportation, manufacture, consumption, and possession of alcoholic beverages within North Carolina.

The permit holders are responsible for educating their employees about the dangers of drunk driving and the importance of preventing customers from becoming intoxicated before driving.

Limits on Blood Alcohol Concentration

Every state has a limit on how much alcohol can be in a driver’s blood before they are considered too impaired to legally operate a motor vehicle. Currently, in North Carolina, the blood alcohol concentration limit is 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter of blood.

Utah and many other countries have set this limit to 0.05 grams per deciliter. Anyone found driving with this amount of blood alcohol concentration is considered legally impaired and will have to face the consequences determined by the state in which they were driving.

Reduction of Access to Alcohol

Another attempt at reducing drunk driving is by making alcohol less accessible. Increased taxes make alcohol less affordable for many people in the hope that they will consume less when their wallets become affected.

There are also government regulations on how many retailers may sell alcohol in a particular location as a way to reduce alcohol outlet density. This can help prevent intoxicated customers who have been cut off at one location from walking to another nearby location in search of more alcohol.

The consumption, purchase, and sale of alcohol are also illegal for anyone under 21 years of age all across the country. North Carolina has a Zero Tolerance law against underage drivers, meaning that drivers under 21 years old are not allowed to drive with any detectable amount of alcohol in their systems.

Some people have argued about the fairness of these laws, but tens of thousands of lives have been saved since these laws have been implemented and enforced.

Consequences Of Drunk Driving

North Carolina has strict regulations and consequences for driving under the influence of alcohol to deter drivers from taking the chance of driving after consuming alcohol.

Driving while intoxicated is a significant offense in North Carolina, and the extent of the offense will determine the punishment.

The state applies a variety of punishments that are divided into levels 1 through 5, with accompanying fines that can range from $200 and a minimum jail time of 24 hours to thousands of dollars in fines and years in prison for more severe or repeat offenses.

Another sanction is community service. The goal of this is to encourage accountability and make offenders conscious of the harmful effects of their behavior.

Depending on the severity of the offense, a different amount of community service may be necessary.

Victims of drunk driving may also file a lawsuit with the civil court and may be entitled to punitive damages. This claim is a measure of damage beyond compensatory damages and is specifically intended to punish the drunk driver as well as discourage other people from driving while intoxicated.

Drunk driving continues to pose a severe threat to everyone’s safety. Thousands of alcohol-related collisions happen every year, causing injuries, including broken bones, traumatic brain injury, and even death.

Contact a Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Today

Our attorneys have a track record of success in working with victims of drunk drivers! If you have been involved in a collision with a drunk driver, call Tatum & Atkinson: The Heavy Hitters at (800) LAW-0804 for a free consultation.

We will ensure that you get all the compensation that you are entitled to receive.

Q: What Types of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle?

At Tatum & Atkinson, we have experience handling a wide range of personal injury and wrongful death cases, including car accidents, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accidents, trucking accidents, drunk driving accidents, rideshare accidents, bicycle accidents, slip and falls, train accidents, dog bites, mass torts and more. If you have been injured or lost a loved one because of the actions or inactions of someone else, we are here to help. We have decades of experience working on a wide range of personal injury cases, including complicated circumstances and difficult defendants.

Q: When Should You Hire an Attorney for a Car Accident?

As soon as possible. Too many people unnecessarily delay hiring a NC personal injury lawyer for one reason or another—it sounds dauting, they don’t know where to find the best lawyer or they mistakenly think they need to wait until they are “all better” before hiring a lawyer. Hiring Tatum & Atkinson as your personal injury lawyer takes a single phone call, costs you no money upfront and you should not wait until you are recovered. The sooner you call us, the sooner we can get started on your case and you can completely concentrate on your physical and emotional recovery.

Q: Why Hire Tatum & Atkinson Personal Injury Lawyers?

Our knowledge and experience winning North Carolina personal injury cases combined with our client-centric approach to each case we take is why we only have happy clients. We are passionate about the work we do and know that a winning settlement check not only provides our clients with much-needed funds in the wake of an accident but also provides a sense closure and justice.

We know you have options when it comes to picking a North Carolina personal injury law firm. A simple Google search yields pages and pages of small and large firms vying for your case, but unfortunately many of them put you in a que once they get your business; or don’t know how to handle a complicated case properly.