According to the Mayo Clinic, a traumatic brain injury happens when the skull is penetrated from a blow to the head. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), traumatic brain injuries are one of the leading causes of long-term care treatment. In addition, the CDCP reports that traumatic brain injuries contribute to 50,000 deaths each year and 282,000 hospitalizations. According to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), there are over 20,000 military service workers that sustain a traumatic brain injury each year.
According to the CDC, in 2013, being struck by or against an object accounted for 15 percent of traumatic brain injury-related emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths. In the military, the most common reason workers suffer a traumatic brain injury is from shrapnel after a blast. Symptoms and side effects of a traumatic brain injury can range from a headache and nausea to loss of motor skills and other cognitive impairments. Depending on the severity of the injuries, the recovery process can last a week or require extensive lifelong treatments.
Common prolonged symptoms include:
- Blurred vision;
- Headaches;
- Dizziness;
- Nausea;
- Loss of coordination;
- Ringing in ears;
- Seizures;
- Depression;
- Memory loss; and
- Impaired speech, among others.
In 2016, the Military Times reported that more than 24,000 veterans who are receiving treatment for a traumatic brain injury were denied veterans’ disability benefits.
If you or a loved one is a veteran that suffered a traumatic brain injury and is seeking to apply for disability benefits, received a low disability rating, or has had an application for disability benefits denied, it is important to contact an experienced VA lawyer who may assist you or a loved one through the process. Filing an application for veteran’s disability benefits or appealing an application that has been denied, is a complex process that requires the attention of a skilled Veteran’s Affairs attorney.
The attorneys of Sullivan & Kehoe, LLP concentrate their practice in Veterans Disability Law. With over 50 years of combined experience between its lawyers, our attorneys may be able to assist you or a loved one in obtaining disability benefits for a traumatic brain injury. Call our office at (800) 395 -7830 to schedule a consultation in our New York City, Garden City, Kings Park, Riverhead, or White Plains office.
