Georgia Injury Law Blog
Persons who have suffered a traumatic brain injury have a much higher risk of developing dementia down the road. A new study not only underscores this fact, but also determines that changes in vascular cells can affect the onset of dementia in persons who have suffered a brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries often occur in car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents and slip and falls.
For decades now, scientists have been aware that suffering a brain injury significantly increases the risk that a person will develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease down the road. However, recent studies have identified the exact molecular mechanism behind the personal injury that can bring about dementia earlier. In this new study, scientists discovered that alterations to the vascular smooth muscle cells lead to an increase in the build-up of proteins called amyloid beta, which are strongly linked to Alzheimer’s disease. What the scientists found even more surprising is that even younger persons who are typically not at risk of dementia suffered a similar increased risk, supported by the vascular muscle cell changes following the brain injury. The researchers concluded that understanding the changes to the vascular cells is crucial to understanding how trauma can impact dementia risks and circumventing or mitigating those risks all together.
Brain injuries can result in a significant number of changes in a person’s mental and physical health. Even a moderate brain injury can result in cognitive challenges, memory problems, difficulties in concentration and attention, impaired motor skills and a number of other challenges that make it difficult for the person to live a normal life. All of these difficulties make it hard for the person to be productive or earn a living. Working even a routine job can become challenging. For example, motor coordination problems can manifest in a large number of brain injury victims, and these can significantly impact the victim’s earning potential if he is working in a manual job, or one that requires dexterity.
Many brain injuries are the result of car accidents, but most occur in pedestrian, motorcycle and bicycle accidents in which victims have limited protection against serious brain injuries. Brain injuries can also occur as a result of slip and fall accidents, gun shots and violence. Whatever the kind of auto accident that results in a brain injury, victims may be eligible for compensation that helps them meet the financial expenses arising from the injury. Medical costs, lost income and loss of lifelong earning potential as a result of the brain injury must all be included in a claim to recover maximum compensation.
The Atlanta car accident lawyers at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons who have suffered injuries in car accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across the state of Georgia. If your loved one has suffered a brain injury in a car accident, talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your legal options for a claim for damages. You may qualify for compensation that includes medical costs, lost income and other forms of damages. Talk to a lawyer at our firm and discuss your case. Initial consultations are free.