In recent years, research has been performed on the brains of deceased individuals who played football in the National Football League and at other competitive levels. Though many Oklahoma residents enjoy football as spectators, the players who fight on the gridiron can suffer significant trauma to their brains from the repetitive hits that their sport forces them to endure. Some of the players’ brains that were studied showed signs of degeneration and impairments that could have affected the players’ moods and overall health.
Trauma to the brain is a serious medical issue, as demonstrated by the studies just mentioned, but a person does not have to be a football player or even suffer multiple traumas in order to be affected by a brain injury. A single event could cause a person to suffer a traumatic brain injury, as this harm can be caused by impacts to the head as well as penetration injuries from bullets and other objects.
A traumatic brain injury may not only affect the physical abilities of a victim. Due to the important role that the brain plays in controlling the actions, emotions, and sensations of the rest of the body an injury to it could be devastating to a victim on many levels. Traumatic brain injuries can leave individuals with concentration problems, pain, loss of bodily control, depression, and other serious outcomes.
Brain injuries can keep individuals out of work. When they cannot earn incomes to support themselves and the ones who depend on them, further trauma may be experienced by families who must deal with traumatic brain damage. Victims of traumatic brain injury may qualify for disability benefits, though, if they can succeed on a Social Security disability claim. Those who want to learn more about their options can speak with attorneys who work in this field.