We typically relate head injury and brain injury cases to contact sports like football or car accident victims, but we rarely hear about one group of victims who are impacted by traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). In fact, experts believe that domestic violence victims suffer more cases of TBIs than are reported and treated. Because these victims do not seek medical attention for their injuries, the potential for domestic violence victims to have mild to severe cases of brain injuries and not know it has recently become an increasing concern.
Common Side Effects of TBIs Some of the common side effects of TBIs include headaches, memory loss, the inability to make decisions, and confusion. The director of the Rochester’s Women’s Shelter in Minnesota, Suzie Christensen, says that she has helped many abused women who exhibited these side effects. She also said that she has seen women who were misdiagnosed with mental illness because the side effects of TBI and the symptoms of mental illnesses are so similar. Unfortunately, the correlation between domestic violence and TBI has generally not been studied. TBI Misconception There is a common misconception about TBI. It is widely believed that a person must lose consciousness or suffer obvious and severe trauma in order for a head injury or brain injury to occur. However, a domestic violence victim does not have to lose consciousness to be at risk of TBI, nor does the abuse have to be extreme. Why Domestic Violence Victims Do Not Seek Medical Help There are at least a couple of caveats for domestic violence victims who consider seeking medical attention after abuse. If the health insurance is listed under the abuser’s name and the victim is trying to flee from the abuser, the victim could be too scared that seeking medical attention could reveal their whereabouts to their abuser. Another caveat in this type of situation is that if the victim is diagnosed with a TBI, the abuser could use that against the victim to obtain custody of children. We Are Here To Help Whether it is a car accident, a football play gone wrong, or a domestic violence incident, regardless of how a traumatic brain injury happens, the victim should seek medical attention immediately. Unfortunately, it is difficult to know whether or not one has suffered a TBI. If you or someone you know has sustained a TBI that was due to another party’s recklessness in Oklahoma, you should talk to an Oklahoma personal injury attorney who is experienced with TBI cases. Contact or call the law office of Frasier, Frasier & Hickman, LLP at 918-779-3658 or toll free (918) 583-5637 for a free and confidential case evaluation today.