Curtis Dayson | June 19, 2025 | Car Accidents
Life’s sometimes hard. Being injured makes things worse. Unfortunately, the effects of specific injuries, especially those involving your brain, can be severe or even life-changing. Complicating matters, the symptoms of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are often overlooked or not fully understood. They also don’t always show up right away.
Let the personal injury experts at Dayson Shalabi Burkett Law Firm, LLC (DSB Law Firm) explain such a complex subject. We’re here to help.
In this post, we’ll answer the following questions:
- What are traumatic brain injuries?
- What are the three types of TBIs?
- What are common TBI injury symptoms?
- What are the most common causes of TBIs in Sumter, SC?
- How much can recovering from a TBI cost?
What Is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A TBI occurs when an external force makes contact with your head. Sustaining a blow, such as being struck with a blunt object or falling on a hard surface, is an example of cranial injury. You can also sustain brain trauma by being hit in the head with a penetrating object.
When you sprain your ankle or fracture a bone, either injury causes instant and severe pain. TBIs are especially dangerous because your brain won’t always show visible signs that it’s injured.
What Are the Three Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries?
A crucial aspect of understanding TBI injury symptoms requires learning about the main types of this injury. Medical professionals categorize TBIs into three types, which include:
Mild TBI
Otherwise known as a concussion, a mild TBI can cause confusion, headaches, dizziness, and potentially temporary memory loss. While a mild TBI is a serious injury, most people who experience this type of injury recover fully in a few weeks.
Moderate TBI
A moderate traumatic brain injury typically leaves someone unconscious for longer than a mild TBI. Moderate TBI victims can lose consciousness for a few minutes. It could last several hours. Due to the nature of this injury, those who sustain it often deal with lingering mental and physical impairments.
Severe TBI
When it comes to brain trauma, some cases are far worse than others. The most devastating kind is the one that leaves someone unresponsive for days or even weeks. These aren’t just short blackouts—people can slip into deep comas. And if they wake up, life is rarely the same. Memory fades. Speech becomes a struggle. Simple movements? Sometimes, even those don’t come back.
What Are the Most Common Causes of TBI in Sumter, SC?
Besides learning about TBI injury symptoms, knowing what causes this injury is essential. Head injuries can happen in many ways. However, the most common causes of TBIs in Sumter, SC, include the following situations.
Automobile Accidents
According to the South Carolina Traffic Collision Fact Book: 2022 Edition, a vehicle accident resulting in injuries happens once every 15.4 minutes in South Carolina. Car crashes can cause many injuries, including:
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Cuts
- Bruises
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not only high-speed crashes that cause accident victims to sustain TBIs. Even low-speed collisions can cause someone’s brain to collide with their skull.
Slips and Falls
Whether due to age-related balance issues or a wet floor at work, slips and falls are common causes of TBI injury symptoms throughout Sumter, South Carolina. It’s no different nationally. Falling is the leading cause of TBIs in the United States. Falls are hazardous for older people, who are often at risk of falling. Uneven surfaces, wet floors, and cluttered walkways are some of the most common causes of TBIs in Sumter, SC.
Sports Injuries
Whether playing for fun or professionally, contact sports like football, boxing, soccer, and MMA increase the risk of sustaining a TBI. A major problem in sports involves not properly diagnosing trauma, causing a person to return to play too soon.
Imagine an injured boxer getting off their corner stool for the ninth round after sustaining a series of shots to the head. Another example is a quarterback stepping on the field with a minute left in the fourth quarter when they have no business risking another hit.
Common TBI Injury Symptoms
Traumatic brain injuries can cause a massive range of potential symptoms. Here’s a breakdown of the possible signs of a TBI.
Physical Effects
- Losing your balance
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Ringing ears
- Headaches
- Blurry vision
- Frequent fatigue
Cognitive TBI Injury Symptoms
- Memory problems
- Sleep-related changes
- Confusion
Behavioral Effects
- Anger
- Mood swings
- Social isolation
TBI injury symptoms don’t always show up right away. Some signs of a TBI won’t show until days or even weeks later. If you experienced head trauma, seek medical attention immediately. Then, consult with a personal injury lawyer.
Breaking Down the Potential Costs of Traumatic Brain Injuries
The cost of TBIs can vary based on the severity of the injury. For instance, a mild TBI sustained from a slightly unprotected fall can include trips to the doctor and imaging scans. On the other hand, a severe TBI could incur significantly more expenses, including:
- Emergency medical care
- Rehabilitation
- Assistive devices
- Home-related modifications
- Counseling
- Ongoing medical care
- Long-term lost wages
Treatment could cost $50,000, and someone with a severe TBI may face millions in medical expenses. It’s crucial to contact DSB Law Firm, a law firm that fights to pursue full compensation. Let’s start by helping you calculate your claim-related damages, ensuring we leave nothing on the table.
Experiencing TBI Injury Symptoms? Contact DSB Law Firm
A TBI can affect nearly every aspect of your life, from your health and relationships to your finances. Don’t let the immense costs of a traumatic brain injury take over your life. After seeking medical treatment for your TBI, contact Dayson Shalabi Burkett Law Firm, LLC.
If you or someone you love is dealing with the aftermath of common causes of TBIs in Sumter, SC, don’t wait. The attorneys at DSB Law Firm are ready to help you get the support and compensation you or a loved one deserves.
We understand the emotional and physical toll TBIs take on hard-working people throughout Sumter and the rest of South Carolina. DSB Law Firm is ready to stay by your side every step of the way. Get started with your free consultation.
Curtis Dayson represents people who have been seriously injured by the negligent acts of others or have been injured on the job. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Curtis was raised by a pastor and an executive secretary who instilled the importance of ethical leadership and responsibility in him. After learning about the dirty games insurers play and the large number of cases many personal injury attorneys at large firms are working on at any given time, Curtis started his own practice to focus on fewer cases and to ensure his injured clients receive all they deserve.