Frequently Asked Questions About Brain Injury

Brain injuries can take many forms—ranging from concussions and closed head injuries to hypoxic events—and each type brings its own set of questions and uncertainties. In these Frequently Asked Questions, we address the most common concerns about diagnosis, treatment, and long-term effects, helping you understand the complexities of brain injuries and the issues survivors often face. Whether you’re coping with a recent traumatic event or seeking information for a loved one, these articles provide clear, accessible explanations grounded in medical facts and legal expertise.

Written by leading brain injury attorney Michael V. Kaplen, who has been advocating on behalf of TBI survivors for over four decades, these guides reflect deep knowledge of both the medical and legal dimensions of brain trauma. From the nuances of “invisible” injuries like concussions to the life-altering impact of severe brain damage, Michael’s insights shed light on critical topics that can influence your path to recovery, compensation, and greater peace of mind.

Brain Injury FAQs

➡️ Can brain damage be repaired?

Learn about the complexities of TBI recovery, why every brain injury is unique, and how De Caro & Kaplen, LLP advocates to ensure survivors receive the support and compensation they deserve.

➡️ Do I have a brain injury?

Learn about the varied symptoms, delayed effects, and unique challenges of brain injuries—including why timely, specialized legal support is essential for obtaining proper care and compensation.

➡️ Is it Safe to Drive Following a Concussion?

Learn how concussions can impair critical driving skills—even after symptoms subside—and what steps to take before safely returning to the road.

➡️ How does trauma change the brain?

Discover how rapid head movements and the skull’s unique contours can cause traumatic brain injuries—often invisible yet profoundly life-altering—and why skilled legal advocacy is vital for securing justice.

➡️ How Does A Brain Injury Affect Daily Life?

Explore the wide-ranging ways a TBI can disrupt daily life—including cognitive, emotional, and physical challenges—and learn about support strategies that help survivors regain independence and improve quality of life.

➡️ How Is A Traumatic Brain Injury Diagnosed?

Discover how neurological exams, imaging studies, and cognitive assessments identify TBI severity, and why an accurate diagnosis is crucial for both recovery and supporting a legal claim.

➡️ How long after a head injury can symptoms occur?

Learn why concussion symptoms can emerge hours, days, or even weeks after a head injury, and how early recognition and proper legal advocacy ensure these “invisible injuries” receive the attention they deserve.

➡️ How To Treat A Brain Injury

Learn the essential steps of TBI treatment—from immediate medical care and ongoing rehabilitation to legal strategies that ensure you receive the compensation needed to support your recovery and future well-being.

➡️ Is a stroke a TBI?

Learn why a stroke—though classified as an acquired brain injury—can have devastating effects similar to a TBI, and how experienced legal counsel can pursue compensation when mismanagement leads to life-changing harm.

➡️ What causes loss of smell and taste after a traumatic brain injury?

Learn how traumatic brain injuries can damage the olfactory nerve—causing loss of smell and taste—and why recognizing these often-overlooked impairments is essential to proper care and compensation.

➡️ The Right Questions To Ask Following A Head Injury

Discover how using everyday-language questions, rather than clinical jargon, helps accurately identify concussions, prevent misdiagnoses, and protect individuals from serious, long-term effects.

➡️ What happens if the frontal lobe is damaged?

Learn how frontal lobe damage disrupts critical functions like judgment, multitasking, and personality—and why expert legal representation is vital for ensuring survivors receive proper compensation and support.

➡️ What is a closed head injury?

Learn how closed head injuries—caused by impacts or violent motion without skull penetration—can still result in serious brain damage, and why expert legal representation is crucial for securing proper care and compensation.

➡️ What is a TBI?

Learn how any forceful impact or movement affecting the head—even a seemingly minor concussion—can result in a traumatic brain injury, highlighting the importance of proper diagnosis and care.

➡️ What is hypoxic brain injury?

Learn how oxygen deprivation leads to permanent brain damage, the varied causes behind hypoxic injuries, and the profound, life-altering effects this condition can have on survivors.

➡️What is intracranial pressure?

Learn how swelling or bleeding in the skull causes dangerous increases in intracranial pressure, why prompt treatment is essential to prevent further brain damage, and how monitoring can safeguard against severe long-term complications.