It is well documented that traumatic brain injuries can negatively affect the ability of a person to function in our society. The term "executive control" is a term that the medical community uses to refer to the ability of a person to formulate plans for action, carry those plans out, and to properly assess situations and life. This includes our abilities to assess situations and to take lessons away from the mistakes that we have made so we don't make the same mistake over again. Executive control has been described as what separates those who "get ahead" and those who are unable to learn their experiences and move ahead.
The loss or impairment of executive control is closely associated with injury to the frontal lobes of the brain. The frontal area of the brain is located behind the forehead in the area of the skull. This area is often injured in head trauma, because of the mechanics involved in the cause of many head injuries. Both automobile accidents, and many sports injuries involve forward acceleration of the human body. When the body is stopped in a car crash or contact sports, the normal anatomical position of a body causes a forward flexion of the head which may then strike a hard object thereby causing direct trauma to the area of the front of the forehead. Significant injuries can occur simply from the movement of the soft brain tissue inside the skull, with injuries becoming more severe up to and including penetration of the skull into brain matter.
When injuries to the frontal lobe occur, a number of skills may become impaired including the ability to plan, self evaluation, time awareness, the ability to initiate, self correction and problem solving. These abilities work hand in hand with many other of our abilities and therefore cause significant disability in people with frontal lobe injuries. People with these injuries may appear physically normal, but in their functioning may be disorganized and lack the ability to bring focus to any endeavor. Because the location of the injury is also commonly associated with other injuries including communications problems. This can lead to symptoms in which a person has difficulty communicating by having word finding problems, using socially inappropriate language, and lacking the ability to express oneself in a more complex way.
If you or a loved one have suffered a brain injury or been injured as a result of an accident, the lawyers at Tatlow, Gump, Faiella & Wheelan LLC have the experience necessary to handle these special claims. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
