A Frontal Lobe Injury Can Rob Your Loved One of A Future

A devastating accident that left your loved one with a traumatic brain injury was probably the last thing you expected to happen. As you sat in the hospital waiting to hear about your loved one’s condition, you may have reflected over how your day began, the routine events you took for granted and the little inconveniences you complained about.

All that changed in an instant. When doctors explained that your loved one suffered damage to the brain’s frontal lobe, you may have had difficulty grasping the implications of such an injury. Understanding what the frontal lobe of the brain does may help you come to terms with the changes your family may be facing because of your loved one’s injury.

What You Can Expect

A frontal lobe injury may occur when a passenger in a motor vehicle is thrown forward and strikes his or her head against the dashboard. If your loved one was on a motorcycle or bicycle, the impact of a vehicle may have resulted in striking the head on the handlebars or against the ground. The frontal lobe, which lies in the space between your eyebrows and the top of your head, can suffer severe damage in any of these situations. This part of the brain controls the following:

• Planning, organizing and setting goals

• Making decisions, even simple ones such as what to wear or eat

• Knowing when certain comments or behaviors are inappropriate

• Understanding language

• Controlling impulses, including dangerous ones

• Demonstrating patience or tolerance for others

• Solving complex problems and thinking critically

• Concentrating

• Controlling your ability to participate in conversation and to stop talking when appropriate

• Controlling voluntary movements and facial expressions

Because of the complex nature of the frontal lobe, medical experts do not know how to repair such damage beyond providing basic management of the injury, preventing swelling and bleeding, and working to rehabilitate the victim of such an injury. As a result, you may be facing many years of challenges and struggles as you support your loved ones long and difficult recovery.

In addition to the emotional and medical trials ahead, you will certainly be dealing with financial issues if your loved one’s injury prevents him or her from returning to work and as medical bills mount. If your loved one’s brain injury resulted from the negligent actions of someone else, you may feel the full weight of the unfairness. However, by working with a skilled Kentucky attorney, you may be able to find a sense of justice through the civil courts.