Brain injuries can impact different body functions

For sufferers in Florida and other parts of the country, brain injuries can have a major effect on their ability to function in different ways, depending on the side of the brain affected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 2.4 million people suffer brain injuries in the United States as a result of falls, car crashes or assaults. As each side of the brain has a different job, a brain injury on one side or both can bring different symptoms.

The left side of the brain is in charge of the more logical aspects of thinking, including repetition, sequences and language. The right side handles more creative processes, including intuitive and big picture thinking, the ability to process music and arts and visual-spatial movements. A brain injury is different for each person, but the common factor is that it changes an individual’s personality and the ways in which they act, think or feel.

Within the two sides of the brains, different areas such as the parietal, occipital, frontal and temporal lobe all have functions that can be severely impaired by a brain injury. When brain injuries affect both parts of the brain, individuals tend to feel fatigued, confused and have a hard time concentrating.

If a brain injury on the right or left side of the brain results from medical misadventure, a patient may be entitled to damages for any medical costs, emotional pain or lost wages. Under Florida law, patients need to take part in an investigative process that includes getting a written medical opinion from a college-educated medical expert. An attorney may be able to aid a client in obtaining a medical opinion and evidence to show negligence on the part of a medical professional or facility.