Brain Injury Has Detrimental Effect on Vision
Traumatic brain injury occurs in a variety of ways. It can happen due to a motor vehicle accident, a fall or an assault. When TBI happens, the brain is injured and cannot function properly, either temporarily or permanently. It causes cognitive loss and may leave an individual in a comatose state, unable to function at all. It causes disability that can disrupt life, making it impossible to work as before and affects social interaction. There are other aspects of a TBI such as visual disfunction. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since about 40-50 percent of the brain is involved in vision, this should come as no surprise. Overall, 20-40 percent of those with injury to one or multiple locations in the brain suffer from vision loss. Let’s look at the types of visual dysfunction a TBI causes, how this can be treated, what sort of issues the individual faces and how this affects a legal claim.
What Types of Visual Dysfunction Occur?
The type and intensity of the traumatic brain injury, as well as the part of the brain that was injured, play a big part in vision loss. There are two main types of visual dysfunctions associated with brain injury. These are visual acuity loss and visual field defects:
- Visual acuity: This refers to the sharpness of vision. We’ve all had vision tests where we read the letters on a chart for varying purposes, such as a driver’s license or when visiting an optometrist. After a TBI, the injured person may be unable to see with the same degree of sharpness as he or she could before. The defect can exist anywhere from the eye to the nerve fibers that carry images to the brain. The extent of the loss can vary from one person to another. Glasses and contact lenses are generally employed to correct vision problems.
- Visual field defects: This is the loss of one part of a person’s field of vision. The lesion can be anywhere from the eye to the brain. There are four types of visual field defects:
- Loss of half of the visual field (hemianopsia): This type of visual field loss is associated with blocking out one half of a person’s visual field, right or left, or upper and lower fields.
- Loss of a quarter of the visual field (quadranopsis): This refers to the loss of a quarter of the visual field.
- Bilateral visual field loss (bitemporal hemianopsia): Both the right and left visual fields are affected. It affects the outer half of the visual field.
- Visual field loss in both eyes (homonymous hemianopsia): The same visual field defect occurs in both the right and left eyes.
- Other changes: These include blurry vision, double vision, tired eyes when reading or using the computer, light sensitivity, and difficulty moving the eyes.
How Are Visual Defects Handled?
There is no one way to treat visual defects after a traumatic brain injury. In some patients, vision problems exist on their own, while in others, they are involved with problems in the part of the brain that affects balance. The mainstay of treatment for vision defects is to begin rehabilitation as soon as possible. For example, if a person cannot “see” one half of their visual field, they may be unable to see one half of their body. This can be treated if the person is able to understand that this is happening and are trained to use techniques that enable them to compensate for their loss.
How Vision Loss Affects a TBI Patient
The loss of vision can cause significant problems for an injured person. For example, their ability to care for themselves, engage in activities, drive, sustain social relationships, or maintain a sense of self can all be affected. Suddenly, the individual who suffers a vision loss can be unable to do what they did before the accident. This can cause serious psychological and emotional problems. Your personal injury lawyer will incorporate these damages into a claim for compensation.
How a Brain Trauma Lawyer Can Help
Your traumatic brain injury attorney can help by building a strong case for compensation. This begins by gathering evidence that shows the at-fault driver’s liability. It includes using accident reconstruction to show how the incident occurred. At our firm, we also obtain videos from traffic surveillance cameras, interview witnesses, and review police records for mistakes. In TBI cases, our investigators and legal team will confer with medical experts to determine the extent of damage, including vision loss. Once all the data is accumulated, our attorneys use the information to build a strong case for our client.
Sacramento Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento traumatic brain injury attorney. If you have suffered a TBI in an accident, please call me for free and friendly advice. You can reach me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 or message me online.
I’ve helped clients with all types of motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle crashes, and wrongful deaths, among other forms of trauma.
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Learn more about my practice using the following links:
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/head-brain-radiology-medical-human-1058432/
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