Speech Difficulties Following an Auto Accident
Recent statistics published by the website, Brain and Spinal Cord on traumatic brain injuries (TBI) show that these injuries have the potential to cause a significant number of complications. One of the most serious is speech difficulties. According to the statistics, some of the most common causes of TBI include:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: Car accidents account for about a fifth of all TBIs.
- Slip and Fall Injuries: Among certain age groups, slip and fall injuries are actually the leading cause of neurological injuries.
- Hit by Objects: Around a fifth of TBIs are caused by people being struck by or against objects.
- Physical Assault: The fourth leading cause is violence such as physical assault.
Depending on the location and types of traumatic brain injuries, people can have difficulty speaking. This can create some serious quality of life issues for the victims.
The Manifestation of Speech Difficulties Following a Traumatic Brain Injury
The speech centers of the brain are in the middle. Two of the specific areas involved in both the production and comprehension of speech are called Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area. If these regions of the brain are damaged, people can have trouble speaking. Some of the manifestations of speech difficulties after a traumatic brain injury include:
- The inability to recognize certain vocabulary and jargon
- Consistently asking for words and phrases to be completed
- Problems with rapid or fluid speech
- The appearance of inattention
- Problems remembering directions
These specific symptoms could be a sign of hearing problems, which is another reason why people might have trouble with speech. To speak fluently, people need to be able to hear their own speech. Some of the other signs of speech problems include:
- Disfluent speech in an individual’s primary language.
- Rambling explanations that ultimately go nowhere which is often called “talking in circles.”
- Fluid speech that is not connected to a central point.
- Misusing words.
- Problems with idioms, puns, and turns of phrase.
Ultimately, these problems are very frustrating for not only the individual but also their family members and friends. Because of this, it is essential for everyone to seek treatment from a trained professional. In addition to physicians, other trained specialists can help provide comprehensive care.
Treatment of Speech Problems After a TBI
If an individual has speech issues following a brain injury, there are trained specialists who are available to help:
- Physical therapists, help individuals with jaw injuries strengthen their speech muscles.
- Speech-language pathologists, assist people in the formation and production of certain words and phrases.
- Audiologists, can provide specific solutions and equipment for those who have difficulty with their hearing.
- Occupational therapists, help people return to work following a severe injury.
Those who have problems with speech should see their doctor about these specialists. Their training, programs, and treatment options can help people restore their speaking abilities.
Watch YouTube Video: Speech Therapy Following Traumatic Brain Injury. The video below demonstrates how a speech therapist works with a patient with traumatic brain injury.
Contacting an Injury Lawyer
It can be hard to watch a loved one struggle to communicate after a serious traumatic brain injury. This can place a large amount of stress on the relationships between family members and friends. After seeking medical care, it is a good idea to sit down and speak with a car accident injury lawyer. An experienced attorney can help families:
- Review the circumstances of the accident to make sure that none of the details are being overlooked.
- Pursue damages that are related to a brain injury, its complications, and emotional distress.
- Reconstruct the accident with the help of professionals to make sure that the mechanism is correct.
- Take the case to trial, if needed.
No family should ever feel like they are alone following a serious accident. Reach out to an accident injury lawyer for help. You and your loved ones could be deserving of a substantial monetary settlement.
Car Accident Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. Many different injuries can cause someone to have trouble speaking after a car accident. If someone you care about has been injured in a car collision, contact me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.
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Speech Difficulties Following an Auto Accident: Autoaccident.com
Image Attribution: Pixabay.
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