Constant Ringing in Your Ears? What to Know About Tinnitus

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), around one in seven Virginians deals with tinnitus—a persistent ringing or buzzing in one’s ears associated with mild to moderate hearing loss. Up to 2 million Americans have severe tinnitus that can be disabling and impact just about every facet of their everyday lives. 

While the connection between tinnitus and hearing loss can lead to the assumption that this condition is caused by exposure to loud noises or damage to the ear itself, many cases of tinnitus are actually caused by trauma to the head or neck. Below, we discuss some of the causes of tinnitus, treatment options, and what you can do if your tinnitus was caused by another person’s negligence.

What Is Tinnitus?

While it may seem like tinnitus-based ringing is coming from your ears, it actually originates inside your brain. Tinnitus occurs when the brain—in an attempt to hear certain frequencies better—turns up the signal of other frequencies. Just like turning up a hearing aid too far can lead to a cacophony of background noise that prevents you from hearing clearly, the brain’s response to hearing loss can create a constant ringing or buzzing sound.

A 2011 study sought to answer why some people seem to be especially vulnerable to tinnitus. Researchers suggest that the limbic system (the part of the brain involved in behavioral and emotional responses) serves as a gatekeeper to prevent the tinnitus signal from reaching the part of the brain that processes sounds. For people suffering from tinnitus, the limbic system is no longer able to block this signal.

This study also noted that many tinnitus sufferers tend to have a loss of volume in the brain’s medial prefrontal cortex—which isn’t a part of the brain that processes sound but is closely connected to the limbic system. This may also explain why tinnitus is closely associated with depression, which can also result from limbic system disruption.

Tinnitus as a Side Effect of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Tinnitus can be caused by a number of different factors, from medical conditions to certain medications to long-term exposure to loud noises. However, many cases of tinnitus stem directly from head and neck injuries—concussions, skull fractures, and other TBIs can damage sensitive nerves and other brain structures, including the prefrontal cortex, that help guard against tinnitus. 

TBIs can often occur in car crashes, slip-and-fall accidents, sports injuries, and just about any other incident in which you suffer whiplash or your head collides with another object. Some people may even experience TBI after riding a rough roller coaster. 

Because it can be tough to pinpoint the cause of tinnitus—even if it developed shortly after an injury to your brain—it’s important to seek a diagnosis from a medical professional to eliminate some of the possibilities above. Connecting your tinnitus to your TBI can strengthen any legal claim against the responsible party.

If another person’s or business’s negligence led to your TBI, they may be responsible for any damages resulting from your tinnitus.

Other Common Causes of Tinnitus

Even if you’re sure your tinnitus was caused by a TBI, it’s important to rule out other potential causes that could be used to weaken your claim. Some of the other conditions or situations that may cause tinnitus include: 

Do You Have Tinnitus?

For many tinnitus sufferers, the answer can seem obvious. But for some, tinnitus may come and go, seemingly at random. And for others, tinnitus can sound more like hissing or clicking than a high-pitched ringing. 

So how can you know if you suffer from tinnitus? Tinnitus can include the following sounds:

Tinnitus can be occasional or constant. Those with intermittent tinnitus may find that the periods of ringing or buzzing become longer as the condition grows worse. In other cases, the tinnitus may slowly go away on its own. 

Though tinnitus is often a side effect of TBI, it comes with side effects of its own. Those who live with tinnitus often suffer from a constellation of other symptoms, including: 

These side effects, particularly depression and the inability to concentrate, can often make it tougher to find the motivation to seek treatment. 

Tinnitus Treatments & Prognosis

Unfortunately, there’s no proven cure for chronic tinnitus that doesn’t resolve on its own. However, there are some therapies and treatments that can help make living with tinnitus more manageable. These include: 

As with so many other conditions, the more quickly you seek treatment for your tinnitus, the more options are available.

How Long Will Tinnitus Last? 

Some cases of tinnitus will resolve on their own within a few days, weeks, or months. But tinnitus that is caused by a head injury or TBI and doesn’t resolve within a year is likely permanent. 

In these cases, it’s important to seek a diagnosis that drills down into what caused your tinnitus—and then, to contact an attorney to protect your legal rights. Under Virginia law, those who are injured due to another person’s negligent or reckless actions have only two years from the date of the injury to file a civil lawsuit. Missing this deadline could leave you without any recourse for your injuries. 

At Breit Biniazan, our attorneys have decades of experience in fighting for the rights of injured people. Don’t delay—give us a call at (855) 659-4457 to set up a consultation to discuss your options if you think your tinnitus is a result of someone else’s negligence.

What Are the Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) results from a blow, jolt, or penetrating injury to the head that causes a disruption of normal brain function. TBI is an incredibly common type of injury that afflicts about 2 million people each year, but they often go undetected and untreated. 

Sometimes a traumatic brain injury is obvious—for example if the person is unconscious and bleeding after the accident. However, at other times, the TBI is less noticeable. Victims of TBI may feel fine after an accident but then develop alarming and dangerous symptoms in the following hours or days. 

That’s why it’s important to recognize the various symptoms of traumatic brain injuries. If signs of TBI arise, immediately seek medical attention. Doing so can help you recover quickly and prevent more serious symptoms, including disability or death. If you or a loved one experienced these life-altering effects of TBI, our Virginia Beach and Richmond TBI lawyers can help you move forward from your injury. 

Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury

Symptoms of traumatic brain injuries can take many forms, depending on the severity of the injury. While TBI are categorized as mild, moderate, or severe, their symptoms can range broadly.

Symptoms of a Mild Brain Injury

A person with a mild TBI may only lose consciousness for a few seconds, minutes, or not at all. But left untreated, a mild TBI may actually become quite serious, resulting in further brain damage, disability, and possibly death.

Some of the most common symptoms associated with mild TBI are:

While these symptoms are usually experienced in the immediate aftermath of a head injury, there are additional delayed symptoms that may occur following a mild TBI. These are often more serious and may indicate long-term brain damage. Some of these symptoms include:

Symptoms of Moderate to Severe Brain Injury

While those suffering from moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries may share symptoms with those experiencing mild TBI, they may also experience even worse symptoms that can physically and permanently impact the person who suffers the injury. 

In addition to the symptoms above, some of the most significant problems include:

The most severe brain injuries can also cause a person to go into a coma. An untreated and undetected TBI may even increase the risk one has of developing diseases that affect brain functions, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

Unfortunately, because these injuries often go unnoticed, someone suffering from the long-term side effects of a mild TBI may feel that the delayed symptoms of persistent cognitive or social difficulties are without explanation. They might not be able to connect what they thought was a minor bump to the head to the difficulties they are facing. Even those who seek help for TBI may not receive adequate treatment from health care professionals.

Measuring Traumatic Brain Injuries

In order to diagnose and treat traumatic brain injuries, health care providers use a scale to rank their level of injury. 

A person with a mild TBI

A person with a moderate TBI

A person experiencing Severe TBI

Can I Have a Brain Injury and Not Know It?

Absolutely. Many brain injuries go undiagnosed because symptoms arise long after the accident or might seem unrelated to a head injury. Mental and emotional signs of TBI, like difficulty concentrating or behavioral changes, are oftentimes the hardest symptoms to link to a head injury. 

How Long After a Head Injury Can Symptoms Occur?

Unfortunately, there is no firm answer regarding how long you should watch for symptoms of a TBI following a head injury. 

In some cases, symptoms are immediate and obvious; in others, signs of a TBI may not appear for hours, days, or even weeks. Some people may be completely unaffected by their injury immediately following the accident, but their condition may gradually or suddenly worsen in the weeks that follow. 

Even more worrisome, sometimes symptoms can be subtle and seem completely unrelated to a brain injury. 

When Should I See My Doctor? 

If you experience any of the symptoms listed above after an accident—particularly painful headaches, vomiting, trouble moving your limbs, or increasing lethargy or confusion—you should immediately see your doctor or go to the emergency room. 

It’s important to watch for any physical or mental changes, no matter how small, following an accident involving a head injury and to immediately seek medical attention when those arise. 

How Is a Traumatic Brain Injury Diagnosed? 

Health care providers use a suite of different tests and measurements to diagnose TBI and its severity, usually employing several of these tests together to diagnose and plan the patient’s treatment moving forward. 

Imaging Tests

Health care providers will take images of the person’s brain to study the injury if they believe they may have a TBI. 

These imaging tests may include a CT (computerized tomography), which X-rays the brain from different angles to form a 360-degree image, capturing any bleeding, bruising, or other damage. 

Another imaging test, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), produces a more detailed picture of the brain using magnets and radio waves but requires more time. 

Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)

The GCS measures the patient’s ability to function in three specific fields: The ability to move limbs intentionally or in response to pain, the ability to open their eyes, and their ability to speak normally or, in some cases, to speak at all. Doctors use these categories to calculate the patient’s responses and to diagnose their level of TBI. 

Other Tests to Determine TBI

What to Do After a TBI

If you or a loved one think you may be experiencing a TBI following an accident, you should immediately seek medical attention. The sooner a medical provider can take action to diagnose and treat a TBI, the less damage will be done by this devastating injury. 

Moving forward from a TBI can be costly, including extensive medical bills, rehabilitation, and loss of income, leaving your life changed forever. If your traumatic brain injury is the result of another party’s negligence from medical malpractice, an auto accident, or tractor-trailer accident, you deserve compensation—and we may be able to help. 
Our Richmond and Virginia Beach brain injury lawyers consider TBIs some of the most severe injuries that a person can sustain. We work hard to represent those who suffer this type of damage because we know the long-term costs, both physical and emotional, of TBI. You can count on Breit Biniazan to be your advocate from start to finish. We’ll not only pursue compensation, but we’ll also work to obtain justice on your behalf. Contact us to discuss your case during a free consultation.

The Side Effects of a Brain Injury

Like the accidents that cause them, no two brain injuries are the same. Each traumatic brain injury (TBI) comes with a unique range of side effects. Some symptoms are immediate, others develop over time. This means that some TBI victims quickly recover, while others contend with side effects for years to come.

While there are factors that can influence your ability to recover quickly, or at all, from TBI, negative effects can still last for weeks, months, years, or even develop into lifelong challenges.

If you or a loved one were involved in an accident with a head injury, it’s important to understand these symptoms of TBI and to see a doctor if any of these symptoms, no matter how mild, arise. 

In this article, we cover all aspects of brain injury side effects, including:

Impaired Consciousness
Physical Complications
Effects to the Senses
How Long do Brain Injury Side Effects Last?
What Are the Long-Term Effects of TBI?
Can You Fully Recover From a Brain Injury?

If you suspect your symptoms may be the result of a TBI caused by the negligence of someone else, our Virginia Beach and Richmond brain injury attorneys can help you navigate the process of moving forward from your injury.

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Traumatic Brain Injury Side Effects

The side effects of a head injury can be physical, emotional, mental, or a combination of all three. Some of these symptoms are inconvenient, while others are completely debilitating, restricting the patient from living a normal life. The side effects of TBI can include the following:

Impaired Consciousness

Some of the most recognizable symptoms of moderate to severe TBI involve impaired consciousness, both immediate and long-term, which prevents the victim from operating in a normal state of awareness. These side effects include:

•   Coma: Following widespread damage to the entire brain, a person will slip into complete unconsciousness or coma. They may awake after a few days or weeks, but if not, they enter a vegetative state.

•   Vegetative State: In a vegetative state, the entire brain has been injured and the victim is unconscious, though they may respond to reflexes and make sounds. A vegetative state may be permanent, although some people regain some measure of consciousness.

•   Minimally Conscious: When recovering from a coma or a vegetative state, some patients regain some awareness of themselves and the environment.

•   Brain Death: Brain death, in which there is no activity in the brain or brainstem, is permanent, and without breathing devices, the patient will not survive.

Physical Complications

Because the brain controls the actions of the body, some side effects of brain injury can manifest in different areas of the body. Many victims fail to recognize these symptoms as side effects of a TBI because they may seem unconnected to the injury, but these may include:

•   Seizures: A seizure is caused by a burst of random electrical activity between brain cells, which causes sudden abnormalities in muscles, behaviors, and awareness. Some TBI patients only have seizures during their early recovery, but others have seizures for years to follow, which is then referred to as post-traumatic epilepsy.

•   Edema: Swelling, or edema, is your body’s response to injury. Brain edema is very dangerous because the skull leaves little room for the brain to expand, which can lead to permanent damage or death.

•   Hydrocephalus: Hydrocephalus, or fluid buildup in the brain after some TBI, causes swelling in the brain, and the pressure can have permanent, detrimental impacts on the brain.

•   Increased Intracranial Pressure: As with hydrocephalus, a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid around your brain and spinal cord) increases pressure in the skull and can lead to spinal cord injuries or brain injury.

•   Meningitis: As with any injury, a head injury can result in infection. In the case of TBI, infection can occur in the protective tissues around the brain (meningitis), which can then infect the brain or the nervous system.

•   Blood Vessel Damage: Blood clots in the brain resulting from a TBI can cause a stroke, more blood clots, or other serious health issues.

•   Headaches: Migraine-level headaches are a common side effect of TBI with onset lasting from days after the incident to several months.

•   Vertigo: Vertigo, the sensation of feeling suddenly off-balance or dizzy, is another common and disorienting symptom of traumatic brain injuries.

•   Hypotension: Hypotension, or low blood pressure, can be a result of TBI. If the blood pressure drops too low, oxygen and essential nutrients aren’t delivered to the brain, which can cause dizziness, fainting, and more serious injuries.

Effects to the Senses

It is not uncommon for patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury to have full or partial loss of smell and/or taste.

 Such dysfunction can be devastating to the patient. It can also be potentially dangerous since the patient may be unable to smell gas or smoke.

This is the result of cranial nerve damage or damage to the nerves at the base of the skull that descends directly from the brain. Symptoms of cranial nerve damage can include:

•   Paralysis of parts of the face
•   Loss of or reduction of sense of smell or taste
•   Loss of vision or double vision
•   Difficulties swallowing•   Ringing in the ears or hearing loss

Typically, if the patient does not regain his or her ability to smell or taste within six months to one year following a brain injury, the loss will be permanent. 

Complete loss of smell is referred to as “anosmia.” Diminished loss of smell is referred to as “hyposmia.” Complete loss of taste is referred to as “ageusia.” Diminished loss of taste is referred to as “hypogeusia.”

 A smell and taste test administered for the traumatic brain injury patient may reveal changes in taste and smell, sometimes even when the patient has not yet realized he or she has such dysfunction. Some patients experience significant changes in diet after a brain injury without even appreciating that such changes are due to loss of smell and taste. 

Other Side Effects of TBI

Side effects of TBI can extend beyond the physical and mental to affect all aspects of your health, including:

•   Hormonal effects: Two parts of the endocrine (or hormonal) system are near the brain: the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. If injured, they can cause hormone problems, including adrenal insufficiency (resulting in weight loss, low blood pressure, and other symptoms), diabetes insidious (recognizable by frequent urination and thirst), hypothyroidism (fatigue, constipation, and weight gain), or other health challenges.

•   Cognitive Effects: TBI can have a range of effects on the patients’ cognition, including trouble with memory, learning, reasoning, judgment, and attention span.

•   Executive Functioning Problems: In addition to cognitive effects, TBI can impact a person’s ability to effectively problem solve, multitask, organize, plan, make decisions, or finish tasks.

•   Communication Problems: Some of the more common side effects of traumatic brain injuries are problems with communication. Patients may have trouble speaking or writing and following conversations, which can in turn cause further social difficulties.

•   Behavioral Effects: TBI victims may experience extreme changes to their personality and behavior, like trouble with self-control, a lack of self-awareness, verbal or physical spasms, or risky behavior.

•   Emotional Effects: TBI patients may suffer inwardly, as well, with symptoms like depression, mood swings, irritability, and anxiety common after a traumatic brain injury.

•   Degenerative Brain Diseases: Research suggests that there are ties between degenerative brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and TBI. These diseases cause the slow degeneration of brain function.

How Long do Brain Injury Side Effects Last?

Brain injury side effects can be short-lived or last a lifetime depending on the extent of the injury. 

When mild brain injuries temporarily diminish brain function—known commonly as a concussion—the effects usually last between one week and three months. 

Symptoms like headaches, fatigue, depression, vertigo, and memory loss generally lessen within weeks, but some people continue to contend with these side effects for months or even years.

After moderate to severe TBI, symptoms tend to last much longer. Recovery from moderate to severe injuries usually requires at least three months and rehabilitation. Side effects can normally continue for up to two years and, in some patients, even up to a decade.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of TBI?

Depending on the severity of a brain injury, long-term effects can be subtle—like difficulty concentrating or car sickness—or life-altering, including memory loss, personality changes, and a loss of normal limb function. 

The more serious a brain injury, the more pronounced these long-term symptoms, and the more likely survivors are to experience life-long impacts to their personality, relationships, career, and even their ability to live independently.

Can You Fully Recover From a Brain Injury?

Recovery from a brain injury depends largely on the severity of the injury. 

Those with mild traumatic brain injuries typically see a full recovery within three months. 

People suffering from moderate TBI usually recover most of their brain function within months or years, though it may require physical or language rehabilitation, psychological services, and social services assistance. 

After severe TBI, recovery is unpredictable and lengthy; many victims of traumatic TBI never fully recover, while others’ condition worsens with time to a vegetative state or even death.

Overcoming the Side Effects of Brain Injury

While recovering from the side effects of a brain injury is unpredictable, it’s likely that you’ll face challenges like high medical bills, rehabilitation, loss of work, and maybe even a new life as you know it. This can be a long, expensive process, which is why Breit Biniazan is dedicated to helping TBI victims move forward.

When handling a traumatic brain injury case in which his or her client has suffered from any of these various side effects of TBI, our Virginia Beach and Richmond attorneys will develop evidence to demonstrate the impacts of TBI for the jury and the devastation it causes. Our lawyers specifically show the connection between the traumatic brain injury and the side effects it caused, as well as the negative impact those effects have had on your life.

Having a thorough understanding of traumatic brain injury, its symptoms, and impacts is necessary for attorneys looking to defend their TBI clients. Our Virginia attorneys have extensive experience in TBI cases and appreciate the magnitude of the side effects of these injuries, which is why clients turn to us for help seeking the compensation they deserve to rebuild their lives.

If you have questions about a potential TBI case, feel free to contact us to schedule a free consultation. 

Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries are some of the most severe a person can sustain. Many of these types of injuries result from negligent actions. Recognizing some of the most common causes of TBIs can help the injured party recognize if they have the right to pursue compensation. Here are just a few of the causes of severe brain injuries.

Car Accidents

In the United States, a car accident occurs every 57 seconds. Far too often, these are preventable situations. People are texting while driving, drinking and driving, and otherwise acting in ways that can cause harm.

The impact of a car accident can cause the passengers within the vehicle to hit their heads on the frame or dashboard. Their head jolts back and forth, causing their brains to rattle around inside their skulls. It can cause brain bleeds, bruising, and other problems.

Slip and Falls

Businesses and other property owners must ensure that their grounds are safe. A business’ carpet has torn carpet, or they have slippery floors. In some situations, staircases have missing or broken handrails. As a result, patrons in the area can slip and fall.

Typically, when someone slips and falls, the individual loses control of how they are going to land. It’s easy for a person in this situation to hit his or her head and suffer a severe injury.

Acts of Violence

Assaults and other acts of violence are dangerous for any person on the receiving end of the action. Some of these assaults can cause significant brain injury if the trauma occurs to the person’s head. In this situation, the attacker is the responsible party.

Our Richmond Brain Injury Attorneys are Ready to Help

Breit Biniazan is here to help you move forward with legal action following a severe and traumatic brain injury resulting from negligence. We work hard to help those in need understand what they can do to safeguard their best interests.

We encourage you to speak with our Virginia Beach and Richmond brain injury lawyers about your ability to file a lawsuit against the responsible party. We’ll be there for you in your time of need.

Brain Injuries: Traumatic vs. Non-Traumatic

Any brain injury can significantly impact a person’s life. However, understanding the cause of the injury can give you a better knowledge of what legal action is available to you. In some situations, the brain injury is a result of physical damage. In others, though, some brain injuries occur after birth due to another condition.

Regarding brain injuries, there are two types of terms used when referring to how the damage occurs: traumatic and acquired (non-traumatic). The definitions of these two terms detail where negligence may be involved and where something else plays a role in causing the brain injury.

Traumatic Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury is any damage that alters how a person’s brain functions and results from external trauma or force. Typically, these types of brain injuries are the ones most often involving acts of negligence or someone else’s actions.

For instance, a person may sustain a traumatic brain injury in a car accident. The impact of the crash can cause an individual’s brain to rattle within his or her skull. He or she may hit his or her head on the frame of the vehicle. A fracture on the skull can damage the brain. These actions can lead to traumatic brain injury.

Non-Traumatic (Acquired) Brain Injury

Acquired brain injuries are not those caused by birth injuries or because of hereditary conditions. Instead, they result from injuries to a person’s brain after birth because of health conditions or asphyxiation.

The common causes of non-traumatic brain injuries include:

Regardless of whether a brain injury is traumatic or acquired, there may be legal action available when negligence exists. When someone else’s actions result in physical harm, the injured party should be able to take legal action and pursue compensation for the damages.

At Breit Biniazan, we work hard for our clients. Our Virginia Beach and Richmond brain injury lawyers are ready to go to trial when your rights are on the line. Trust us to be your guide and help you through complicated matters.

Bringing Forth a Wrongful Death Action in Virginia

The loss of a loved one is never easy to endure. Unfortunately, this feeling can be even worse when the death is caused by a negligent action or someone else’s recklessness. In legal terms, this event is called a wrongful death. Virginia’s wrongful death statutes are detailed in Virginia Code Sections 8.01-50 et. seq. This states that whenever someone’s death is the result of a wrongful act, neglect, or default of another party, there are certain damages that may be recoverable by the surviving family members. The statutes also outline who can bring forth a wrongful death action and what damages may be recovered.

Recoverable Damages

Under Virginia Code Section 8.01-52, there is a list of damages that may be recoverable by the surviving family members of the decedent in a wrongful death action. These damages may be awarded through jury verdict or in settlement with the negligent party. The jury or court may award damages as they see fit for the circumstances, relying on various considerations such as the age of the decedent, surviving family members, and lost income earning potential.

Some of the recoverable damages may include:

In matters when the action was willful or wanton conduct, there may be grounds for the surviving family members to recover punitive damages. For certain recoverable damages, the jury or court must specifically state the recovered damages. When it comes to funeral and medical expenses, the recoverable damages may be issued to them for the services rendered.

Who Can Recover Damages?

In a wrongful death action, anyone can qualify to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the estate, but for strategic purposes, the spouse or a child usually qualifies as an administrator, which allows them to then file suit. Also, there are specific parties who are allowed to recover damages in a lawsuit. The list is detailed under Virginia Code Section 8.01-53 and includes the surviving spouse, children, parent, siblings, and other dependent relatives who live in the same household of the decedent. There are certain restrictions, however, that determines the order of who can recover damages. For instance, the spouse, children, and children of any deceased child would be the first available parties to do recover. If none of these exists, then the parents, brothers, and sisters of the deceased, and any relative who was dependent on the deceased and lived in the same household.

Types of Accidents

Wrongful deaths can happen in any kind of incident. This includes automobile crashes, motorcycle collisions, crashes with pedestrians or bicyclists, trucking collisions, workplace incidents, premises liability, nursing home abuse, and even defective products. These are all potential negligent acts and are all preventable. When an injury is enough to result in death, it is very important to make sure you understand Virginia’s statutes regarding wrongful death and what kind of action you may be able to take so you can obtain justice.

Since 1979, Breit Cantor Grana Buckner has been representing individuals who have been harmed by other’s negligent acts, including families who have lost a loved one to a wrongful death. Our Richmond wrongful death attorneys use extensive experience to guide clients through the complex legal process and towards the resolution they desire. You don’t have to worry about the legal battle. You and your family can grieve as you