Last fall, a 22-year-old college student at West Virginia University fell down the basement stairs at a fraternity house. After two-hours of lying unconscious, the Uniontown, Pennsylvania, native was brought to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury.
Tragically, the young man is no longer able to communicate. While he is currently residing at a traumatic brain injury center in Georgia, the details of his injury remain a mystery. Sadly, parents of college students across the United States have faced similar situations in recent years.
Two years ago, a 19-year-old Penn State student died after he fell down the stairs at a pledge party. The student was forced to drink a large quantity of alcohol. Similar to the tragic incident in West Virginia, the student was left unconscious at the fraternity for hours before receiving medical attention for internal injuries and severe head trauma. By the time he was taken to the hospital, it was too late.
While many injuries involve alcohol, traumatic brain injuries can result for several other reasons as well. Commonly, traumatic brain injuries occur for the following reasons.
- Car accidents
- Sports injuries
- Falls
- Physical altercations
It is important to educate your child on the causes and symptoms of traumatic brain injuries in order to help prevent them from occurring. If your child experiences a loss of consciousness, vomiting, convulsions, pupil dilation, numbness, sensory problems or extreme fatigue immediately following an accident, he or she may have sustained a traumatic brain injury. If the injury goes untreated, it can have life-altering effects and can sometimes be fatal.
Sustaining a traumatic brain injury can be devastating, especially if it is your child. It can be beneficial to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney to help you fight for the justice your child deserves.