By Emily Mapp Brannon, Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney

A study reported online in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that people who suffer traumatic brain injuries are at high risk for having a stroke within 90 days of the head trauma. “Although previous research has shown that traumatic brain injury can be associated with the future development of epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and psychiatric conditions, this the first study to link it to the future risk of stroke,” WebMD Health News states.

The findings were based on health records for 23,199 Taiwanese patients who had been treated for TBIs between 2001 and 2003. Compared with 69,597 people without a history of TBI, the brain-injured patients had a 10 time greater likelihood of suffering a stroke during the first three months of treatment.

As an experienced TBI attorneys based in Virginia Beach, VA, I find these results alarming but not surprising. Recently, my colleague John Cooper reported on a study of Vietnam-era U.S. military veterans that showed a brain injury raised risks for dementia.

Far too often victims of traumatic brain injuries in Virginia and elsewhere end up with further complications and few resources to help them out. For instance, when victims of brain injuries survive car accidents, it can be only the beginning of a nightmare with few residential treatment centers taking insurance or insurance failing to pay for brain rehab. Treatment only routinely gets offered to TBI patients who have money, workers’ compensation coverage or a lawsuit settlement.

In some cases there is help available to the victims. Another driver may be responsible for the injury or it could have been caused by the negligence of a sports coach or the inadequacy of a facility. In such cases a victim, or their family, can launch a lawsuit.

A brain injury from an accident is one of the most serious and life-changing injuries a person can suffer. If you or a loved one sustained head injuries in a car or motorcycle accident, check out our Frequently Asked Questions devoted to the subject.

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About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm whose attorneys focus on injury and accident law and have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injury cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our primary office is in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA). Our attorneys achieved the largest verdict in Virginia’s history for a brain-damaged client in 2000. The initial award of $46 million rose to $60 million with interest when an appeal was settled confidentially. Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included in the 2011 issue of Best Lawyers in America. They, along with fellow attorney John M. Cooper, were also named 2011 Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law, an honor which fewer than 5 percent of outstanding lawyers receive. Our injury lawyers also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube. Further, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard blogs as pro bono public information services. While not every brain injury case meets our criteria, if you or a loved one is thinking about taking legal action against a possibly at-fault person or company that caused your injury, call our office at (800) 752-0042 for a free consultation. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, be sure to leave a voicemail. We will return your call.