Traumatic Brain can Lead to Apraxia
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, occurs when an external force, or object, impacts the head and affects brain function. These type of injuries often happen during car or other types of accidents Many Floridians may not understand the extent to which traumatic brain injuries impact public health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that car accidents, falls, and blows to the head are leading causes of TBIs. TBIs affect millions of people and may cause different degrees of emotional, physical and cognitive impairments. The wide range of impairments oftentimes directly impact a victim’s ability to speak and communicate, a condition known as apraxia.
What is Apraxia?
Apraxia is an acquired motor disorder. Typically, apraxia is caused by a lesion in the brain’s left hemisphere. These lesions directly impact the portion of the brain that controls muscle coordination. This damage interferes with the brain’s ability to properly communicate with the muscles responsible for speech. Apraxia creates life long communication problem for victims. The problem is particularly distressing because oftentimes, a person suffering from apraxia may know what they want to say but their brain’s inability to communicate may result in producing the wrong words or no speech at all.
How is Apraxia Diagnosed?
Apraxia is usually diagnosed by a speech pathologist. If a therapist suspects an accident victim has developed apraxia, then they can run a range of assessments that are designed to determine the cause of the symptoms. While every victim is different, common symptoms of apraxia include:
- problems forming speech;
- difficulty making speech sounds;
- inability to move the lips and tongue to produce sounds; and
- unusually slow speech.
Once a therapist diagnoses a victim, the pathologist will recommend a treatment plan designed to improve the victim’s ability to sequence and coordinate the muscle movements required for speech.
How Common is Apraxia?
Apraxia is a condition that may present itself in combination with other communication disorders. This makes it difficult to know how much the condition impacts victims. The cause of apraxia can vary from case to case. A person with apraxia may have suffered a stroke, suffer from a neurological condition or have a traumatic brain injury caused by an accident.
Insurance Does not Cover the Cost of a Full Recover
Apraxia has financial, medical and emotional consequences for the victim. Additionally, many people who suffer apraxia are not able to be independent and have trouble with daily tasks. Insurance may offer some compensation for medical expenses, however, insurance will not be able to cover all expenses related to recovery and long term therapy. Victims may want to consider filing a personal injury claim against the party responsible for their harm.
Accident Victims with Apraxia Should Seek Legal Help
If you or a loved one has developed apraxia as a result of a traumatic brain injury sustained in an accident, please speak with the Miami traumatic brain injury attorneys at the law firm of Alan Goldfarb, P.A. We can prepare a claim against the liable party and get you fair compensation for your injury.
