This past September the Phoenix Police Department teamed up with the Barrow Neurological Institute to provide training for 170 officers on how to treat people who have traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The program was the first-in-the-nation to offer this kind of training.
Phoenix PD Now Trained on Spotting TBI
Around 7.6 million people in the U.S. live with a traumatic brain injury. Because people living with traumatic brain injuries can sometimes act differently in stressful situations, the training is meant to offer officers a way of dealing with someone that might be acting erratically or belligerently as a result of their brain injury.
“We really wanted to make sure that the officer had some empathetic understanding of how a traumatic brain injury could effect that individual’s ability to successfully interact with the officer,” said Ashley Bridwell, a social worker from the Barrow Neurological Institute who created the program.
“We see that [domestic violence survivors] have the same cumulative effect of mild traumatic brain injury as your average NFL player, or your average athlete, where they get hit, after hit, after hit, after hit, and at some point develop permanent lifelong disability,” Bridwell said.
As part of the training, speakers with traumatic brain injuries are brought in to speak about how they are affected, allowing the officers to ask questions and gain a better understanding of what it’s like to live with a brain injury.
“You get better interaction for the police, and for our community,” said Adam Pepiton, who is a participant in the program. He was left with a traumatic brain injury eight years ago after being injured in a drive-by shooting.
“No matter what the person’s diagnosis is, the officer should be able to accommodate their disability,” said Phoenix PD Det. Sabrina Taylor.
And with these injuries being so common and widespread, especially within the homeless community, advocates hope similar programs catch on elsewhere.
“Brain injury isn’t just in Phoenix,” Pepiton said. “It’s throughout the whole world. So, we’ve gotta educate pretty much everybody.”
Protecting Yourself Following a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Almost 1.4 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year and most of them do not know how to file a TBI lawsuit to protect themselves after those TBIs. Knowing how wide-spread these types of injuries are, even more frightening is that some people do not show signs of a TBI until weeks or even months after sustaining the injury. Because of that, it can be hard to pursue legal action. Below we will outline what a TBI is, and how you can protect yourself if you or a loved one suffers a TBI through someone else’s negligence.
Over the past few years, traumatic brain injuries have gained a lot of attention in the media due to the fact that more and more information is becoming more widely available. One of the main reasons TBIs have become so widely discussed is because of the amount of football players that are coming forward with TBIs, and issues related to TBIs.
TBIs in football players have been linked to high levels of depression, suicide, and violent behavior. But it’s not just football players, who take numerous hits to the head, that are victims of TBI. Across the nation, an estimated 1.7 million people sustain TBIs annually. Of that number: 52,000 die, 275,000 are hospitalized, and 1.365 million are treated and released from emergency rooms.
Traumatic brain injury is brain dysfunction caused by an external force, such as a violent blow or jolt to the head or body during an accident, or an object penetrating the skull.
There are various levels of traumatic brain injuries, but all of them should be taken seriously, as even TBIs termed “mild” can have serious consequences.
Mild traumatic brain injury, such as a slight or mild concussion can cause temporary dysfunction of brain cells. More serious traumatic brain injury can result in bruising, torn tissues, bleeding, and other physical damage to the brain. This can result in long-term complications and even death.
The effects of a TBI are not just limited to physical, but also psychological effects. And though some signs or symptoms appear immediately, some only appear days or weeks later. In cases like this, because the incident has occurred so long ago, you might not even realize that you are dealing with a symptom of a TBI.
What Causes TBIs?
Any number of things can cause a concussion or TBI, including a car accident, bus accident, or a faulty product. Below we outline some of these common accidents that are also common personal injury accidents that would warrant a lawsuit.
Working with a Personal Injury Attorney After an Accident
If you or a loved one have been a victim of a personal injury accident, you should immediately contact a personal injury attorney that understands the specific laws around these types of accidents. They will be able to perform a full investigation and build your case. It’s crucial that you work with someone that knows the intricacies of the laws surrounding these types of cases as well as your specific state’s laws. The attorneys at Personal Injury Attorneys PLLC have experience handling personal injury cases such as elevator accidents, automobile accidents, and slip and fall accidents. They will help build a case to ensure you receive everything you need to recover from your specific accident.
