If you’re a football fan, you’ve probably heard of CTE. Technically known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, it is a serious brain issue that has actually caused some football players to retire for fear of what it could mean for their future. It has been linked to loss of brain function, memory issues, depression and even suicide.
Repeated brain injuries, such as concussions, are what lead to CTE. While simply getting one concussion may not massively increase your risks, it does make it more likely that you’ll get a second one. If they keep happening, CTE becomes a real threat. This degenerative issue can have a drastic impact on your quality of life, and not much is known about how to treat or cure it.
One big issue with CTE is that it doesn’t develop right away. It can take years. In some cases, it takes decades. If you suffer a concussion or a TBI on the job, you may feel fully recovered after a day or two. If this happens every year, you may still feel like you get back to normal quickly. It doesn’t seem like a big deal. Ten years after you retire, though, you could find the symptoms of CTE beginning to set in.
This is just one reason why you must take traumatic brain injuries seriously. Even “minor” injuries are more serious than people often realize. You don’t want to shake it off and assume you’re fine. You don’t want to skip out on medical treatment. You have to consider the long-term impact of your injury and all of the legal options that you have for fair compensation for your injuries and losses.