Pregnant Woman in Coma after Car Accident
An East Tennessee woman who is five months pregnant is in a coma at a Nashville hospital after a tragic car accident. Sharista Giles, 20, was on her way home from a concert in Nashville with some friends when the driver of the car fell asleep at the wheel. The car swerved out of control and smashed into a concrete barrier. It has been two weeks since the accident, but Sharista still has not woken up.
The doctors say that her baby is healthy, but the mother is not making any progress. Sharista was a first time mother who was excited for the arrival of “Baby L.” However, the accident caused a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Sharista that doctors do not believe that she will ever wake up from.
The doctors have gotten brain responses to pain stimuli, but there have not been any improvements to her MRIs. Experts believe that there is a 90-98% chance that she will never recover, but they also think that the baby will be able to survive. Sharista’s mother has told the media that she is not giving up, and she has been meeting with doctors to figure out the best way to help her daughter as well as her unborn child.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury, otherwise known as TBI, occurs when a blow, jolt, or penetrating force affects the head and brain. TBI can have a wide range of physical, mental, and emotional effects on a person. Every traumatic brain injury is different because every brain is different, and some signs or symptoms can occur anytime immediately after the event to days or weeks later. However, the overarching term of TBI is broken down into two categories: mild and severe.
Mild TBI symptoms can include:
- Brief loss of consciousness
- Dazed or confused
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sensory problems: blurred vision, ringing in ears, bad taste in mouth, etc.
- Memory and concentration problems
- Mood changes or swings
Severe TBI symptoms can include any of the symptoms of mild TBI in addition to any of the following, which can occur within the first hours to days after the accident:
- Loss of consciousness from several minutes to hours
- Persistent headache
- Convulsions or seizures
- Dilation of one or both pupils
- Clear fluids drinking from nose and ears
- Inability to awaken from sleep
- Profound confusion
- Agitation, combativeness, or unusual behavior
- Coma
Victims of TBI often face years of physical, speech, and occupational therapy in addition to psychological counseling. They also often require a lifetime of special care and equipment to help them live from day to day. In cases of severe TBI, skilled nursing assistance may also be required for the rest of their lives.
Contact a Tennessee Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one has suffered from a traumatic brain injury in an accident the physical, mental, and emotional recovery can already be overwhelming. Let the personal injury lawyers at Calhoun Law, PLC in Nashville help take care of the legal issues while you focus on recovery. Call the office or contact us today for a free and confidential consultation of your case.
