Temporal, Occipital, & Parietal Lobe Injuries: A Legal Guide

The temporal lobe is located behind the frontal lobe on both sides of the head above the ears.  This region of the brain plays a key role in processing auditory information and is essential for understanding language and word recall. The temporal lobe is also involved in memory formation, particularly long-term memory, and has been linked to the recognition of objects, faces, and facial expressions. 

Damage to the temporal lobe can lead to difficulties in understanding spoken words, memory loss, and problems with object recognition. Because the temporal lobe functions include hearing, memory, and speech, temporal lobe injuries can dramatically impact a person’s personal and professional life. Due to their location, temporal cortex damage is less common than injury to other parts of the brain.

Common Symptoms of Temporal Lobe Injuries

Temporal lobe damage symptoms can include:

• Disruption of auditory sensation and perception
• Disturbance of selective attention of auditory and visual input
• Disorders of visual perception
• Impaired organization and categorization of verbal material
• Disturbance of language comprehension
• Impaired long-term memory
• Altered personality and affective behavior
• Altered sexual behavior
• Difficulty recognizing familiar faces (Prosopagnosia) (right-sided injury)
• Language disturbances (Aphasias)
• Difficulty understanding spoken works (Wernicke’s Aphasia)
• Impaired memory for verbal material (left-sided injury)
• Difficulty placing or recognizing words
• Hearing deficits
• Short-term memory loss
• Decreased musical abilities (right-sided injury)
• Impaired drawing ability (right-sided injury)
• Inability to categorize objects (categorization)
• Persistent talking (right-sided injury)
• Increased aggressive behavior
• Hyperirritability and increased anger
• Feelings of fear or panic (often a symptom of temporal lobe epilepsy)

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Prosopagnosia, or face blindness, is a neurological condition that makes it difficult, or even impossible, for the sufferer to recognize human faces. Sufferers may have normal vision but little to no recall of faces, even those of their own spouses and children. The degree of impairment can vary by case; while there are several potential causes of prosopagnosia, it can be a symptom of traumatic brain injury.

Read More: Diffuse Axonal Injuries in a Traumatic Brain Injury

The brain injury attorneys at DeShaw Trial Lawyers are devoted to helping those who have suffered a brain injury due to someone’s negligence recover full and fair compensation. We build your traumatic brain injury case by aggressively investigating and prosecuting our cases quickly, assembling a team of expert witnesses to evaluate your future needs.

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The occipital lobe, situated at the back of the brain, is primarily responsible for visual processing. It processes sensory information received from the eyes, enabling us to recognize shapes, colors, and motion. Injuries to the occipital lobe can result in visual impairments such as loss of vision, visual field cuts, and difficulties in identifying colors or shapes. These impairments can severely affect daily activities and overall quality of life.

The occipital lobe is the primary area of the brain for processing visual information: both reception and interpretation. It receives stimuli from the retina of the eyes and processes that information. The occipital lobe handles the relationship between past and present experiences. It is protected by the thickest part of the skull and its located in the back of the brain.

Common Symptoms of Occipital Lobe Damage 

Occipital lobe damage can affect both verbal and visual ability. Occipital lobe injuries frequently cause:

• Visual deficits (Visual Field Cuts or Cortical Blindness)

• Difficulty locating objects in the environment

• Difficulty identifying colors (Color Agnosia)

• Hallucinations or illusions

• Inability to recognize words, i.e., word blindness

• Inability to recognize familiar faces or objects

• Difficulties in reading and writing

Word blindness is a condition in which a person may be able to see words and individual letters but struggles to interpret pronunciation or meaning. While there are several causes of word blindness, including dyslexia, it is also a symptom of occipital lobe damage. If you have recently begun experiencing word blindness, talk to a doctor immediately.

The brain injury attorneys at DeShaw Law understand the unique challenges of occipital lobe cases. Our first order of business in handling these cases is to make sure you get the medical care you need as we begin to better understand what is full and fair compensation for your injuries. We operate on a contingency fee structure, meaning our clients never pay us until we are able to collect money for them. We welcome inquiries at our Portland law office or at the number below.

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The parietal lobe, at the top of the head near the back of the brain, processes sensory input to form a single perception (cognition) and provides spatial coordination to represent the world around us. The parietal lobe receives sensory information from the skin, musculoskeletal system, taste buds, and viscera. The main function of the parietal lobe is to detect various stimuli and differentiate the quality of the stimuli, such as intensity and textural differences. Parietal lobe injury can be detected through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The parietal lobe helps in processing spatial orientation, movement coordination, and the sense of touch. This lobe is crucial for activities that require hand-eye coordination, such as writing or buttoning a shirt. 

Common Symptoms of Parietal Lobe Damage

What happens if the parietal lobe is damaged? Damage to the parietal lobe can cause issues with spatial awareness, coordination, and the ability to perform everyday tasks, significantly impacting independence and functionality. Damaged parietal lobe effects may also include changes in cognition related to language, attention, and more.

What happens to the parietal lobe when damaged? Injuries to the parietal lobe can cause:

• Inability to multitask

• Inability to name an object (Anomia)

• Disorders of language (Aphasia)

• Inability to locate words for writing (Agraphia)

• Reading problems (Alexia)

• Difficulty writing and drawing objects

• Difficulty distinguishing right from left (right-left disorientation)

• Difficulty with mathematics (Dyscalculia or Acalculia)

• Lack of awareness of parts of the body and surrounding space (Apraxia)

• Inability to focus visual attention

• Difficulty identifying the location and type of sensation, e.g., hot or cold

• Difficulties with hand-eye coordination

• Impairment of self-care skills

• Denial of deficits (Anosognosia)

Anomia is a condition in which a person struggles to find words during routine conversations; it is considered a component of impaired word access or representation. While anomia is ubiquitously present in cases of aphasia and dementia, it is also a common symptom of brain injury. 

Parietal lobe injuries can be uniquely challenging to live with. The compassionate brain injury attorneys at DeShaw Law are ready to assist you in preparing your case. We bring more than 20 years of experience to every brain injury case. Over this time, DeShaw Law has cultivated a reputation for careful research and compassionate advocacy. 

Call us today at the number below for a free, confidential consultation.

Please Note: The information on this web site is not intended to replace a discussion with a doctor, attorney or other professional.  With any of the brain injury symptoms noted above contact a doctor specializing in traumatic brain injury. In the event of a medical emergency please contact 911 immediately. 

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