Attorney Robert “Bob” Byrne
Every year, it is estimated more than a million people suffer a traumatic brain injury in the United States. Brain injuries can happen in any type of environment, particularly where a person can trip or fall and hit their head on a hard surface, or when they experience violent forces in a car or truck accident. Trauma to the neck or head area can result in brain bruising, tearing, swelling or bleeding.
Brain injuries can happen in a number of different circumstances. As discussed, they can result from a variety of different forces, such as rotational forces or coup-contrecoup forces.
With these things in mind, it is helpful to think that there are two main types of brain injuries: open head brain injuries or closed head brain injuries.
How Are Open Head and Closed Head Brain Injuries Defined?
- An open head brain injury means the skull is fractured and most often happens from falling down or when the head came into direct contact with a surface or object. This could happen when there is a penetrating injury through the skull that damages the brain.
- A closed brain injury does not include a fracturing of the skull or a penetrating injury, but occurs from a blow to the head, from rotational forces on the brain, or from a sudden acceleration and deceleration that moves the brain rapidly back and forth inside the bony skull. While these closed head traumatic brain injuries sound much less serious than an open head traumatic brain injury, the simple reality is that they can oftentimes be more severe due to internal swelling and blood clotting. And because these closed head brain injuries are much more subtle and difficult to diagnose, they can be particularly dangerous for people who fail to take steps to get necessary medical treatment.
Are Traumatic Brain Injuries Considered Serious Injuries?
An open head and closed head brain injury can be equally serious and lead to paralysis, a loss of consciousness, or a fatality. Regardless of whether a brain injury is open or closed, immediate medical attention should be sought. Even if the injured person does not have any obvious physical symptoms, it is better to visit an emergency room than wait too long for treatment.
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It is important to let emergency department personnel know all of the symptoms that someone has felt as a result of the trauma they experienced. Unless emergency room doctors and nurses are informed that a patient is experiencing some of the telltale signs of a traumatic brain injury, those doctors and nurses may ignore that potential injury and instead focus on other injuries that are potentially more life threatening. After all, medical literature shows that emergency room doctors and nurses fail to make a proper traumatic brain injury diagnosis in the majority of cases.
If doctors suspect that you may have sustained a concussion or other form of traumatic brain injury, they will likely perform some neurological tests. They will also likely order a CT Scan of the head. Unless the CT Scan shows a brain bleed (hemorrhage), a blood clot (hematoma), or brain swelling, they will likely just release the patient from care and instruct them to follow up with their primary care physician or family doctor.
What are the Warning Signs of a Brain Injury?
A person can suffer a brain injury and still feel reasonably okay at first. Even if they had a loss of consciousness from a traumatic event or experienced some neurological disruption from the event, they may appear to be normal by the time they reach the hospital for emergency care. By then, doctor and nurses may not even suspect a concussion or traumatic brain injury because the person appears to be functioning in a normal way.
Unlike certain aches, pains, and other minor injuries, brain injuries are not the type of injuries that people should take casually and hope they will heal on their own. Stated simply, it is not recommended to wait it out and see if symptoms worsen. The brain is one of our most vital sources of life and wellness. It is not worth the risk to hold off on medical treatment because you are fearful of the financial cost. After an injury to the brain, one or many of the below symptoms may be observed:
- Weakness of the body
- Numbness on one side of the body
- Dizziness
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Feeling abnormally tired
- Sluggishness
- Confusion
- Challenges remembering recent events
- Vision problems
- Hearing issues and tinnitus
- Emotional problems like explosive reactions, increased anxiety, and feelings of depression
How Does Bruising, Bleeding, Tearing, and Swelling Occur?
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Brain bruising happens most often as a result of a car collision, falling, assault, or during a sports activity. Applied force can move the brain forward and backwards or side to side. Due to such an impact, some areas of the brain can suffer bruising and bleeding. The force can cause the brain tissue to tear on a cellular level. This occurs when the brain cells, known as axons, stretch and tear, causing damage. That process can then kickstart another disease process, called a Neurometabolic Cascade. This reaction is a process where the injured brain cells secrete toxins and other chemicals that cause damage to other surrounding cells and tissues.
When this happens, the brain remains intact but the nerve system can suffer damages. After suffering a traumatic brain injury event, swelling is the body’s natural response. However, the problem with this is the swelling area of the brain has no room to migrate or release pressure. Intracranial pressure can cause bodily functions to become impaired, and could lead to death.
Can Compensation Be Sought for a Brain Injury?
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If you believe another party or person caused the brain injury accident, you can seek to hold them financially responsible for their negligence. Many people choose to consult with an experienced attorney, like a personal injury lawyer from MartinWren, P.C., about their rights and options. We are experienced in handling traumatic brain injury cases and have received settlements and verdicts worth several million dollars for our clients.
We offer a free initial consultation of an injury claim for new clients. Call us today to see if we can help.
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