Perhaps no injury to the body has the lasting ramifications of a traumatic brain injury, or TBI. This type of injury generally requires a long, hard road for recovery, with extensive amounts of rehabilitation and physical therapy required along with frequent medical appointments in order for the accident victim to regain some sort of semblance of normalcy again. This type of brain injury generally occurs due to a blow or blunt force trauma to the head, oftentimes as part of a car accident, motorcycle wreck or slip and fall. Brain injuries are always serious, and the aftermath of a brain injury can be devastating not only for the injured person, but for his or her family too.
If you have experienced a TBI due to the negligence of someone else, reach out to Russell and Hill to find out how we can help. We have a long history of helping accident victims like you hold the liable parties in their cases accountable. Reach out to us as soon as possible following your injury.
Traumatic Brain Injury Defined
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a traumatic brain injury is a disruption in the brain’s normal function that is caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head. It may also be caused by a penetrating head injury.
Types of Brain Injuries
Everyone is at risk of suffering a TBI, but children and older adults are especially at risk, since they are more prone to falling and having accidents where they injure their heads. The following are the most common types of traumatic brain injury:
- Coup-Contrecoup Brain Injury: Occurs when a significant impact to the brain causes the brain or skull to slam into the opposite side of the impact site, resulting in damage at the impact site and opposite side of the brain. These are usually the result of car accidents, forceful falls, acts of violence, or blows to the head.
- Concussion: Also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This is the most common type of brain injury, usually caused by a sudden blow to the head that jolts your brain. Concussions can range from mild to severe, with people suffering frequent concussions often developing a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
- Brain Contusion: Bruising on the brain that often occurs in conjunction with a concussion. If a brain contusion does not stop bleeding on its own, surgery is often needed to surgically remove the bruise.
- Diffuse Axonal Injury: An injury that occurs when the head moves so violently that the brain stem cannot keep up with the rate of movement, resulting in the connections of the brain to be torn. Tears can range from microscopic, with varying degrees of brain damage, or large and fatal.
- Second Impact Syndrome: The result of a second brain injury after you’ve already sustained a first, often resulting in more severe brain damage.
- Shaken Baby Syndrome: Similar to diffuse axonal injury, but resulting in more global effects, with shaken babies often suffering from broken blood vessels, brain hemorrhages, strokes, and tears in the brain and brain stem. Shaken Baby Syndrome is often fatal.
- Penetrating Injury: Occurs when an object penetrates the skull and brain, and can be fatal if not treated promptly due to severe bleeding, blood clots, and a disruption to the brain’s oxygen supply. Removing the object may worsen bleeding or cause further damage to the brain. Doctors often choose to leave small objects in place, as the risk of surgically removing them has high risks. Bullets are the number one cause of penetrating brain injuries, with 91 percent of the people affected dying from their injury.
Collecting Damages in Your Traumatic Brain Injury Case
No matter the cause, if someone else’s negligence resulted in your TBI, you have a right to collect damages from the at-fault party. Reach out to our Bremerton injury lawyers to discuss your case details and identify any potential defendants in a civil suit. We offer a free, no-obligation case consultation at your convenience, so schedule your case review now.
