Brain Injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be classified as mild, moderate or severe. Most, about three quarters, are mild. The others are moderate or severe and the term “traumatic” is not an exaggeration.

Almost all people who sustain a severe TBI will be disabled for the rest of their lives. About two thirds of those with moderate TBI will also be permanently disabled.

About 600,000 TBIs happen every year in the U.S., of which about 10% are fatal. About half of those TBIs are caused by automobile accidents. Others are caused by falls, assaults and penetrating trauma, i.e. something piercing the skull.

Primary and secondary brain injury

Primary – initially there’s an impact to the skull which causes the brain to be slammed up against the inside of the skull.

This causes a contusion, or bruising, to the brain. A bruise is actually tiny broken blood vessels.

Secondary – this is the results of that original injury, which can take many forms, such as:

• Lowered blood pressure from excess bleeding.

• Lowered amounts of oxygen coming to the brain because of damaged blood vessels and lowered blood pressure.

• Raised pressure inside the skull. Since the brain is inside a bony shell, there’s only a set amount of space in there. When blood starts pooling, or other body fluid, inside the skull, pressure builds up and further damages brain tissue.

Closed and penetrating head injury

Closed – when the skull is intact, but the brain is suddenly pushed against the inside of the skull. And example would be a violent blow to the head, or whiplash injury, when the head is abruptly stopped in its forward motion (with the vehicle), so it jerks forward, and then in reaction, jerks backward. This injures the neck, and may also injure the brain.

Penetrating – when the skull is pierced or somehow opened, and something enters suddenly, hitting or piercing the brain.

Permanent care

Intensive medical care can often improve a TBI victim’s functioning, but usually only up to a point. There’ll remain a permanent disability, and permanent assistance will be needed for the TBI survivor to get through each day.

There could be partial or full paralysis, some degree of memory loss, speech loss, loss of sensation, and many other disabilities. This all results in large medical costs.

Help is nearby

A personal injury lawyer can help you deal with these devastating events. Contact us today so that we can start immediately on assessing the circumstances. We can investigate the accident and determine whether negligence was a cause, and if so, we can help you build a strong case.

You may be entitled to compensation for:

• Medical bills

• Lost wages, present and future

• Loss of consortium

• Pain and suffering

and other things, depending on the circumstances. We know a brain injury is a frightening and catastrophic thing, whether it’s your own or a family member’s, and by taking care of the legal and bureaucratic work, we can give you more space for healing.

Please read more about severe injuries by using this link.

Severe Injury FAQs