Traumatic brain injuries can result from either a closed head injury or a penetrating head injury. A closed head injury occurs when an object suddenly hits the head, but does not break through the skull. A penetrating head injury, on the other hand, results from an object piercing through the skull and entering the brain tissue. Brain injuries resulting from either instance can be focal brain injuries, where only one area of the brain is damaged, or they can be diffuse brain injuries, where multiple areas of the brain are damaged. If you have been injured in an accident that was due to the negligence of another, the accident may have long-lasting effects on your life and the lives of those around you. It is important that you contact a Maryland, Virginia, or Washington DC brain injury attorney who can assist you in assessing the nature and extent of your injuries, as well as help you obtain compensation from the responsible party.
Types of Traumatic Brain Injury
There are a number of more specific types of traumatic brain injuries, including:
- Penetrating Brain Injuries
- Concussions
- Contusions – bleeding of the brain tissue (result of skull fracture or shaking the brain – countercoup)
- Diffuse Anoxal Brain Injuries
- Recurrent Traumatic Brain Injuries (Second Impact Syndrome)
- Coup-Contre Coup Injuries
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Locked In Syndrome
Penetrating Brain Injury
As mentioned above, penetrating brain injuries are those that result from an object actually piercing through the skull and entering the brain tissue. Oftentimes, such an injury results from the impact of a bullet, knife, or other sharp object. Objects traveling at lower rates of speed through the skull can actually cause more damage because the object may ricochet within the skull, increasing the area of the brain affected by the injury. Another injury that can cause extensive damage is referred to as a “through-and-through” injury, where an object enters and exits the skull. This injury may cause additional stretching and even rupturing of brain tissue. The most fatal form of a penetrating brain injury is bullet wounds, which have a ninety-one percent death rate.
Concussions
Concussions are the most common type of traumatic brain injury. A concussion can be caused by direct blows to the head, gunshot wounds, or sudden changes in momentum, such as from whiplash or forceful shaking of the head. Oftentimes, a person loses consciousness for a brief period of time, but this is not always the case. Concussions are usually found by using diagnostic imaging tests, such as CAT scans or MRI scans.
A concussion typically takes anywhere from a few months to a few years to heal. Concussions occasionally cause other more serious conditions, such as a blood clot in the brain or a diffuse axonal injury. For this reason, it is important to closely monitor an individual who has suffered from a concussion to ensure that they heal completely.
Contusions
A contusion is a bruise on the brain that results from a direct impact to the head. Contusions often heal on their own, but a large contusion may require removal by surgery.
Coup-Countrecoup Brain Injury
A coup-countrecoup injury is a type of injury where there are two contusions - one that is located both at the location of the impact and one located on the opposite side of the brain. This type of injury results from a force so strong that it forces the brain to slam into the opposite side of the skull, causing an additional contusion.
Diffuse Axonal Brain Injury
A diffuse axonal brain injury is caused by shaking or rotating the head. When the head is moved quickly and forcefully, the brain can move slower than the skull, resulting in torn nerve tissue throughout the brain. This can result in damage to different sections of the brain, as well as the release of brain chemicals. The long-term effects of a diffuse axonal brain injury can include widespread brain damage, impairment of motor function, a coma, and sometimes even death.
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Shaken baby syndrome is a particular form of diffuse axonal brain injury that occurs when someone aggressively shakes a baby or young child. Shaking the child in such a forceful manner causes blood vessels between the brain and skull to rupture and bleed, causing brain tissue to compress. Because the child’s brain is still young, this can lead to damaged brain cells that may affect the child’s overall development. Symptoms of shaken baby syndrome include seizures, irritability, changes in eating patterns, difficulty breathing, fatigue, dilated pupils, and vomiting. The long-term effects of shaken baby syndrome may include disability, seizures, comas, and death.
Recurrent Traumatic Brain Injury
Recurrent traumatic brain injury (also referred to as “second impact syndrome”) occurs when a person suffers from a second traumatic brain injury before the first injury has completely healed. Oftentimes, the second injury occurs within a few weeks of the first injury. Because of the danger of having two brain injuries at the same time, the second injury is likely to cause brain swelling and widespread damage throughout the brain. The long-term damage resulting from a recurrent traumatic brain injury includes muscle spasms, mood swings, hallucinations, difficulty concentrating, and increased muscle tone.
Locked-In Syndrome
Locked-in syndrome is a neurological condition where a person is conscious and able to think, but completely unable to move any part of the body except the eyes. This condition is caused by damage to portions of the lower brain and brainstem, but without injury to the upper brain. Locked-in syndrome is also caused by stroke, brain hemorrhage, medication overdose, damage to nerve cells, and disease of the circulatory system, in addition to traumatic brain injury. There is no cure for locked-in syndrome and victims of this condition rarely regain motor function. If this condition occurs, blinking and other eye movements can be used to communicate with others.
Determining the Type of Traumatic Brain Injury
If you have suffered from a traumatic brain injury, it is important that you consult a physician to determine the nature and extent of the injury. Once you have learned about your injury, it is important that you determine the cause of your injury. If you think your injury may be due to the negligence of another, contact a Virginia, Maryland, or Washington DC brain injury lawyer at Koonz, McKenney, Johnson, DePaolis & Lightfoot, L.L.P., to assist you in recovering compensation for your injury.
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