Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has been a major cause of death in the United States. In 2020 statistics by the Center for Disease and Control Prevention there are 64,000 deaths caused by TBI and motor vehicle accidents is one of the leading causes of TBIs.
TBIs are also tricky most especially in the older individuals who have pre-existing conditions like dementia or individuals who are taking blood thinners. TBIs may be classified as mild, moderate or severe. Whatever the classification is, they all need immediate diagnosis and treatment.
The impact of TBIs are both short term and long term and it is a paramount step that victims of motor vehicles be able to understand the different types of brain injuries caused by car accidents. This is a crucial step in determining the claims and compensation that your brain injury lawyers will be working for you.
Diagnosing A Brain Injury
As for any kind of disease or sickness, the accuracy of diagnosing a brain injury will determine the medical intervention to develop a treatment plan.To be able to do so a comprehensive evaluation has to be done including the patients’ medical history, experiences and current physical condition. Your brain injury attorneys recommend undergoing these tests to have the best prognosis of your injury.
Technology has contributed to a better diagnosis of TBI and some of the tests conducted are the following:
CT Scan: Computerized tomography scan combines a series of X-rays images with different angles to create images of bones, blood vessels and brain to name a few to identify any signs of injury.
MRI: Magnetic Resonance imaging employs a powerful magnet which produces a magnetic field forcing the protons of the body to align with that field. MRI can see what the disease could be most especially for the non-bony or soft tissues of the body including the brain.
Neuropsychological evaluation/testing: assess how the brain functions with questions and administrative tests which indirectly yields information about the structural and cognitive function of the brain.
EEG: Electroencephalogram detects brain abnormalities in your brain waves or electrical activity. This is done by pasting metal discs with thin wires in your scalp.
Treatments Available for TBIs
There are available interventions that will help you recover and avoid a long-term effect of TBIs. You should immediately research and get in touch with the best providers of these therapies and look for the best medical specialist in this field.
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Cognitive Therapy
- Medications
Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries
TBI is a general term or a category that covers the different types of damages. Once the kind of brain injury is determined then the symptoms and prognosis for recovery will come next. Your brain injury accident lawyer will guide you on the steps you need to immediately take and follow religiously.
There are 2 main categories of TBI, first is the closed injuries and the second is the open (or penetrating) injuries.
Below are the different types of TBIs:
- Concussions are the most common type of TBI and this occurs when a strong force strikes your head, your brain moves in the direction of the force causing it to collide in your skull thus causing damage. You may experience headache, vision concerns, nausea and hear ringing in your ear. It may cause a long term problem that impacts your memory and sensitivity to light and sound. This was considered a minor problem but this time it is taken seriously because of life-long difficulties.
- Contusions happen when you usually have concussions. It is a bruise in the brain meaning there may be a mild form of bleeding. If a contusion does not heal on its own, it can be a hematoma which will require a surgery to remove.
- Brain Hemorrhage is the uncontrolled bleeding on the brain’s surface or within the brain tissue itself.
- Hematoma is a common TBI resulting from motor vehicle accidents. This is a collection of blood outside of blood vessels. Severe hematoma was experienced by 1.25 M from the 16 million subdural hematomas caused by car accidents. Because of a blunt force trauma from the impact of the collision, hematoma can happen in the head, neck or chest. Large hematomas in the brain that are not treated can lead to serious injury or even death. There are cases where these injuries develop days after the accident. If you experienced vomiting, severe headaches or unequal pupils, you should immediately go to your physician for immediate testing and diagnosis.
- Skull Fracture is a break in one or more bones. You may experience clear fluid running from nose and ears, cranial swelling, bruising around the eyes and being disoriented. This is a very serious TBI as 1/3 of people who sustained this injury do not survive while 25% sustain a permanent disability.
- Coup-Contrecoup Brain Injury is another serious type of traumatic brain injury. The term coup and contrecoup are French words for “blow” and “counterblow”. The coup injury occurs at the point of impact while contrecoup occurs on the opposite side of the brain where the blow struck. This usually occurs when the brain is struck on a stationary object, such as a steering wheel on a car or motor accident.
- Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) is considered one of the most severe type of traumatic brain injury. In case of a motor vehicle accident where the impact occurs in a high speed collision. The brain is shaken or twisted inside the skull. As the twisting of the brain happens, the cerebral tissue slides back and forth until the axons (long connecting fibers in the brain) stretch and tear leading to widespread brain damage. This can result in loss of brain function like loss of consciousness, coma or persistent vegetative stage.
Building Your Case
The victim or loved ones of car accidents will realize that calling a brain damage lawyer at the soonest possible time as you understand the types of brain injuries caused by car accidents. Your brain injury attorneys will immediately work in determining the appropriate claims and compensation as they build your case and gather all evidence. Experts and medical specialists will be contacted not just to serve as witness in case of a court trial but also to provide the best medical advice for the injured victims.
Help And Support
Seek for help and support if you or your loved one suffer from TBI. There are a number of organizations that are providing the help and assistance you need during these trying times. Realize though that you are not alone there are people who are committed and dedicated to help you or your loved ones. Get in touch with them now while your brain damage lawyer is working on your case.
