What You Need to Know About Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
In the United States, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death for people under the age of 45. The leading causes of TBI are motor vehicle accidents, falls, and sports injuries. With our busy roads here in the Dallas Fort Worth Arlington Metroplex, it is no surprise that car wrecks are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. You do not have to be traveling at a high rate of speed to get a head injury. Nor do you have to hit your head on an object (like a steering wheel or a windshield) to injure the brain. Even at moderate rates of speed, traumatic brain injuries can and do occur.
In a car accident, the brain, which is very soft, is thrown against the front part of the skull, which is very hard and bruising can occur. Often times, the rest of the body, and the brain, fly backwards. This bouncing of the brain first against the front of the skull and then against the back of the skull, can produce bruises in different parts of the brain. Thus people can have a bruise not only where their foreheads hit the steering wheel, but other areas of the brain as well. This is called a "contra coup" injury.
Bruising, or bleeding in the brain, is especially of high concern to doctors because there is no room for extra blood. The skull does not expand so the extra blood starts to press on softer things, like brain tissue. Brain tissue is very delicate and will stop functioning properly or could even die off. With excessive amounts of bleeding in the brain, pressure could make critical areas of the brain to stop functioning properly.
In an open head injury, the skull is fractured. It is natural to assume this would produce a severe head injury but the opposite is actually true. In a closed head injury, the skull is not broken and pressure builds up. This can lead to damaged brain tissue. If you fracture the skull, you may let off excess pressure thus saving the brain from further damage.
Some people have sustained a head injury from a car collision and seem perfectly normal immediately following the accident. Some have even gotten out of their cars and have directed traffic. Within a short period of time, they began to grow more and more confused until they eventually lapsed into a coma. That is why it’s extremely important to get to a hospital following an auto wreck if you think you’ve hit your head.
Insurance claims that involve brain injuries are very serious and cannot be resolved without an experienced advocate on the injured person’s side. If you have questions relating to a serious brain injury suffered by you or a family member, call Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Lawyer Mark Anderson for a free, no obligation consultation.
15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case!
One wreck is enough! If someone's carelessness causes you to be seriously injured in a Texas Accident, you must make sure you don't make mistakes that could WRECK your own claim. Any mistakes you make could end up being very costly for you.
15 Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Texas Accident Case!