Did you know that an estimated 2.8 million Americans visited a hospital emergency room as a result of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) according the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)? It’s also estimated that 50,000 Americans die each year as a result of a traumatic brain injury.
Those who survive a TBI can face effects that last for days, months or even the rest of their lives. These can include impaired thinking, memory, movement, sensation (e.g. vision or hearing), or emotional capabilities (e.g. personality changes, depression). These issues not only affect individuals, but also can have lasting effects on families, friends and entire communities. TBIs can be classified from mild to catastrophic, which dictates the type of medical treatment is required. These are the major type of brain injuries along with their symptoms.
Concussions
With the mounting evidence coming out of the NFL about concussions, these types of injuries need to be treated seriously. They can be caused by impacts to the head, shaking or even whiplash. Symptoms include headaches, disorientation, and memory loss. If more than one concussion occurs before the first one has healed, it can lead to an even more dangerous situation.
Diffuse Axonal
A diffuse axonal injury results from movement of the brain, similar to a concussion, but often more serious because tears occur between the connection to the brain and spinal cord because the movement is so violent that the brain stem can’t keep up. Tears can range from microscopic to large, which can lead to long-term side effects or even be fatal.
Focal
This type of injury is usually caused by a fall, violent blow to the head, physical assault or a gunshot and affects the area of the brain where the damage occurred. These types of focal brain injuries can be open (object enters the brain after piercing the skull), closed (pieces of the skull press into the brain) and intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding within the skull but outside the brain or bleeding in the brain).
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
This type of injury occurs when a blood vessel bursts in the area just outside the brain caused by an aneurysm. Symptoms include severe headache due to rapid pressure build up, nausea, vomiting and neck pain. Medical treatment needs to be sought immediately.
Stroke
When the brain is deprived of blood and oxygen is due to a blockage or when a blood vessel ruptures and bleeds, then a stroke occurs. The National Stroke Association uses an acronym to help victims and loved ones recognize the symptoms.
- F – face; an uneven smile or droop on a person’s face
- A – arms: numbness or weakness in the arms
- S – speech; slurred speech
- T – time; time to act fast when you see signs of a stroke
Anoxic
This is a traumatic brain injury that leads to a complete lack of oxygen reaching the brain. Without proper oxygen, brain cells will begin dying with just four to five minutes.
Hypoxic
This type of brain injury results in oxygen still reaching the brain, just not enough. This can be a result of extremely low blood pressure, drowning, carbon monoxide, strangulation, choking or even high altitudes.
Each and every accident case is different and will have different types of compensation. Our experienced personal injury attorneys at Weinstein & Cohen will put your priorities first. If you or someone you care about has been injured or involved in an traumatic brain injury accident due the negligence of others, contact the personal injury lawyers at Weinstein & Cohen at 239-793-3331 or 305-374-1011, or visit fairnessforall, for an absolutely free and confidential legal consultation to learn more about your options.
