TBI Linked to Personal Injury Accidents

In many cases, traumatic brain injury is the result of personal injury accidents. While traumatic brain injury can be caused from sporting accidents, the majority of them are a result of some form of accident relating to personal injury. When traumatic brain injuries are related to personal injury accidents there are instances where they may be caused by negligence or intentional actions. Suffering a traumatic brain injury can result in minor to severe consequences; from a simple headache to death. This article will discuss various issues relating to traumatic brain injuries associated with personal injury accident.

Generally, there are two groups associated with brain injuries; these are acquired brain injury and traumatic brain injury. According to Web MD these two types of brain injury both disrupt the brain’s normal functioning. By definition, traumatic brain injury is a result of “an external force — such as a blow to the head — that causes the brain to move inside the skull or damages the skull. This in turn damages the brain.” Acquired brain injury happens at the “cellular level. It is most often associated with pressure on the brain. This could come from a tumor. Or it could result from neurological illness, as in the case of a stroke.” As noted by the definitions of these two groups a traumatic brain injury is an injury that alters the brain’s function or pathology as a result of some external force. It is traumatic brain injuries that result from personal injury accidents.

There are a number of different brain injuries that constitute a traumatic brain injury. Some consist of penetrating injuries; these are caused when some external object impacts the brain and causes damage as a result of its trajectory. Penetrating injuries can be caused by nails, glass or a bullet. Brain injuries also consist of closed head injuries; these are the result of a blow to the head. Other brain injuries can happen because the brain is moving at a different speed rate then the skull. As a result, during a car accident a person can suffer such brain injury due to being hit on the head which may shake the brain and it crashes into the skull. The most common type of brain injury is a concussion. A concussion is an injury caused by a sudden change in movement or impact.

There are a number of effects that result due to brain injuries; some of these include the following:

  • Bruising around the point of impact
  • Swelling of the brain
  • Increased skull pressure

It is important to note that traumatic brain injuries claim up to 50 000+ lives every year. In fact, one report states that over two-and-a-half million people sustain traumatic brain injuries annually. The majority of these fatalities and injuries are a result of car accidents.

In instances where traumatic brain injuries are not fatal, they may have devastating consequences. They could leave a person:

  • Paralyzed
  • With severely impaired cognitive ability
  • With destroyed brain cells – this prevents the brain from delivering important messages to the body and can leave a person with problems speaking, moving and feeling

If your traumatic brain injury is as a result of a personal injury accident, contact an Alaska brain injury lawyer today.

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