Brain injuries can produce a debilitating effect on a person’s life. Unlike other injuries, a brain injury can cause mental as well as physical distress to the victim. Depending on the severity of the injury, where the injury was incurred, and what or who caused the injury, the victim may decide to pursue a brain injury claim by filing a personal injury case. Such cases are considered under civil law and not criminal law.
It is important you know if the injury is major so that you can take the necessary action required. There are different types of brain injuries, and you can sue for a variety of brain injury claims. Brain injuries are very different from other injuries when it comes to treatment, cost of the treatment, and compensation. Brain damage can hamper the affected person as well as their families for the entire life span. To understand, read more here.
Types of Brain Injuries
Brain injuries can be classified into:
- Open brain injuries and,
- Closed brain injuries
Open brain injuries occur when the victim’s skull is broken or fractured. The injury may even have caused penetration through the skull and into the brain matter. A closed brain injury, however, is when the skull is not affected in any way. This can happen when the brain shifts rapidly in the skull due to a traumatic force. Get to know more from Dr Timothy Steel about different surgery-related questions through his videos and articles.
Brain injuries are also widely classified into these two categories:
- Acquired brain injury.
- Traumatic brain injury.
Traumatic Brain Injury.
A traumatic brain injury or a TBI is caused when a person’s head receives a hard blow or jolt or by a penetrating object to the head. When the head receives a heavy hit, sometimes the brain experiences an extreme force that causes it to shift around within the skull. TBIs can affect the way a person’s brain functions and the effects of this injury could be permanent.
Some situations that may cause a traumatic brain injury are car crashes, assault, sports like football, dangerous amusement park rides, bad falls, or weapons.
Injuries that can be classified as traumatic brain injuries are:
Concussions
They are caused when there is rapid and severe shaking to a person’s head. They can be serious or mild depending on the degree of trauma and what part of the brain was affected.
Bruising or Bleeding
Bruising or bleeding in the brain is called a contusion. This occurs when there is a direct and forceful impact on the head.
Coup-Contrecoup injury
This is when a contusion occurs on both the site of impact and on the opposite side of the brain. In these instances, the force of the blow was so hard that the brain bounced off the opposite side of the skull, causing the second contusion.
Diffuse Axonal
Diffuse Axonal is caused by substantial damage to nerve tissue in the brain. The damage is caused by extreme shacking. Chemical components of the brain may also be produced due to the trauma causing even more damage.
Penetration
For a penetration injury to occur there must be a sharp object or an enormous force applied to a weapon or the tool whether accidental or intentional.
Acquired Brain Injury
Acquired brain injuries happen as a result of external forces that affect the brain. Pre-existing conditions such as strokes, tumors, or degenerative conditions are major causes of acquired brain injuries. Other causes may include asphyxiation, near drowning, birth injuries, and exposure to toxins, serious electrical shocks, or lack of oxygen for an extended period.
Brain injury symptoms may take a while to show unlike the physical pain experienced in most injuries. It is therefore critical to observe the patient keenly for a period as advised by a doctor. The severity of the symptoms depends on the severity of the injury.
If the injuries sustained are serious one might experience memory loss for up to 24 hours, long periods of unconsciousness, or even slip into a coma. If the injuries incurred are less severe or minor, the symptoms may include short periods of unconsciousness or memory loss for a short period.
Brain Injury Treatments
However mild a brain injury may seem, the victim of the injury will require close monitoring until a time when they are cleared by a doctor. Unlike most injuries, the duration it takes for a full recovery from a brain injury is long and expensive.
Brain injury treatments require keen observation compared to other injuries. Medical fees for brain injury treatment are also significantly higher than other injuries.
Brain Injury Claims Pursuit
If a person suffers brain injury caused by a motor vehicle accident, he or she would be entitled to compensation by the party responsible for the crash because the responsible party caused the accident due to malicious intent, recklessness, or neglect.
If the brain injury was caused by a procedure performed by a medical practitioner or neglect by a medical practitioner, the patient is also entitled to compensation.
The brain injury may also be caused by falling objects in a construction site. In such instances, the victim restitution through worker’s compensation plans.
The compensation for brain injuries in most cases is a lot higher than for other injuries due to the seriousness of the nature of the injury and the life-changing effects that it has on people’s lives.
If you suspect that you or a loved one has suffered from a brain injury you should seek medical and legal advice immediately.
