Personal Injury Law

Understanding The Types Of Brain Injury

By Flaxman & Lopez

In Florida and across the country, brain injuries occur every day. As a result of slip and fall accidents, car accidents, construction accidents, industrial accidents, and other types of unfortunate events, brain injuries affect thousands of victims every year. Just as each individual is different, so too, the ways that the brain reacts to injury vary. In general, brain injuries can be divided into various types:

*Traumatic brain injuries. These types of injuries occur when an outside force impacts the head in such a powerful way that the brain moves within the skull. Since the brain is made up of soft tissue, when the brain impacts against the inside of the skull, damage can occur. In addition, traumatic brain injury can also occur when an outside force impacts the head strongly enough to crack the skull and directly injure the brain. These types of brain injuries are often the result of physical violence, firearms, car accidents, falls, and other serious injuries.

*Shaken baby syndrome. In this type of brain injury, the head is shaken so hard that the brain moves rapidly back and forth, damaging brain tissue and ripping apart the fibers. Although physical violence is most often the cause, adults can get this injury too, often as a result of violence or car accidents. This type of injury is also considered a traumatic brain injury.

*Diffuse Axonal Injury. This type of brain injury is also caused by strong shaking of the head, either through violence or through a car accident. In a Diffuse Axonal Injury occurs because the brain and the skull do not move together (the brain stays still or lags in movement as the skull moves) and this causes some brain structures ? including nerve tissue -- to tear.

*Concussion. This is the most common kind of brain injury and can occur with a direct blow to the head, violent shaking, a gunshot wound, or from whiplash. A concussion can lead to stretched blood vessels and cranial nerve damage.

*Contusion. This type of injury occurs when a bruise (or bleeding) forms on the brain. Usually, this is caused by a direct impact to the head. If a contusion is large, surgery may be needed to remove it.

*Coup-Contrecoup Injury. This type of injury is essentially a contusion which occurs on both the site where the impact occurred and on the opposite side of the brain. This type of injury occurs when a direct impact is so severe that the brain hits the skull on the site of impact and then slaps against the opposite side of the skull, causing two sites of bruising.

*Second Impact Syndrome. Also known as "Recurrent Traumatic Brain Injury," this type of injury occurs when someone incurs another brain injury before the first has had time to heal. Even if the second injury is less severe, it can lead to widespread damage because the brain is already injured and therefore more vulnerable. Recurrent Traumatic Brain Injury is a medical emergency, even if the injury does not seem severe, because a victim can die quite suddenly from this type of injury.

*Penetration Injury. As the name suggests, this injury occurs when a sharp object pierces the skull and impacts the brain.

*Anoxic Brain Injury. This type of injury occurs when the brain?s supply of oxygen is cut off, and the cells which need oxygen to function and survive are affected.

*Hypoxic Brain Injury. This type of brain injury occurs when not enough oxygen reaches the brain so that cells can function properly.

If you or a loved one have sustained a brain injury, it is important to speak to a Florida attorney. In cases where someone?s negligence has caused the injury or worsened it, Florida law protects you and ensures that you are eligible to receive help so that you can afford the best treatment possible. If you need to speak to an attorney, you can enjoy a free, no-obligation consultation with a qualified Florida attorney simply by calling 1- 800-535-2962 (1 800 5 FLAXMAN)

Full post as published by Florida Injury Lawyer Blog on December 05, 2007 (boomark / email).