Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries - St. Louis Car Wreck Attorney

By Christopher Hoffmann  Nov. 29, 2017 4:25p

Each year in the United States, more than 1.7 million people suffer from traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Those injuries are responsible for hospitalizations, emergency-room visits, and deaths. It doesn’t take much for you to sustain a traumatic brain injury in an automobile accident.

Due to the way that the car stops suddenly and the body doesn’t, hitting your head on the windshield, the dashboard, or even the steering wheel can be very serious regardless of how fast you were going. If you are injured in a car accident and sustain a TBI, it is imperative that you seek the counsel of an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney to ensure that you receive all that you are entitled to.

There are various types of brain injuries ranging from mild to severe. In some instances, brain injuries lead to very minimal residual medical conditions, while some can leave you forever disabled.

Different types of brain injuries: open and closed

For auto accidents, there are two different types of brain injuries; closed and open. An open brain injury is when the skull is fractured and is typically caused when the brain hits a hard surface or object and is split open. Although it may sound less ominous, a closed brain injury occurs when there isn’t a fracture -- but it also means that when the brain swells, there is the potential for blood clots to form on the inside of the skull. Regardless of which type you sustain in an accident, a TBI can lead to loss of consciousness, paralysis, and in extreme cases, even death.

What are the signs of a traumatic brain injury?

When you have hit your head in a car accident, it is imperative that you seek immediate medical intervention. Even if you believe it to be nothing serious, it is always best to have tests run. Symptoms that signal you might have sustained a traumatic brain injury are things like:

• Fatigue or sluggishness

• Confusion or an inability to remember recent activities and events

• Dizziness and nausea

• Headaches

• Numbness or weakness on one side of the body

Because traumatic brain injuries don’t always surface right away, it is crucial that you have tests run to see what is potentially going on. If you have swelling in the brain, it can become serious very quickly, and if not treated it can lead to severe disability and death.

If you are injured in a car accident and hit your head, don’t assume that it is just a bruise. What can seem like no big deal or a small injury can become extremely serious. The best way to ensure that your injury is nothing of concern is to seek medical attention to rule out anything major, and to consult a St. Louis auto accident specialist to ensure that you receive fair compensation should your head injury lead to a serious, or even debilitating, condition.