If you hear the term “traumatic brain injury,” certain things may jump to your mind. You may think of a slip and fall accident or even a car crash. The truth is, there are many types of incidents that can result in a traumatic brain injury. Here are the most common mechanisms that are attributed to brain injury:
- Open Head Injury
Injuries such as these result in an open wound to the head. These may be sustained from a bullet, a knife or any type of puncture. There tends to be focal damage along with a penetration of the skull. Effects are often very serious.
- Closed Head Injury
Closed head injuries occur when the head strikes another object. These type of injuries occur when a person slips and falls, during a motor vehicle collision or any incident where the head makes impact with another object. Closed head injuries are the most common among sports players.
- Deceleration Injuries
Most people know that the brain is a soft, gelatin-like mass. Most also are well aware that the skull is a bony plate. When the body moves, so does the brain. When the body comes to a sudden stop, the brain continues its forward motion, bouncing off the skull. This is similar to the way a person continues to move forward in a car crash even though the car has come to a sudden stop. When this type of deceleration occurs, the brain is damaged.
The brain may be injured due to a chemical or toxin. This may be the case when a person suffers carbon monoxide poisoning, lead poisoning or is over-exposed to insecticides.
Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen. It may take only a few minutes for the brain to suffer damage due to too little or no oxygen. This condition may be caused by respiratory failure, sudden drops in blood pressure or heart attack.
If you or a loved one has sustained a traumatic brain injury in a slip and fall accident or vehicle collision, please call our team of personal injury attorneys today. We will review the details of your case at no cost to you. Call us now.