Every day people hit their heads by accident or as a result of someone else’s negligence, resulting in traumatic brain injuries. Unfortunately, brain injuries are a likely outcome in the following scenarios:
- Auto accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Trucking accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Playground accidents
- Sporting accidents
- Defective products
While most serious brain injuries occur in violent traffic collisions, any impact to the head can cause damage to certain areas of the brain—forever changing someone’s life. This is because the brain is not only delicate but it is the command and control center for our bodies. The brain is responsible for information processing, motor control, learning and memory, sensory perception, regulation of all body systems, and more. It is who we are.
Because the brain is so vital and delicate, it is protected by the skull. If the skull is penetrated through some kind of trauma, the damage to the brain is almost always fatal. This is called an open head injury. Most often caused by bone penetrating the brain following a skull fracture, these kinds of injury are caused by car accidents, blows to the head, falls, and sports injuries.
Even if the skull is not penetrated, the brain can suffer severe damage in what is called a closed head injury. In a closed head injury, the skull remains intact, but the brain is jostled within the skull, causing bruising, bleeding, and potentially permanent damage.
What Brain Injury Survivors Need to Know
Survivors of both closed and open head injuries are often affected for life. Sadly, a brain injury can change a person in a matter of seconds, as this type of injury can affect the victim’s motor control and cognitive ability. Because it depends on the location and severity of a brain injury, no two brain injuries are identical.
Brain injuries can drastically affect someone’s physical and financial life, so survivors of closed and open head injuries need to seek legal advice about pursuing a brain injury claim against the negligent party. If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury, we would be honored to talk with you and answer your questions in a free consultation. Call us at 703-721-4233 today.