Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of brain injuries. This is because those involved in vehicle collisions are commonly subjected to bumps, bangs, blows, or sharp jolts to the head. However, “brain injury” is a term that encompasses a wide variety of conditions.
How many different kinds of brain injuries are there?
There are several kinds of brain injuries that are often caused by car accidents. Each type occurs under its own set of circumstances and has different symptoms.
If you experience slurred speech, vomiting, nausea, or headaches following a car accident, you may have sustained a brain injury. Reach out to the Norfolk-area brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp for a free case review and find out if you are entitled to compensation.
Types of Brain Injuries Caused by Car Accidents
The kind of brain injury you sustain will govern which symptoms you experience as well as the overall impact the brain injury has on your life.
The most common brain injuries caused by car accidents are:
Concussions
While concussions are viewed as mild traumatic brain injuries, they are still capable of causing a lot of pain and having a serious impact on your health. Concussions are accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, headaches, tinnitus, vomiting, and blurry vision.
Brain Contusions
“Contusion” is a fancy word for a bruise. So, brain contusions are bruises that form on your brain. Most contusions heal by themselves, but some of them can cause serious problems, like a brain bleed or blood clots. Symptoms of brain contusions are similar to the symptoms of a concussion.
Skull Fractures
If your head is struck violently enough, your skull can fracture. A skull fracture injury is usually accompanied by additional brain injuries, such as concussions and contusions. Symptoms of a skull fracture include bleeding from the nose or ears, swelling at the point of impact, and bruising of the head.
Acquired Brain Injuries
Also known as secondary brain injuries, acquired brain injuries can happen without your head being impacted. These brain injuries usually develop due to some other physical issue, like an injury that prevents a sufficient amount of oxygen from getting to your brain. Without enough oxygen, your brain cells will die, leading to diminished brain function.
Any kind of accident that leads to the restriction of blood flow or oxygen to your brain can result in an acquired brain injury. For instance, if you were so badly injured during a collision that you stopped breathing until you were revived, the lack of oxygen you experienced could cause an acquired brain injury.
Coup-Contrecoup
When your brain is injured in two places, this is known as a coup-contrecoup brain injury. Not only is your brain injured where you were struck, but there is also an injury where the impact of the blow caused the opposite side of your brain to make contact with your skull.
Brain Penetration
Brain penetration is what happens when an object penetrates your skull and pierces your brain. These injuries are almost always fatal. Those who manage to survive are left with debilitating lifelong handicaps.
Talk to a Norfolk Brain Injury Attorney
Any brain injury has the potential to be serious. Even the most minor of brain injuries could have a permanent, adverse impact on the rest of your life. If someone else caused your brain injury through negligence, you deserve compensation. If you were diagnosed with any form of brain injury after a car crash or any other type of accident, our attorneys can help. Schedule a free case evaluation with the Norfolk-area brain injury lawyers at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp by calling (833) 997-1774.
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For over twenty years, Mr. Sharp's law practice has focused on serious personal injury claims, including traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury claims. He also handles nursing home neglect cases and medical malpractice claims. Mr. Sharp has counseled numerous clients about the complexities concerning litigation of both pediatric and adult brain injury. Mr. Sharp has been awarded the AV Preeminent ranking by Martindale, the highly respected and widely utilized directory of lawyers throughout the world. AV Preeminent status is awarded only to those lawyers who achieve the highest level of success within the legal field and is a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers and Judges rank him at the highest level of professional excellence. He has also been recognized as a "Best Lawyer" by U.S. News for personal injury, an accolade awarded to only a small fraction of lawyers. Mr. Sharp has also been recognized by Super Lawyers as one of the top personal injury lawyers in Virginia. This recognition is awarded only to those lawyers who have achieved the highest level of success and have been recognized by their peers as demonstrating the highest level of professional excellence.
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