Traumatic and Mild Brain Injuries

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) are a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. These injuries come about as a result of bleeding, bruising, and other trauma to the brain, which may lead to permanent or temporary impairment of the brain. Brain injuries can be catastrophic, affecting the victim on physical, psychological, and social levels. Brain injuries may not develop immediately but may develop over time and the brain tissue swells and bleeding occurs. The road to recovery can be long and medical expenses can become overwhelming, all the while negatively affecting a victim’s quality of life.

Brain injuries can be caused by a variety of situations, including slip and falls, motor vehicle/trucking accidents, whiplash, physical assault, and even medical errors.

Brain injuries can be characterized as either an open-head injury or a closed-head injury. Open-head injuries occur when the scalp or skull is broken or fractured. Closed-head injuries occur when there is an impact to the head that does not penetrate the skull, such as a concussion. Even mild TBIs, such as a concussion, are very serious, and could be accompanied by loss of consciousness or memory loss.

Other common types of brain injuries include deprivation of oxygen to the brain, hematomas, and contusions.