Types of TBI

Since the brain is so integrated into the regulation of the body, injuries to this particular organ can be devastating and may result in lifetime disability or coma. In the United States alone, it is estimated that two million people will be hospitalized for a TBI each year. Of these two million people, survival rates and recovery will vary greatly depending on the severity of the individual’s injury, often attributed to the cause and part of the brain damaged. TBI manifests focally (affecting one area of the brain) if the head is struck directly by an outside force or diffusely (spreading to different parts of the brain) if it involves a noncontact injury of the brain moving within the skull. In the former, impact to the skull causes shock waves to spread through the brain, producing tissue damage. Ricocheting of the brain within the skull may result in a contrecoup injury (as opposed to a coup injury), in which damage occurs opposite the side of the head that was hit.

Prognosis of TBI Victims

Death from traumatic brain injury is not always instantaneous, and it is estimated that 40% of TBI patients will suffer from worsening conditions during hospitalization. It has been determined that this is not due to the primary damage dealt at the moment of trauma, but rather results from a secondary injury, or aftereffects triggered by the initial impact , such as brain swelling, fluctuations in blood flow to the brain, or damage to the blood-brain barrier.

Even if a TBI patient makes it to recovery, they are at risk for a number of complications physical and mental, emotional and behavioral. The most devastating of these is altered states of consciousness, such as coma or brain death, but also movement diseases like Parkinson’s, or post-traumatic seizures and epilepsy. Meanwhile, cognitive impairments like memory loss, and behavioral changes such as increased aggression, are often just as de-habilitating to individual’s family as they are the individual themselves, as oftentimes the victim of TBI can emerge with an altered personality.    

For more information as to how you can help protect your family, visit the website of Personal Injury Law Firm Wurtzel Law here.

This article is not intended as legal advice.