Before the accident, you weren’t hurt. Then another driver, a doctor, or a property owner was negligent and you suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident. Now, doctors are using terms that you might be unfamiliar with but that might be important to your recovery.
Doctors Are Talking About the Type of Brain Injury You Suffered
Some common types of traumatic brain injuries that occur because of motor vehicle crashes, slip and fall accidents, and other types of accidents include:
- Hypoxia. Hypoxia occurs when there is a lack of oxygen to the brain. The resulting brain injury is called anoxic brain damage. Just a few minutes without oxygen can cause brain cells to die. Lack of oxygen to the brain may occur because of medical malpractice and other accidents.
- Chemical damage. Neurotoxicity, or chemical damage to the brain, can occur when brain cells are poisoned because of chemicals. Medical overdoses or the improper mixing of medications may, for example, cause this type of brain injury.
- Open head injuries. As the name suggests, an open head injury occurs when the skull is fractured and the head is opened. This may be caused by a motor vehicle accident, a slip and fall accident, or another type of accident. The result is usually serious damage to the brain.
- Closed head injuries. A closed head injury occurs when the skull remains intact but there is damage to the brain. Often, the brain swells, causing damage after the head has been violently shaken. The impact of a motor vehicle crash, for example, could lead to a serious closed head brain injury.
- Direct impact injuries. This type of brain injury occurs when the head hits an object and the impact causes brain damage. This could happen, for example, when a person hits her head on the dashboard in a car crash or his head on the ground during a fall or motorcycle wreck.
- Contrecoup injuries. Contrecoup brain injuries indicate that there is damage to both sides of the brain. This kind of injury is seen when the brain is traumatically shaken, such as during a car accident.
Any of these traumatic brain injuries require prompt medical attention so that you can get the treatment that you deserve.
And So You Can Talk About Your Recovery
Once your traumatic brain injury has been diagnosed, then you can begin talking about your treatment plan and your recovery. Your doctors will likely talk to you about your options which could include surgery, medications, rehabilitation therapies, and other medical interventions.
However, your doctors won’t be able to guide you on the road to your legal and financial recovery. For help protecting your legal rights and recovering damages for your past, current and future medical expenses, lost income, out-of-pocket costs, pain, suffering, and other injuries you will need to pursue a legal claim. An experienced brain injury lawyer can help protect your rights and advocate for your full and fair recovery. To learn more, please start a free live chat with us now.
