Concussions are the most common type of traumatic brain injury, which is caused by a sudden impact on a person’s head. A concussion is defined as a brief loss of normal brain function.
When someone else is at fault for your brain injury, you have the right to seek compensation from them for your medical and other bills associated with your condition. To learn more about how to do this, schedule a free consultation with a San Luis Obispo brain injury attorney at Ernst Law Group.
Causes of traumatic brain injuries
Concussions and other TBIs typically result when the head suffers a bump, but they can also develop after any extreme movement that causes the brain to shift inside the skull. If the brain bumps against the skull, it can harm the delicate tissue. TBIs can be classified as primary, where damage is immediate, or secondary when the condition develops days or weeks after the initial injury.
The Mayo Clinic lists the leading causes of TBIs include:
- Falls: When a person slips on liquids in a store, is pushed by another person, or falls on an icy sidewalk, they could suffer a TBI due to someone else’s failure to clean and secure the area.
- Motor vehicle accidents: Concussions and other TBIs are common injuries in car, truck, bicycle, and motorcycle accidents. Hitting your head can cause swelling or bruising in the brain, leading to damage in the hours following the crash.
- Physical violence: Domestic violence, shaking children, criminal assault, or fighting can result in TBIs.
- Contact sports: Sports activities with repeated impacts to the head can cause cumulative damage, leading to a TBI. These sports include boxing, football, baseball, hockey, and soccer.
- Explosions, weapons, and military service exposure: Serving in the military or working in certain industries like construction or oil & gas puts individuals at higher risk of developing TBIs after an explosive blast. They may also suffer injury from bullets or percussive weapons.
TBIs generally fall into two categories: penetrating and non-penetrating. Penetrating TBIs occur when a bullet, weapon, or other object enters the brain tissue. Non-penetrating, sometimes called closed-head injuries, involve impact on the brain by force and movement alone. Although rare, it is possible to suffer both kinds of TBIs in the same incident.
Symptoms of concussions and other TBIs
It’s possible to experience a TBI without losing consciousness. However, most people have at least some time when they “blackout.” Other concussion symptoms include:
- Brief loss of consciousness
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Memory loss
- Problems with concentration, attention, focus
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness, loss of balance
- Confusion
TBIs can leave the patient in one of four states of consciousness, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The first is minimally conscious, where the person has some awareness of their surroundings and can follow simple commands. In a vegetative state, the person may make sounds or groans and may appear to have some response to stimuli. When a TBI patient enters a coma, they are unconscious and do not respond to sound, light, or physical sensations.
After the coma stage, they may pass into brain death. Brain-dead patients have minimal bodily function and no cognitive brain activity. Rarely patients may recover from the vegetative state to consciousness, although they may suffer substantial issues with mental or physical capabilities. Most coma patients will pass away or be taken off life support.
Getting help after suffering a traumatic brain injury
After a head injury or other event that could cause a TBI, you must seek medical treatment immediately. Once you have been diagnosed and begun to heal, speak with a qualified San Luis Obispo brain injury attorney to determine whether any parties were negligent and at fault for your harm. Contact Ernst Law Group at (805) 541-0300 to arrange a free case review today.
