BRAIN INJURY
The brain is a three-pound mass of gray matter enclosed in the
cranium. It interprets sensory impulses, coordinates and controls
bodily functioning and is the center of emotion and thought. The
brain has three main sections: the cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum
and brain stem. There are left and right cerebral hemispheres. They
are divided into sections called lobes. The left cerebral hemisphere
controls the right side of the body and is responsible for speech.
The right cerebral hemisphere controls the left side of the body
and is responsible for creative thinking.
It’s estimated that 8 million people sustain brain injuries
each year in the United States. At least 2 million of those injured
will be permanently disabled.
In many cases, the injuries which result in TBI may be bloodless,
require no medical attention, and initially seem non-disabling.
In fact, many times the victim does not lose consciousness at the
accident scene. Additionally, in many cases, physical and neurological
examination, x-ray, CAT scan, and MRI scan will reveal no objective
problems, but microscopic research has shown that irreversible nerve
damage can occur even when the head does not strike an object, but
instead is only shaken violently as in a whiplash type of accident.
Brain injury has been called the “silent epidemic”
since most people don’t know about brain injury, let alone
its consequences or how it affects people.
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here to contact Kimberly A.
Stovall, the Dallas Personal Injury Attorney Who Cares!
ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY (ABI)
ABI is defined as an injury to the brain which is not hereditary,
congenital or degenerative that has occurred after birth. Causes
of ABI include external forces applied to the head and /or neck
(TBI), anoxic/hypoxic injury (cardiac arrest, carbon monoxide poisoning,
airway obstruction, hemorrhage, drowning), intracranial surgery,
infectious disease, seizure disorders, toxic exposure (substance
abuse, ingestion of lead and inhalation of volatile agents) aneurysms,
and vascular obstruction (stroke).
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)
TBI is defined as an insult to the brain, not of degenerative or
congenital nature, caused by an external physical force that may
produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness, which results
in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning.
It can also result in the disturbance of behavioral or emotional
functioning. Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death
and disability in children and young adults. Among all types of
injury, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is most likely to cause death
or permanent disability.
Too often, traumatic brain injuries (TBI’S) are the result
of accidents, particularly motor vehicle accidents. In an injury
which involves a blow to the head, the victim may not produce visible
signs of trauma, but these closed head injuries can cause long term
and even permanent symptoms.
Traumatic brain injuries can leave the victim debilitated. Blunt
trauma to the skull, prolonged lack of oxygen, or the anoxic brain
injury can have severe and/or life threatening consequences. With
traumatic brain injury, the victim’s brain may bruise or tear,
with anoxic brain injury part of the brain can die from lack of
oxygen can cause life long disability.
Although TBI may result in permanent and readily noticeable physical
impairment, the more problematic consequences often involve the
victim’s more hidden physical impairment, those areas dealing
with cognition, emotional functioning, and behavior.
Cognition is a complex collection of mental skills that includes
attention, perception, comprehension, learning, remembering, problem
solving, and reasoning. These mental attributes allow us to understand
our world and function within it. After a brain injury, a person
typically loses one or more of these skills. Cognitive rehabilitation
is the art and science of restoring these mental processes after
injury to the brain.
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Levels of Brain Injury
MILD
• A mild brain injury is also known as a concussion.
• Brief (less than 15 minutes) or NO loss of consciousness.
• A dazed, vacant stare right after the injury.
• Testing and scans may appear normal.
• Symptoms may not appear until later. “Post concussive
syndrome” can include temporary headaches, dizziness, mild
mental slowing and fatigue.
All too often, Plaintiff attorneys associate the word “mild”
with a non-serious, low-damage-potential case. However, by evaluating
each case based on a detailed analysis of the facts, an attorney
can uncover a plethora of information which will help the client
deal with her disability and enable her to receive the proper medical
attention, evaluation and compensation which she deserves.
MODERATE
• A moderate brain injury is one that results in a loss of
consciousness that can last minutes or a few hours and is followed
by a few days or weeks of confusion.
• Testing and scans may appear normal.
• Physical, cognitive, and/or behavioral impairments may last
for months or be permanent.
Many of the symptoms of mild to moderate brain injury are subtle,
making it difficult to assess; and often a client’s initial
treating or emergency room physician will fail to detect TBI. Moreover,
a client with traumatic brain injury is often unaware or denies
that she suffers from such an injury despite obvious changes in
her personality, work habits, memory or lifestyle. Consequently,
these victims never receive proper medical attention for the physical,
cognitive, and psychological impairment that follows.
Traumatic brain injury cases require highly technical evaluation
and extensive attention to detail. Many health care providers as
well as attorneys misunderstand and misevaluate the potential devastation
of a mild to moderate brain injury.
SEVERE
• Severe brain injury almost always results in prolonged
unconsciousness or coma lasting days, weeks, or months.
• Testing and scans may still appear normal.
Types of Brain Injury
Traumatic Brain Injury
1. Tearing – The sudden impact of the body colliding with
another object. This can occur from such traumas as sports injuries,
auto accidents or falls.
2. Bruising – The collision between the tissue and the skull
may rupture small blood vessels creating pressure on the brain tissue.
This pressure may cause parts of the brain to stop functioning.
Collisions are common causes of such injuries.
Anoxic Brain Injury
Anoxic brain injury occurs when the brain is deprived of oxygen
as a result of comma, drowning, choking, strangulation, or respiratory
problems.
After a brain injury things that once were easy and familiar become
strange and difficult. A great deal of mental effort is usually
required to do things that required little or no effort before the
brain injury. Work, school and personal relationships suffer. The
injured party often becomes less efficient at their job and their
livelihood is jeopardized. Often they become unpredictable, unreliable,
overly emotional and sometimes violent. When the victim is a child,
they can develop behavioral problems at home and school. Often they
regress to an earlier development state. As you can imagine, a brain
injury can affect the entire family.
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“BRAIN INJURY” VS. “HEAD INJURY”
“Head Injury” is a general term indicating damage to
any part of the head, including the skin covering the skull, face
or jaw, or the brain itself.
“Brain Injury” is a more specific term indicating damage
to brain cells, causing temporary or permanent interruption of their
functioning. In order to be more precise in its terminology and
its message, the National Head Injury Foundation changed its name
to the Brain Injury Association in 1995. The Board of the Texas
Head Injury Association followed suit, changing its name to the
Brain Injury Association of Texas.
If you or someone you know have suffered a brain injury, please
Contact Us or call us at 1-800-918-9655.
BRAIN INJURY LINKS
Able Data –
http://www.abledata.com
• ABLEDATA is a federally funded project whose primary mission
is to provide information on assistive technology and rehabilitation
equipment available from domestic and international sources to consumers,
organizations, professionals, and caregivers within the United States.
The ABLEDATA database contains information on more than 30,000 assistive
technology products; detailed descriptions of each product including
price and company info; and info on non-commercial prototypes, customized
and one-of-a-kind products, and do-it-yourself designs. ABLEDATA
does not produce, distribute or sell any of the products listed
on the database, but they will provide you with information on how
to contact manufacturers or distributors of these products.
Alabama Head Injury –
http://www.ahif.org
• AHIF assists family and friends to help understand the
results of brain injury.
American Academy of Neurology –
http://www.aan.com
• Neurology homepage.
Brain Injury Association –
http://www.biausa.org
• Provides information on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation,
resources and support. Publish a bi-monthly newsletter and has a
national directory of brain injury rehabilitation services. Lists
over 350 facilities and programs.
Brain Injury Association of Texas –
http://www.biatx.org
• Helps families in their search for facilities and support
for loved ones who have sustained a brain injury.
Brain Injury Ring –
http://www.altelco.net/%7ejame/bir/bir.htm
• Homepages of brain injury survivors, caregivers, friends,
family and brain injury resources.
Brain Injury Society—
http://www.bisociety.org
Center for Neuro Skills –
http://www.neuroskills.com/index.shtml
• Resource guide, with information about brain injury and
rehabilitation.
Coma Recovery Association –
http://comarecovery.org
• A non-profit organization for coma and brain injury survivors,
family members and loved ones.
Disability Resources Monthly –
www.disabilityresources.org
• Web resource focused on disability issues. Includes publications,
software, videos and databases.
Head Injury Online –
http://www.headinjury.com
• Guide to head injury facts
Headway –
http://www.headway.org.uk
• Headway National Head Injuries Association
Life with TBI –
http://www.tbilife.com
• Resource-filled site that concentrates on surviving brain
injury. Dan Windheim shares his own story of TBI through writings
and poetry, and offers a place for feedback, and has a question
and answer section to deal with the more severe issues of TBI.
National Resource Center for TBI –
http://www.neuro.pmr.vcu.edu
• From Virginia Commonwealth University, this resource center
provides relevant, practical information for professionals, persons
with brain injury and family members. Site provides resources, chat
room, ideas and gives information on training and conferences.
Neurological Surgeons Association –
http://www.neurosurgery.org/aans
• Neurological information online.
Neurology Journal –
http://brain.oupjournals.org
• Oxford University Press journal.
Neuroscience Center –
http://www.neuroscience.cnter.com
• Clinical research information for professionals involved
in the neurosciences. News, research and software reviews.
Neurosciences on the Internet –
http://www.neuroguide.com
• Searchable and browsable index of neuroscience resources
covering neurobiology, neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, psychology,
cognitive science sites and information on human neurological diseases.
Neurotrauma-Law Nexus –
http://www.neurolaw.com
• A guide to understanding the legal system’s role
in brain injury and spinal cord injury.
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services –
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS
• OSERS provides a wide array of support to parents and individuals,
school districts and states in the areas of special education, vocational
rehabilitation and research.
Ohio Valley Center-Brain Injury and Rehabilitation Center –
http://www.ohiovalley.org
• Center uses research and education to develop programs
to improve the quality of life of persons who experience TBI.
TBI Chat Room –
http://tbichat.org/index2.htm
• Chat room for TBI survivors and families.
TBIHelp.com –
http://www.tbihelp.org
• Provides information, resources, networking and advocacy
services to persons with brain injury and their loved ones.
TBI Homepage –
http://tbichat.org
• Chat rooms, message boards, stories and poems written by
survivors and caregivers.
TBI Resource Online –
http://comarecovery.org
• Facts, employment opportunities, suggested literature,
rehabilitation and product information on brain injury.
Click
here to contact Kimberly A.
Stovall, the Dallas Personal Injury Attorney Who Cares!
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