Many injuries are treatable. With the appropriate medical interventions, people can make a complete recovery. Other injuries are more likely to be catastrophic. They don’t necessarily respond to treatment. They can cause long-term symptoms and can have devastating consequences for the injured party.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are among the most serious physical injuries possible. People with brain injuries often experience permanent symptoms and functional limitations. They can expect to have significantly higher lifetime medical expenses when compared with people who don’t have any serious injuries.
There are many types of experiences that can cause TBIs by damaging the brain. People can sustain TBIs during interpersonal violence, falls or car crashes. What physical occurrences can cause TBIs?
1. Blunt force trauma
When other objects collide with the human head, serious injuries can occur. Whether an individual gets hurt because another person punches them or they hit their head when they fall, the force can damage their brain. It could cause bleeding or inflammation inside the skull. That may eventually lead to TBI symptoms.
2. Violent physical motions
Anyone who is familiar with shaken baby syndrome may already understand how car crashes or similar incidents could damage the brain. When people experience aggressive, violent physical motion, their brains can move inside their skulls, leading to bleeding or inflammation.
3. Oxygen deprivation
People who survive fires or near-drownings sometimes develop TBIs. They develop anoxic brain injuries caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. Anoxic TBIs can cause many of the same symptoms as injuries caused by physical contact.
4. Penetrating injuries
Debris from car crashes can sometimes damage the brain by penetrating the skull. So can any projectiles launched at people, including firearm ammunition. Penetrating injuries can cause severe damage to the brain.
5. Percussive force
Explosions are relatively rare, but they can injure people in many different ways. Even those who do not sustain burn injuries during an explosion can still sustain major injuries. The percussive force that accompanies the blast of an explosion can cause brain injuries even without direct physical contact.
Those who experience major incidents that could cause brain injuries often need medical support to obtain a diagnosis and prevent their symptoms from worsening. Recognizing when people are at risk of brain injuries can help people respond appropriately to an incident. People who do develop TBIs may need help pursuing financial compensation for the economic impact of their injuries.