A serious brain injury can have catastrophic consequences for the injured person and his or her family. According to the Centers for Disease and Control Injury Prevention Center, over half of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are the result of accidents. Falls account for over 40% of all TBI, while auto accidents account for just fewer than 15%. “Traumatic” means that the injury is caused by force. A traumatic brain injury can occur when the head is stricken, it penetrates another object, or it is swiveled around (whiplash). The injuries can range from mild to severe.

Some types of Traumatic Brain Injuries:

Concussion – This is the most common type of brain injury. It can be caused by direct blows to the head, violent shaking or whiplash. It occurs when the brain receives a trauma from impact or sudden change in movement. The blood vessels in the brain stretch and cause nerve damage. A person may or may not experience a brief loss of consciousness and may feel dazed. Concussions can take a few months to even a few years to heal.

Contusion – A contusion is a bruise on the brain as a result of direct impact to the head.

Diffuse Axonal Injury – This injury is caused by shaking or strong head rotation. Thus, this injury can be caused by the forces involved in a vehicle accident. There is extensive tearing of nerve tissue in the brain that causes irregular brain communication. This can lead to permanent brain damage, coma, and even death.

Coup-Contrecoup Injury – This type of brain injury occurs when there is blunt trauma to one side of the head, causing injury to the opposite side of the brain. The force of impact causes the brain to move and hit the other side of the skull. This can occur with a fall where the person lands on one side of their head, or even blunt force trauma, such as direct blows to one side of the head.

Anoxic Brain Injury – Anoxic injury to the brain occurs when the brain does not receive enough oxygen.

Every day, 138 people in the United States die from TBI-related injuries. Those who survive can suffer effects that last a few days or be left with disabilities that may last the rest of their lives. Effects of TBI can include impaired thinking, memory, movement, vision, hearing, depression, personality changes, mood, and appearance.

As a brain injury attorney in Los Angeles, Halpern & Associates has handled several TBI cases. We’ve handled an Anoxic Brain Injury case where a client suffered cardiac arrest due to the negligence of others. We had a Coup-Contrecoup Injury case that involved the police department, where an officer used excessive force and literally punched our client’s head into the ground while the client was handcuffed. This caused a traumatic brain injury and eventually led to the death of our client.