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Utah Brain Injury Types

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Last Modified: May 2, 2023

There are many ways that someone could encounter a brain injury—car accidents, slip and falls, dog attacks, sports accidents, work-related accidents, etc.—to just name a few. Additionally, there are many different types of brain injuries and many different levels of severity for each type of brain injury. Some may take just a few days or weeks to heal while some may be a life-long disability that affects the everyday life of the victim. Below is a list of the different brain injuries that can occur. To learn more about each injury including symptoms, treatment, and prevention; click the links below.

Concussion

Concussions are the most common brain injury. This type of injury to the brain causes the neural connections to not function properly or to be temporarily stunned. Most concussions occur during sporting events where the victim is hit with a great amount of force. The victim may exhibit many different symptoms but luckily with more awareness of the seriousness of concussions, the people around the victim can usually tell if the person has suffered from a concussion. With the proper amount of time to rest, the person suffering from a concussion may return to their activity but the person suffering from a concussion should take time to rest and let the brain return to normal functionality.

Contusion

Contusions occur when the brain has hit the inside of the skull. The area that was hit will leave a contusion (a bruise) that may cause swelling in the brain. This type of injury is common in motor-vehicle crashes, falls, or assaults. The person suffering from a contusion will likely need to rest and let the swelling of the bruise subside until returning to activity.

Penetrating Injury

This type of injury can be very serious and cause major damage to the brain. A penetrating brain injury is when a foreign object has pierced the skull and subsequently the brain. This type of injury is considered an open brain injury as the brain may be exposed from the injury. Seeking medical attention immediately for this type of injury is obviously best. Medical personnel should remove the object as there may be more damage that could be caused if the object is not properly removed.

Coup-Contrecoup Injury

This type of injury occurs when the brain hits two parts of the skull, causing two different areas of damage to the brain. It is common for victims of car crashes as the force of the initial impact paired with the force of the head returning to normal position causes the brain to “bounce” around.

Diffuse Axonal Injury

Diffuse axonal brain injuries occur in about half of all severe head injuries. This type of injury happens when the brain is shaken within the skull and axons are disrupted causing the brain to not function properly by sending the messages to the different parts of the brain. Brain cells often die during a diffuse axonal injury which will then cause swelling in the brain creating more damage to the brain. Unconsciousness is the main symptom of this injury.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) includes open, closed, and acquired brain injuries. Depending on the type of TBI, these types of injuries usually occur from a severe external force. Some of these injuries, depending on the severity can result in disability or even death.

Anoxic Brain Injury

Also known as cerebral hypoxia, this type of injury is serious and life-threatening. This type of injury occurs when there is a disruption to the vascular system and the brain’s function begins to deteriorate. If the disruption lasts long enough, the victim may have disabilities and cognitive problems that could drastically change the victim’s life.

Acquired Brain Disorder (ABD)

This type of injury occurs over time and can happen for a variety of reasons though typically from traumatic injuries that may have been from internal or external forces, such as strokes or poison. The victim may experience emotional trauma or decline in cognitive functions. The victim may also experience changes in their personality or memory loss.

Second Impact Syndrome

Second impact syndrome refers to concussions but more specifically the second concussion that may have occurred from returning to the activity too early without properly letting their brain heal. This type of injury is the main concern for people who participate in high-impact sports. However, as more people are becoming aware that a second concussion can cause further or more severe damage than the first, teams are being tougher on their athletes and not letting them return to the field until they are cleared as safe to play.

Shaken Baby Syndrome

The term “shaken baby syndrome” is often referred to as child abuse. It occurs when the baby is shaken violently causing the small brain of the child to hit around in the skull and cause severe damage to the brain’s function. At such young ages, a child’s brain is still developing and this type of injury could seriously affect the child’s cognitive functions or cause disability in the child that could last their entire life.

Locked in Syndrome

The rarest type of brain injury is locked-in syndrome. This type of injury causes the body to stop responding to the brain’s demands and the victim loses complete control of their body other than maybe their eyes. The person becomes completely paralyzed not being able to speak or move. The cause of this injury is not completely known. As of today, there is no cure for this type of injury.

Contact Us

If you have experienced any of the above brain injuries due to someone’s reckless or careless behavior, contact Good Guys Injury Law today to get the help that you may need to cover medical bills and other expenses. You shouldn’t have to suffer financially because of someone’s actions. Call (801) 506-0800 to schedule a free confidential consultation.

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