What are the Causes of Brain Injury?
Brain injuries occur on both a gross level and a microscopic level. At the Brain Injury Law Center of New Mexico in Albuquerque, we have devoted a great deal of attention to addressing causation on both levels.
There are two categories of TBI. The first category is primary TBI, which is caused by the initial injury. Primary injuries include skull fractures, hemorrhages, contusions or bruising, lacerations, and shearing injuries. Secondary injuries are injuries that arise from complications from the initial injury.
Some of the types of trauma that result in brain injury include:
Penetrating Injuries
These injuries occur when a foreign object actually penetrates the skull and reaches the brain. The most common penetrating injury is a gunshot wound. Perhaps unsurprisingly, firearm use is the most common cause of death related to TBI.
Accelerating/Decelerating Injuries
Sudden, forceful jerking of the head can also result in a traumatic brain injury. A car accident is a classic example of the type of incident that can lead to this type of brain injury. This is also seen in cases where babies have been shaken of “shaken baby syndrome”.
Contrecoup Injuries
Contrecoup injuries are those where a blow to one part of the head results in an injury to the opposite side of the brain.
Diffuse Axonal Injuries (DAI)
Incidents such as accelerating/decelerating injuries may lead to diffuse axonal injuries. These injuries involve a shearing of the brain caused by its shift within the skull. A diffuse axonal injury means that there has been damage in more than one location to the axons that make up the white matter of the brain.
The severity of the symptoms of brain injury is directly linked with the area of the brain that has been affected. Our lawyers can help put you in contact with local professionals who can diagnose your injury and provide medical advice. If your accident was caused by another party, rely on the Brain Injury Law Center of New Mexico to help you in obtaining compensation. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
