brain injury

Coup Injuries

Coup injuries occur when a moving object or outside force comes into contact with the head. They may also arise when the head hits something stationary with force, resulting in both internal and external injuries at the point of contact. A good example is when one is hit with a blunt object, falls, or bumps into a wall resulting in bruises, contusion, bumps, skull trauma, and lacerations.

Contrecoup Injuries

Contrecoup injuries generally occur at the impact point or directly opposite where the force came into contact with the head. A common cause of contrecoup injuries is driving at full speed or getting involved in a head-on collision. The head may hit the steering wheel or the dashboard, leading to a coup injury, while the brain will swing in the opposite direction hitting the other side of the head.

Sometimes, contrecoup brain injuries are overlooked, which is why you should see a doctor immediately after a car accident, even if you feel alright.

What to Do After a Coup or Contrecoup Injury Caused by a Negligent Driver?

Head injuries can have lifelong effects like infections, paralysis, impaired speech, persistent headaches, coma, brain death, and other side effects that you have to manage for the rest of your life. As a result, you may have to miss work and use a significant amount of money for your treatment.

Fortunately, you can generally file a car accident claim against the negligent driver and get compensation for the medical procedures, loss of livelihood, pain and suffering, and any other damage you may have suffered.

However, it’s not advisable to pursue a car accident claim on your own. For starters, you’ll have to deal with insurance adjusters who will probably bombard you with questions, threats, and substandard offers to minimize your compensation. Also, the claim process is long, complex, and involves a lot of paperwork, so pursuing it on your own will only add stress to your recovery. Instead, your best chance of a fair case is to work with an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney.

St. Louis Brain Injury Lawyer

Have you or a loved one suffered a brain injury due to someone else’s negligence and need legal assistance seeking compensation? The experienced car accident attorneys at The Hoffman Law Firm can help. Give us a call 24/7 for a free case evaluation.

The Tests 

Glasgow Coma Scale

The GCS rapidly assesses mental operations using pupil measurements, eye movements, touch response, physical reflexes, speech ability, and obedience to verbal commands. 

After the assessment, the doctor will allocate a GCS reading. Generally, a 3-rating usually indicates a comma, and a 15-rating indicates normal function. Anything in between may indicate mild or moderate brain injuries.

CT or CAT

Computerized Tomography uses powerful X-rays to capture clear brain images in many thin sheets and then combines them to form a whole-brain image. They are very effective in diagnosing intracranial hemorrhages, bruised brain tissues, skull fractures, and other forms of brain damage. Sometimes, the technician may inject you with a radioactive dye to enhance the diagnosis.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

You’ve probably seen those tunnel-like machines in movies where the automatic bed moves the patient’s head inside the equipment. That is an MRI. The machine operates similarly to a CT scan, only that it uses powerful magnets in place of X-rays. Doctors generally conduct MRIs for emergency diagnosis when the patient shows no improvement or during follow-up examination.

Electroencephalogram

EEG tests supplement MRI when testing for brain activity and injuries. 

Brain activity produces electric currents, which the equipment detects using small electrical conductors attached to your scalp. Abnormal electrical signals may indicate the presence of a TBI.

Positron Emission Tomography Scan

A PET scan allows doctors to observe tissue and organ operation. The doctor typically injects the patient with a small amount of a radioactive substance called a tracer. And then use special equipment to trace its path inside the body. High chemical activity around specific organs or tissues is usually an indication of damage or disease.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) 

This is an advanced form of MRI because it uses magnetic resonance to create brain images. The only difference between the two is that it can also track the diffusion of water molecules within the white matter fibers that run between different brain sections. Abnormal water diffusion in those pathways could signify TBIs within the brain’s microscopic structure.

St. Louis Car Accident Attorneys

Have you or a loved one recently been involved in a car accident that resulted in severe brain injuries? The experienced St. Louis car accident attorneys at The Hoffman Law Firm can help evaluate your claim for free and help you determine what compensation you may be entitled to for your medical costs, lost wages, and other injury-related expenses. Give us a call 24/7 for a free consultation.

Closed head injuries can be life-threatening and do not always present symptoms immediately.

No matter the severity of an accident, you should always seek medical attention afterward to ensure that you have not received an injury that has not yet manifested, especially when you have hit your head abruptly on a dashboard, windshield, or the back of the seat in front of you. A lack of blood does not mean there is no damage. Closed head injuries can be life-threatening and do not always present symptoms immediately. Call a car accident lawyer as soon as possible if you suffer brain trauma after a car accident.

A closed head injury generally refers to a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, with no open wound to the skull. This type of brain injury is the most common cause of disability in younger people. They account for almost 75% of all the 17 million injuries to the brain that occur in Americans every year. They can cause physical and psychological impairment as well as harm cognitive skills.

The four most common closed head injuries that result from car accidents are:

• concussions
• hematomas
• cerebral contusions
• axonal injury

A concussion is caused by a sharp blow to the head, such as a high-speed impact with a dashboard, and usually is only a temporary condition affecting brain function.

Hematomas are a condition where the blood vessels inside the head begin to burst, causing pools of blood to form around the brain. They can cause life-threatening pressure to the brain and need to be treated surgically immediately.

A contusion is a localized bruising of the brain, similar to a concussion but only affecting a small area.

An axonal injury is the most frequently seen relating to a car accident. This type of injury will generally cause irreparable damage to the brain and may lead to comas or a vegetative state.

Brain swelling is often a slow process. Symptoms may not appear for days or even weeks, causing even more damage. This is why immediate medical attention is always recommended following a car crash, especially if there was an impact to the head or a sharp jerk of the neck. Some symptoms to look for include headaches, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, and slurred speech. If there was even the slightest moment of loss of consciousness, a doctor should be seen immediately. This is an indication that the brain received severe trauma.

Settlements and awards vary greatly in cases involving closed head trauma. The severity of the injury plays a significant role and if there is any permanent disability as a result.

St. Louis Car Accident Lawyers

Medical care should always be the top priority after being involved in a car accident. Let the treating physician know precisely how the accident occurred and any symptoms you may be feeling. If you remember hitting your head, let him know about that as well. Once you are on the road to recovery, call a car accident attorney to find out how to file a compensation claim and ensure you get all of the compensation you are entitled to.

If you have been involved in a car accident in Missouri or Illinois, contact a St. Louis car accident lawyer at The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. We will work to get you and your family the compensation you need to recover after an accident. To schedule a free consultation, call us today at (314) 361-4242.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an extremely serious condition that can cause permanent disability or even death, and car accidents are a common cause of this problem. 

About 20% of all TBI cases are caused by car accidents, with only slips and falls causing a higher percentage of brain trauma.

Even a minor accident could cause TBI, which is why it’s important to see a doctor after any car accident. How can you know if you or a loved one may have experienced TBI after a Missouri car accident?

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)?

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) refers to any injury to the brain caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, which may disrupt the proper functioning of the brain. 

This is an umbrella term used to refer to many different types of injuries, which can be mild (such as concussions), or result in serious problems like hematoma (burst blood vessels in the brain). 

TBI may not have any external signs, so it can sometimes be overlooked after a car accident. However, even a minor blow to the head can cause TBI, in some cases, so we always recommend that you seek medical attention after an accident. 

Common Signs of TBI After a Car Accident

It’s important to know how to recognize some common signs of TBI that may occur after a car accident. TBI symptoms are not always readily apparent after an accident. Depending on the severity of the injury, symptoms of minor-to-moderate TBI may include: 

• Loss of consciousness for several seconds or minutes
  
• Confusion and disorientation
  
• Nausea or vomiting
  
• Headache
  
• Dizziness and balance issues
  
• Problems concentrating or with memory
  
• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping more than usual
  
• Speech problems like slurring of words

More serious TBI may have symptoms like seizures or convulsions, dilation of the eyes, loss of coordination, profound confusion, and unusual behavior like aggressiveness. 

It’s absolutely essential to see a doctor right away, especially if you recognize these symptoms of TBI in anyone who has been in a car accident. 

Have You or a Loved One Suffered TBI in a Car Accident?

Severe TBI can be debilitating and life-changing for you or a loved one. It can cause long-term complications and interfere with your ability to work and live your day-to-day life. 

If you or a loved one has experienced TBI, or even if a loved one has died due to TBI from a car accident, you may be able to get compensation with the help of a St. Louis car accident lawyer.

Your auto accident attorney in St. Louis can explain your options and help you get the money you need to compensate you for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost income, and much more. Discuss the details of your case with an experienced attorney ASAP.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) following a car accident can change your life profoundly and forever. While rehabilitation is possible, many TBI victims will have to face new challenges that will affect the way they live their life.

Because the impact of a traumatic brain injury can be so severe, a personal injury claim must account for all the ways the condition will alter a person’s life. A team of doctors will be able to assess the effects of a TBI on a patient and an experienced St. Louis auto accident attorney can help a victim receive proper compensation. 

The Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries

The effects of a TBI can be long-lasting or even permanent. Depending on the severity of the injury, TBI can cause permanent physical or even mental disability. Even the patients who appear to recover from the injury may still face some challenges and experience life-long symptoms.

As a result, tasks that were once routine, such as putting on clothes, brushing one’s teeth or driving to work may become a challenge or even impossible to perform. 

A TBI can also affect a patient’s personal life and lead to several cognitive impairments. For example, a TBI victim may have a difficult time remembering family members’ names or placing an order at a restaurant. 

A traumatic brain injury can affect a person on different levels – physical, cognitive, behavioral, sensorial, and so on.

Here are some of the effects TBI victims can experience: 

Physical Effects

• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Chronic pain
• Paralysis
• Loss of control of bowel and bladder functions
• Seizures

Cognitive Effects

• Difficulty focusing
• Memory problems
• Slurred speech
• Difficulty processing information
• Confusion
• Repetitive gestures or usage of words
• Difficulty with language processing
• Problems with planning or abstract thinking

Behavioral Effects

• Fluctuating emotions
• Aggression
• Depression
• Lack of awareness
• Lack of motivation
• Irritability
• Impulsivity

Sensory Effects

• Loss of smell
• Bad taste in the mouth
• Decreased or loss of hearing
• Partial or total loss of vision
• Blurred vision
• Difficulty judging distance
• Difficulty perceiving temperature.

Why Speak With an Auto Accident Lawyer?

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car accident, then you need someone by your side who will protect your rights and fight for fair compensation. 

A traumatic brain injury can affect all aspects of your life and proper compensation should account for all the damage. We’re talking here about medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. 

An experienced auto accident lawyer who worked on TBI cases before will know what to expect from such a diagnosis and how to negotiate with the insurance company to get you the full amount of compensation you are entitled to. 

A TBI requires complex investigations to assess the full extent of the damage. Recovery is often long, painful, and costly. And, the impact of such an injury can have on a person’s life is often devastating. Reach out to an experienced lawyer to get justice.