WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES?

Most people in Virginia have some idea about the potentially devastating effects of an injury to the brain. These injuries can take many forms and be caused by a wide variety of experiences or instances. Certain sports like football, for example, have been making headlines quite often in recent years for the potential high level of concussion risk that players face. Even soccer is now coming under some scrutiny for this. Motor vehicle accidents continue to be events that can also be commonly associated with serious brain injuries. Not every brain injury is one that may result in a lifelong disability or reduction in functioning but many can.

As explained by Brainline, a traumatic brain injury may happen at the time of an initial trauma or it may develop later on. The former is referred to as a primary injury and the latter is referred to as a secondary injury. Some primary TBIs are characterized by bruising in the brain. These are some of the most common TBIs that occur in car crashes. Other injuries include the collection of blood inside the brain cavity due to the rupturing of blood vessels. Cerebral fluid may amass in the cranium after a skull fracture, causing pressure on the brain.

Some secondary TBIs are characterized by increased pressure on the brain due to edema in the cranial cavity. Others are caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain.

This information is not intended to provide legal advice but is instead meant to help residents in Virginia better understand traumatic brain injuries and the various forms they can take so that they can seek the right help for themselves or their loved ones who have experienced these injuries.