Damage from a traumatic brain injury is often permanent and far-reaching. It may affect not only your ability to move, communicate, and otherwise function, but it may also have long-lasting financial and emotional consequences for both you and your loved ones. If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury, it is important that you fully understand what type of brain injury you have, as well as how to treat it.
If you or a loved one has recently suffered a traumatic brain injury in Washington, D.C. or surrounding areas, contact our D.C. office today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced and compassionate attorney of Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis LLP. Our office accepts contingency cases, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we win your case.
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in D.C.?
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury caused by sudden trauma to the head, which disrupts the normal function of the brain. TBIs can be caused by the following:
- Car accidents
- Medical mistakes
- Workplace injuries
- Construction accidents
- Birth injuries
- Sporting accidents
- Child abuse
- Falling objects
Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury in D.C.
Symptoms of a TBI range in severity, depending on the extent of damage to the brain. Immediately following the accident, a person with a mild TBI may retain consciousness or may become unconscious for a brief period of time. Other symptoms of a mild TBI include:
- Headaches and neck pain
- Dizziness, light-headedness, or loss of balance
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty concentrating
- Ringing in the ears
- Fatigue or lethargy
- Difficulty sleeping or changes in sleep patterns
- Mood changes
- Slowness in thinking, speaking, or reading
Symptoms of a more severe TBI may include the above symptoms, as well as the following:
- Headaches that do not go away
- Vomiting or nausea
- Convulsions or seizures
- Dilation of pupils
- Weakness or numbness in extremities
- Severe sensitivity to lights or sounds
- Loss of coordination
When Should I See a D.C. Doctor for a TBI?
Injured children may display slightly different symptoms than those found in adults. You should consult a physician if your child has received a head injury and exhibits any of the following symptoms:
- Tiredness
- Refusal to eat
- Behavioral changes, such as changes in the way a child plays or in school performance
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Lack of interest in favorite toys or activities
- Loss of new skills, such as toilet training
- Vomiting
- Unsteady walking
What Are The Types Of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) And Head Trauma in Washington, D.C.?
Traumatic brain injuries can result from either a closed head injury or a penetrating head injury. A closed head injury occurs when an object suddenly hits the head but does not break through the skull. A penetrating head injury, on the other hand, results from an object piercing through the skull and entering the brain tissue. Brain injuries resulting from either instance can be focal brain injuries, where only one area of the brain is damaged, or they can be diffuse brain injuries, where multiple areas of the brain are damaged.
Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries in D.C.
Your brain controls every part of your body, so you may experience different TBI symptoms depending on which area of your brain is injured and how that injury occurred.
There are a number of more specific types of traumatic brain injuries, including:
- Penetrating Brain Injuries
- Concussions
- Contusions (bleeding of the brain tissue)
- Diffuse Anoxal Brain Injuries
- Recurrent Traumatic Brain Injuries(Second Impact Syndrome)
- Coup-Contre Coup Injuries
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Locked-In Syndrome
- Hypoxia and Anoxia
Penetrating Brain Injury
As mentioned above, penetrating brain injuries are those that result from an object actually piercing through the skull and entering the brain tissue. Oftentimes, such an injury results from the impact of a bullet, knife, or another sharp object. Objects traveling at lower rates of speed through the skull can actually cause more damage because the object may ricochet within the skull, increasing the area of the brain affected by the injury. Another injury that can cause extensive damage is referred to as a “through-and-through” injury, where an object enters and exits the skull. This injury may cause additional stretching and even rupturing of brain tissue. The most fatal form of a penetrating brain injury is bullet wounds, which have a ninety-one percent death rate.
Concussion
Concussions are the most common type of traumatic brain injury. A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury, can be caused by direct blows to the head, gunshot wounds to the body or sudden changes in momentum, such as from whiplash or forceful shaking of the head. Often, a person loses consciousness for a brief period of time, but this is not always the case. Concussions are usually found by using diagnostic imaging tests, such as CAT scans or MRI scans.
A mild traumatic brain injury like a concussion typically takes anywhere from a few months to a few years to heal. Concussions occasionally cause other more serious conditions, such as a blood clot in the brain or a diffuse axonal injury. For this reason, it is important to closely monitor an individual who has suffered from a concussion to ensure that they heal completely.
Contusion
A contusion is a bruise on the brain that results from a direct impact to the head. A large contusion can cause swelling and bleeding of the brain, which can result in more serious and sometimes deadly complications. Contusions often heal on their own, but a large contusion may require removal via brain surgery.
Coup-Countrecoup Brain Injury
A coup-contrecoup injury is a type of injury where there are two contusions – one that is located both at the site of the impact and one located on the opposite side of the brain. This type of injury results from a force so strong that it forces the brain to slam into the opposite side of the skull, causing an additional injury.
Diffuse Axonal Brain Injury
A diffuse axonal brain injury is caused by shaking or rotating the head. When the head is moved quickly and forcefully, the brain can move slower than the skull resulting in torn nerve tissue throughout the brain. This can result in damage to different sections of the brain, as well as the release of brain chemicals. The long-term effects of a diffuse axonal brain injury can include widespread brain damage, impairment of motor function, a coma, and sometimes even death.
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Shaken baby syndrome is a particular form of diffuse axonal brain injury that occurs when someone aggressively shakes a baby or young child. Shaking the child in such a forceful manner causes blood vessels between the brain and skull to rupture and bleed, which results in the compression of brain tissue. Because the child’s brain is still young, this can lead to damaged brain cells that may affect the child’s overall development.
Symptoms of shaken baby syndrome include seizures, irritability, changes in eating patterns, difficulty breathing, fatigue, dilated pupils, and vomiting. The long-term effects of shaken baby syndrome may include disability, seizures, comas, and death.
Recurrent Traumatic Brain Injury
Recurrent traumatic brain injury (also referred to as “second impact syndrome”) occurs when a person suffers from a second traumatic brain injury before the first injury has completely healed. Because of the danger of having two brain injuries at the same time, the second injury is likely to cause brain swelling and widespread damage throughout the brain.
Second impact syndrome can occur even after a mild traumatic brain injury like a concussion. Athletes are particularly at risk for multiple concussions, which can cause extensive injury especially if they go undiagnosed. The long-term damage resulting from a recurrent TBI includes muscle spasms, mood swings, hallucinations, difficulty concentrating and depression. In the most extreme cases, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and dementia can result.
Locked-In Syndrome
Locked-in syndrome is a neurological condition where a person is conscious and able to think, but completely unable to move any part of the body except the eyes. This condition is caused by damage to portions of the lower brain and brainstem, but without injury to the upper brain.
Locked-in syndrome is also caused by stroke, brain hemorrhage, medication overdose, damage to nerve cells and disease of the circulatory system, in addition to TBI. There is no cure for locked-in syndrome and victims of this condition rarely regain motor function. If this condition occurs, blinking and other eye movements can be used to communicate with others.
Preventing Traumatic Brain Injuries
The best way to reduce your risk of traumatic brain injuries is to take safety precautions in your daily life. Many traumatic brain injuries result from car accidents, so you should take safety measures when riding in a vehicle, such as:
- Wearing a seat belt at all times
- Ensuring that your child sits in a child safety seat (until the child weighs 40 pounds) or booster seat (until the child is 4’9” tall)
- Never driving while under the influence of alcohol
- Wearing a helmet when riding a bike, motorcycle, or another vehicle
Other ways of eliminating risks in everyday life include:
- Removing tripping hazards such as throw rugs or clutter in walkways
- Improving the lighting in your home
- Wearing a helmet when engaging in contact sports
- Installing window guards to keep young children from falling out of open windows
- Using safety gates to ensure that children do not fall down the stairs
Treating a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Traumatic brain injuries must be treated as soon as possible to avoid further damage. Immediately after the injury, medical personnel will treat the individual and stabilize the patient by ensuring that there is proper flow of oxygen to the brain, the blood flow is constant, and blood pressure is under control.
To diagnose a TBI, a physician will often use imaging tests, such as X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans, to check for bone fractures or spinal problems.
Rehabilitation for traumatic brain injuries may include:
- Physical therapy
- Psychological counseling
- Speech or language therapy
- Occupational therapy
Contact Our D.C. TBI Brain Injury Attorney Today
If you have suffered from a traumatic brain injury, it is important that you consult a physician to determine the nature and extent of the injury. Once you have learned about your injury, it is important that you determine the cause of your injury. If you think your injury may be due to the negligence of another, contact us to speak with a Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. personal injury lawyer at Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis LLP, to assist you in recovering compensation for your injury.
TREATMENT RESOURCES FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES
The following resources include information on how to treat traumatic brain injuries and how to alleviate the symptoms associated with the condition:
- TraumaticBrainInjury.com
- Brain Injury Association of America’s Treatment and Rehab Information
- State Offices Affiliated with the Brain Injury Association of America
- The Brain Trauma Foundation’s Homepage
- The Traumatic Brain Injury Survival Guide by Dr. Glen Johnson
- BrainandSpinalCord.Org ’s Rehabilitation and Treatment Webpage
If You Have Suffered A Traumatic Brain Injury Call A TBI Lawyer in D.C. Today!
If you have been injured in an accident that was due to the negligence of another, the accident may have long-lasting effects on your life and the lives of those around you. If you need assistance in your traumatic brain injury case, contact Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis LLP, to assist you in recovering compensation for your injury. Our brain injury lawyers are here to help you!
Koonz McKenney Johnson & Depaolis serve residents of Washington, D.C. including those living in Capitol Hill, Columbia Heights, Downtown District of Columbia, Foggy Bottom, Georgetown, and Mount Vernon.