12/01/2016
Every 90 seconds, someone in the UK is admitted to hospital with a brain injury; the effects of which can be short lived or life changing.
A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when the brain receives a blow or jolt. There are many ways of sustaining this type of injury, but they are often associated with road traffic accidents, assaults, falls and accidents at work.
Although initially caused by an external force, complications can develop as a result of a Traumatic Brain Injury, so the condition tends to be viewed as a chain of events:
- In the seconds after the accident: this includes closed, open or crush wounds. Closed injuries are the most common and don’t break the skin. They often occur as a result of rapid acceleration or deceleration, for example if a car is struck from behind. As the skull is jolted, the brain has to move with it which can cause nerve fibres to twist, stretch or tear. The front of the skull also has sharp bony ridges that the brain can bash against and arteries and veins within the brain can be damaged, causing blood to leak.
- Open or penetrating wounds can expose the brain to damage and are often associated with an acceleration type of injury, such as being hit with a sharp object like a motorcycle break lever or a pick axe. Although the accident may appear horrifying, if the injury is limited to a specific area, the outcome can be positive.
- Crush injuries happen when the head is caught between two hard objects, such as a car wheel and the road. Damage is often caused at the base of the skull and nerves of the brain stem, rather than the brain itself. Thankfully, this is the least common type of injury.
- The minutes and hours following a brain injury: this dependent on when medical intervention takes place. If the brain is starved of oxygen, it can make the damage caused by the injury worse. The ways in which this can happen include a person’s airways being restricted due to the way they are lying, blood blocking the airway or choking on vomit after an accident. Blood reaching the brain can also be reduced if a person sustains other injuries which cause serious blood loss.
- Any time after the first and second stage: in the days and weeks following the injury, further complications can arise as a result of bruising or swelling in the brain, bleeding or blood clots developing.
- As space in the skull is limited, any blood or other bodily fluids leaking into the area can be very dangerous as it causes the brain to swell. Complications occur because the soft, swollen brain presses against the hard internal walls of the skull, causing damage. Also, when the brain swells it can squeeze the blood vessels, limiting the brain's blood circulation, which can be fatal.
- If blood has leaked from damaged veins and arteries and pooled, clots can develop. These can press on the surrounding brain tissue which can damage it. They also raise pressure in the brain. Clots can form in the brain itself or in the space between the brain and the skull. Even after minor injuries, blood clots can develop which is why patients are often kept in hospital under observation until the risk of a clot forming is minimal.
If you’ve suffered a brain injury, it’s vital you seek medical attention immediately. What may appear to be just a bump to the head, could have serious consequences so ensure you get yourself checked out by a skilled medical professional.
Our personal injury specialists can help if you’ve sustained a brain injury in an accident that wasn’t your fault. Call us to find out if you’re entitled to make a claim.
Please note that this article is meant as general guidance and not intended as legal or professional advice. Updates to the law may have changed since this article was published.