Traumatic Brain Injuries Treatment
It isn’t unusual for an individual to need to be hospitalized after they are involved in a car accident. However, certain crash injuries can be more severe than other types of trauma. For people who suffer traumatic brain injuries in vehicle accidents, their injury could possibly be a life-threatening emergency. Head injuries are very common and can easily be caused by the force of an accident. Even in accidents where the head doesn’t receive any direct impacts, sudden and violent head motions can cause a brain injury. Furthermore, studies suggest that traumatic brain injuries are even more common than many people realize.
According to data published by researchers at the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons:
- Around three-quarters of reported traumatic brain injuries are suffered by men.
- In the United States, most brain injuries are sustained during car accidents.
- The second most common cause of brain injuries in people under the age of 20 is sports and/or recreational activities.
- Traumatic brain injuries cause tens of thousands of fatalities annually. Most of these fatalities occur within two hours of the time the injury first took place.
These statistics show just how important it is to treat traumatic brain injuries right away. Treatment within the first couple of hours can be a matter of life and death.
Traumatic Brain Injury Mechanisms
There are many different ways that brain injuries can happen. The way that a brain injury takes place is called a “mechanism.” Mechanisms are important because they can determine what part of the brain the injury affects. Some frequent brain injury mechanisms include:
- The impact of a vehicle occupant’s head with the dashboard or steering wheel.
- Hitting the back of the skull on a curb or stair after falling down.
- Striking a person or object head-on while playing a sport like soccer or football.
Being aware of these mechanisms is important. If any of these things happen, you shouldn’t wait for symptoms to begin treatment. In many cases, such as with brain bleeds, delaying treatment and waiting for symptoms to arrive can be a fatal mistake.
Emergent Treatment: Initial Steps
If you think someone may have sustained a traumatic brain injury, that person should go to a hospital immediately. At the hospital, staff will conduct the following procedures depending on the injury:
- An emergency CT scan in order to find possible skull fractures or brain bleeds.
- Beginning a supply of supplemental oxygen in order to prevent further brain damage.
- Giving the patient mannitol or steroids to avoid swelling and minimize intracranial pressure.
- Putting the patient on an IV drip and/or antibiotics in order to combat infection and dehydration.
After the CT scan is completed, the injured individual will be at a pivotal moment. At this point, it may be necessary for hospital staff to contact a neurosurgeon in order to give the patient emergent surgery. If doctors do not believe the injury requires emergency surgical care, treatment of the injury will continue.
Getting Help From an Experienced Brain Injury Lawyer
After suffering a traumatic brain injury, people can find themselves hospitalized for a long period of time. This is liable to place their family in a stressful situation. Families are often unsure of how they will be able to afford the care that their loved one needs. Finances should never stand in the way of a person and their recovery. For this reason, it is important to know that injured people can often pay for their losses by filing personal injury claims.
Filing an injury claim can help people pay for hospital bills as well as lost income, household services, and other expenses. The best way to learn about how these claims work is to speak personally with a trusted Chico brain injury lawyer. A lawyer who has experience handling claims like yours will be able to tell you what your options for recovery are. For a bit more information about injury claims, see the below video:
More Articles from Ed Smith, Chico Brain Injury Attorney
- Chico Woman Loses Life in Wyoming Crash
- How Can a Chico Personal Injury Lawyer Help?
- One Injured During Chico Car Accident
Chico Brain Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Chico brain injury lawyer. If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury, get in touch with me at my local number, (530) 392-9400, so I can provide you with some free, friendly legal advice. You can reach me at (800) 404-5400 as well.
I’m proud to have been helping Chico residents with serious injury cases for over 37 years. Take a look at the settlements and verdicts my previous clients have obtained and read reviews of the work I’ve done at:
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Photo: “brain model” by Jesse Orrico through unsplash
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