The brain is a delicate organ. This is why it is encased in the shell of your skull. Although the skull provides protection against casual bumps and knocks on the head it is not a foolproof measure against all types of injury. A hard enough impact to your body or head can cause the brain to crash into the inner wall of the skull and result in a concussion. A concussion, or closed-head injury, is the most common type of brain injury and can be incurred from a car accident, sport accident, fall, or any significant blow to the head. This is also the type of injury sustained from Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Another way that your brain can be injured is through penetration. Falling debris or severe impact can result in a skull fracture. If your skull is penetrated and your brain is exposed or impaled, the resulting injuries can be more catastrophic or even deadly. If the skull is penetrated, the risk of infection and debilitating brain damage grows exponentially. Helmet laws for bikes and motorcycles and hard hats regulations on construction sites have greatly reduced the frequency of such accidents.

Both concussions and penetrating brain injuries are considered “traumatic brain injuries”. Another type of brain injury is an “acquired brain injury”. Acquired brain injuries are sustained when oxygen or blood flow is cut off from the brain resulting in cellular brain damage. Suffocation through strangulation, drowning or huffing will often result in this type of brain injury. When the body goes without oxygen for an extended period of time, parts of the brain die. While some brain injuries may heal, brain death does not.

Heart attack and stroke are also frequent causes in acquired brain injury resulting in a lost of motor control or slurred speech. Although this type of moderate injury can be treated to a point, this type of brain injury often results in longer-lasting effects that may be permanent.

Acquired brain injury can also be sustained through infectious disease, an extended period of high fever or hypothermia. Cerebral Palsy is a type of acquired brain injury affecting infants that have sustained a loss of blood or oxygen flow to the brain during pregnancy or birth.

In some cases, brain injury is the result of negligence. Whether you were struck by a drunk driver or fell down stairs that should have been equipped with a rail, there may be options for you to pursue. Attorneys specializing in brain injury cases can help you decide whether you have a case.

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