Traumatic Brain Injuries in Colorado Car Accidents

Besides wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries may be the worst type of personal injury caused by a car accident that a victim can suffer.  These injuries can be painful, debilitating, and often permanent.  Most treatments are wait-and-see or medication based, while the most serious of cases resulting in brain surgery.  Traumatic brain injuries can impair your ability to remember, move your body, or process information.  While these injuries are most common in high-speed crashes, even low-speed collisions can cause traumatic brain injuries.  The worst part about traumatic brain injury cases is that they can be difficult to prove and may generate minimal evidence in imaging studies.

This is why victims of traumatic brain injuries caused by Colorado car accidents need to call the experienced Colorado Springs car accident lawyers at the Springs Law Group.  We understand how devastating these injuries are, and we know how to prove your damages to a jury or judge even if there is minimal evidence on imaging studies.  Call us today by dialing (719) 421-7141 for a FREE consultation.

What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is a very broad type of injury to the brain which causes dysfunction in the way the brain normally operates.  There is a multitude of injuries, causes, and damage that could be classified as a TBI—even including a severe concussion.  But the general principle is the same: the brain does not function the same way it used to function prior to the injury.

Why are Traumatic Brain Injuries Different?

Any injury to the brain could cause a TBI.  This is because the brain is different than other parts of the body.  Unlike a broken bone, you cannot just patch up the brain and expect it to heal the same way it once was.  And even if the physical brain does heal the same way, the brain controls so many intangible functions that are not always easily measured.  This includes cognitive ability, autonomic functions (breathing, blinking, etc.), and processing information.

For instance, a CT-scan may show an injury to the brain, but it will not show injuries to memory, reasoning, or language.  This is why you need experienced car accident counsel to help prove your case when there is nothing to simply point out to the jury.  These intangible injuries need to be proven by and through testimony at trial and by neurologists.  There is simply nothing to point out to an jury as the injury, which is why you need to prove the defects.

Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries in Colorado Car Accidents

There are generally two types of injuries that could cause a TBI from a car crash.  The first is a direct impact which causes physical damage to the brain, such as cutting, bleeding, crushing, or other damage.  This typically is an open head injury, or injury that results from a fractured skull.

The second cause is a TBI where there was no direct contact with the head.  This is known as a closed-head injury.  Even though there was no contact with the head, the brain is still sitting in cerebral spinal fluid and can slide into the walls of the skull causing injury.  A good example of this is a whiplash accident where there is an abrupt stop and the brain slides forward and hits the front of the skull.  The brain then whips backwards and hits the back of the skull.  This injury is very devastating and swelling or brain bleeds are a major concern because extra fluid in this closed system can cause brain damage very quickly.