A closed head injury is a common form of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Each year, 2.8 million Americans sustain a TBI, and 56,000 die from their injury. Currently, 5.3 million Americans live with a traumatic brain injury that prevents them from performing routine daily activities independently.
Many people with traumatic brain injuries face costly medical bills, lost wages, extensive rehabilitation, and disabilities associated with their injuries. You may be entitled to compensation if someone else caused your TBI in California. Seeking the advice of an experienced Sacramento closed head injury attorney is the first step towards pursuing justice for your losses.
The legal team at Demas Law Group has more than 25 years of experience in successfully representing TBI survivors in Northern California. Our lawyers are smart negotiators and tenacious litigators committed to protecting victims and holding responsible parties accountable for their negligence. Call us or contact us online today for a free consultation.
What Is a Closed Head Injury?
A closed head injury is the most common type of traumatic brain injury. It occurs when a blow to the head or sudden, violent force causes the brain to hit the skull. This can result in bruising, swelling, bleeding, damaged neurons, destroyed brain tissue, and catastrophic damage.
How Closed Head Injuries Happen
The most common cause of closed head injuries includes:
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Sports injuries
- Slip and falls
- Violence and assault
Diagnosis of Closed Head Injuries
Closed head injuries range widely in terms of severity. Not all head injuries present any visible symptoms at first. A mild traumatic brain injury may not appear on an imaging test right after an accident. That means a doctor may fail to recognize the injury until other symptoms manifest days and weeks later.
A severe brain injury is easier to detect and marked by extended loss of consciousness, signs of skull fractures and bleeding on CT scans, and other symptoms.
Common Symptoms of a Closed Head Injury
TBI symptoms may include:
- Severe headache
- Confusion
- Slurred speech
- Dizziness or loss of balance
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Light sensitivity
- Ringing in the ears
- Numbness or tingling in the fingers or toes
- Loss of consciousness
- Coma
Seek medical attention right away if you notice any of these symptoms in the days or weeks after an accident. Untreated head trauma can worsen over time and even lead to death.
Types of Closed Head Injuries
There are several types of closed head injuries, including:
Concussions
A concussion is a closed head injury with no internal bleeding. Concussions can range from mild to severe and are the most common type of traumatic brain injury.
A concussion temporarily affects brain function and may cause confusion or memory loss. Although a concussion is not life-threatening, a person needs to act with caution in the weeks following a minor head injury. Even a mild blow to the head in the same area as the initial injury can be deadly.
Contusions
Also referred to as a hematoma, a contusion is a bruise to the brain. Contusions are serious head injuries that require immediate medical attention. The severity of a contusion depends on where it occurs in the brain. Two consequences of a contusion make it potentially life-threatening:
- Blood loss: Blood carries oxygen, which brain cells need to survive. When the brain does not receive adequate blood flow, it does not receive oxygen. This causes brain cells to die and a serious brain injury if not treated promptly.
- Brain swelling: The brain has very little extra room in the skull. Pressure builds up quickly when it swells. This can cause blood to pool in the brain or between the brain and the skull. In many cases, brain swelling requires surgery to prevent a severe traumatic brain injury.
Diffuse Axonal Injury
Diffuse axonal injuries occur when the brain experiences a sharp twist inside the skull. The rotation can cause shearing (or tearing) of nerve fibers and cause widespread damage. People with diffuse axonal injuries can experience significant cognitive disruption and extensive disabilities.
Effects of Closed Head Injuries
People with mild closed head injuries may experience a full recovery after a few weeks or months. But a moderate to severe TBI can have lifelong consequences. Severe traumatic head injuries can cause long-term or permanent effects, such as:
- Motor coordination and movement problems
- Speech problems
- Hearing or vision loss
- Cognitive dysfunction
- Personality changes
Behavior and mood disorders - Neurological disorders (e.g., epilepsy)
- Paralysis
- Death
Victims of closed head injuries often require intensive rehabilitation, including physical, occupational, speech, and cognitive therapies. Many cannot work or return to their normal activities for an extended period. Sadly, some people never fully recover from a severe head injury and live with permanent impairments and disabilities.
How Our TBI Lawyers Can Help
A closed head injury can have a devastating impact on your physical, emotional, and financial health. If another person’s negligence or carelessness caused your TBI, you deserve justice. While no amount of money may undo the damage you suffered, compensation can ease the burden. You may be entitled to compensation for your past and future medical bills, lost income, lost earning potential, and other losses.
However, traumatic brain injury claims and lawsuits are complicated. Insurance adjusters often maintain that a victim’s cognitive dysfunction or behavioral disorders are unrelated to an accident. Alternately, they may disregard the need for future medical treatment by stating that a victim has reached their maximum possible recovery. To seek full compensation for your losses, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer who understands how to prove the long-term effects of a TBI.
Demas Law Group fights for TBI survivors to obtain the compensation they need to live happier, healthier, and fuller lives. With a quarter-century of legal experience and a reputation for excellence, you can count on our Sacramento personal injury law firm to push for maximum results in your case.
There’s no fee unless we win. Call us or contact us online for a free consultation with a Sacramento closed head injury attorney.
