Closed Head Injury – Open Head Trauma – Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Traumatic brain injury is a serious medical condition that often causes a variety of complications and requires long-term therapy and rehabilitation. In many cases, a brain injury is the result of car accidents, such as head-on collisions and rollovers. According to government statistics, more than one fourth of Americans have been involved in a car accident over the course of the last five years. Many car accident victims sustain injuries ranging from minor cuts and bruises to paralysis and lethal head injuries. In fact, approximately 400,000 people die in the United States every year as a result of motor vehicle accidents.
Medical professionals categorize all head injuries sustained as a result of car accidents in two major groups – open head injuries and closed head injuries. The first type of trauma, open head injury, is often incurred when passengers are thrown out of their vehicles during car crashes. In addition, the head can be severely injured if the car occupants are thrown against the dashboard or against other interior parts of their vehicles. Open head injury is extremely dangerous because parts of the broken skull can penetrate the highly sensitive brain tissue, causing irreversible damage. In addition, the exposed brain tissue is highly susceptible to bacterial and viral infections. One of the more common brain infections is meningitis, a disease affecting the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal column. If not discovered and treated promptly, this condition can lead to permanent brain damage, paralysis and even death.
Closed head injury is another type of head trauma people often sustain during motor vehicle accidents. This type of injury is especially dangerous because the damage is not always apparent, causing victims to delay seeking medical assistance. As a result, brain damage is sometimes discovered days or weeks after the traumatic event when the victim develops such troublesome symptoms as memory loss, trouble speaking, seizures and loss of consciousness. Early discovery and treatment of a closed head injury is crucial as the head trauma sometimes causes blood and fluid buildup within the skull. Because the skull has not been perforated, the fluids have no place to escape. As a result, the pressure inside the skull (intracranial pressure) increases, restricting blood and oxygen flow, which in turn destroys the highly sensitive brain cells.
Increased intracranial pressure and brain hemorrhage are extremely perilous complications of head injury that often lead to lethal consequences. Sadly, in many cases these medical tragedies are set off by negligent drivers who cause motor vehicle accidents by driving while intoxicated, operating unsafe vehicles or simply not paying attention to the road. To hold such drivers monetary liable for the physical, emotional and financial distress caused by their actions, victims sometimes file personal injury lawsuits that compel the negligent parties to provide rightful compensation. In cases whereby the victims have been killed as a result of driver negligence, victims' families can and should hold those responsible for their suffering financially liable through wrongful death litigation. It is important to consult an experienced wrongful death attorney as early as possible because many states have strict time limitations for filing this type of lawsuit.