Open vs. Closed Head Injuries

A head injury is any injury to your skull, scalp, or brain. These injuries can range from a mild bruise to a traumatic brain injury. Similarly, treatment of head injuries varies greatly depending on the cause and its severity.

If untreated, head injuries can cause severe health complications. Recovering from a head injury can involve substantial expenses, including medication, long-term care, surgery, and rehabilitation.

Fortunately, you may be entitled to compensation if you suffered a head injury due to someone else’s negligence. Consider speaking to a trusted personal injury attorney at The Barnes Firm for assistance filing a claim or to have any questions regarding your accident answered.

Symptoms of Head Injuries

Symptoms of head injuries depend on the location of the injury on the brain and the extent of the damage to brain tissue. Some symptoms of traumatic brain injuries appear immediately after the accident, with others occurring days or weeks later.

If you’ve sustained a mild traumatic brain injury, you’ll likely experience the following symptoms:

• Headaches
• Fatigue and drowsiness
• Difficulties with speech
• Loss of balance and dizziness
• Vomiting or Nausea
• Sensitivity to sound or light
• Sensory issues such as blurred vision or changes in the ability to smell
• A state of being dazed, disoriented, or confused
• Concentration or memory problems
• Mood swings or mood changes
• Loss of consciousness for a few seconds or minutes

Here are the symptoms of people who sustain moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries:

Victims of moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries can encounter all symptoms of a mild TBI and any signs that appear hours or days after the injury.

• Seizures and convulsions
• Persistent nausea or vomiting
• Loss of consciousness ranging from several minutes to hours
• Clear fluid draining from the ears or nose
• Dilation of one or both pupils of the eye
• Persistent headache or a worsening headache
• Numbness or weakness in the toes or fingers
• Loss of coordination
• Speaking unclearly
• Intense confusion
• Unusual behavior, agitation, or combativeness

Open vs. Closed Head Injuries

A head injury is either open or closed.

A closed type is any injury that doesn’t break your head. An open(penetrating) injury hurts your scalp, with part of the skull entering your brain.

It is hard to assess the severity of a head injury by simply looking at it. Some minor head injuries cause severe bleeding, while some significant injuries don’t bleed at all. As such, seeing a medical health provider for prompt treatment and assessment can save your life.

A head injury can occur due to blows to the head or shaking. Many adults suffer head injuries from a blow to the head that occurs due to:

• Falls
• Motorcycle accidents

Types of Closed Head Injuries

Concussion

A blow to the head can cause a concussion. It may also occur due to violent head or upper body shaking. Sudden acceleration and deceleration due to an incident such as a car crash can also cause brain injury.

Immediate symptoms of concussion include headache, nausea, blurry vision, ringing in the ear, and drowsiness. Victims of traumas may experience other symptoms for days after the injury, such as:

• Sleep disturbances
• Irritability
• Disorders of smell and taste
• Psychological problems and depression
• Concentration and memory issues

Contusion

Brain contusion, also called cerebral contusion, is the bruising of brain tissue. They are scattered bleeds on the brain’s surface where blood escapes blood vessels and pools in the affected area.

A brain contusion can happen anywhere in the brain but mainly at the base of the front portion. Victims of brain contusions experience mild, moderate, or severe symptoms. It may also be life-threatening in other instances.

Symptoms of brain contusions include:

• Changes in thinking
• Trouble speaking
• Inability to concentrate
• Dilated Pupils
• Localized numbness

Diffuse Axonal Injury

Diffuse Axonal Injury(DAI) occurs when the head experiences shaking or strong rotation due to physical forces like a car crash. The injury occurs because the unmoving brain lags inconsistent with the skull movement, causing the nerves to tear.

A torn nerve disrupts the brain’s regular communication and chemical processes. Victims of DAI experience temporary or permanent brain damage, coma, or death.

Intracranial Hematoma

Intracranial Hematoma is an injury that causes blood collection within the skull. It often occurs when a blood vessel bursts within the brain. It can occur due to the trauma associated with a fall or a car accident.

Consequently, blood may collect underneath the skull or in the brain tissue, pressing the brain. As more blood fills the skull and narrows the space between the brain and the outer bone, victims encounter signs and symptoms such as:

• Seizures
• Lethargy
• Unconsciousness

Types of Open Head Injuries

Penetrating or open head injuries occur when the skull breaks due to a force, for example, a blunt object from a car accident that pierces the brain.

Examples of open head injuries include:

Scalp Wound

A scalp wound or laceration involves a pattern of injury where a blunt force causes a tear in the skin and underlying tissues. A wound in the scalp differs from other parts of the face or body because of the differences in anatomy and blood supply.

If improperly treated, a scalp wound can trigger complications such as:

• Excessive bleeding, which can cause hemorrhage shock
• Wound infection
• Scarring

Skull Fracture

A skull fracture occurs in case of a break in the skull bone. A skull fracture is common after a forceful impact of a vehicle accident, fall, or sports injury. Some skull fractures are mild and heal on their own, while others require surgery to repair the skull and prevent potential complications in the brain.

Signs of skull fracture vary based on the type of fracture and location:

• Swelling, lump, or bump on your head
• Redness or darkness on the injured part
• Leaking fluid(clear) from the nose and ears
• Blood drains from your nose, ear, or a wound at the site of the open fracture
• Bruising around the injury

Types of Skull Fractures

• Linear Skull Fracture: A linear fracture occurs when external force breaks the skull bone but doesn’t move it. The most typical skull fracture occurs in the bone towards the top of your head but above the ears.
• Diastatic Fracture: A fracture occurs along the suture lines of the skull. When a diastatic fracture occurs, standard suture lines widen.
• Depressed Skull Fracture: It is a type of fracture visible with or without a cut in the scalp. A depressed fracture pushes a part of the bone closer to the brain. A depressed skull fracture can involve multiple fragments and cracks.
• Basal Fracture: A basal fracture occurs at the floor of the skull. It mainly appears around the eyes, ears, nose, or at the top of the neck, adjacent to the spine.

Causes of Brain Injuries

Brain injuries occur because of a blow or traumatic force to the head or body. The extent of a brain injury depends on several factors, including the force of impact and the nature of the physical harm.

The everyday events that cause brain injuries include the following:

• Slip and Fall Accidents: A brain injury is one of the most common injuries resulting from a  slip and fall accident. During a slip-and-fall accident, your head may strike a table, floor, furniture, or any other hard object during the fall.
• Car accidents: Car accidents are a leading cause of brain injuries because passengers and drivers might be subjected to hard blows, jolts, and bumps to the head. There are multiple types of brain injuries related to car accidents, including concussions, contusions, and diffuse axonal injuries.
• Sports Events: Participants in sporting events like baseball, hockey, boxing, skateboarding, and other high-impact or extreme sports are at a high risk of brain injuries. For instance, a sport-related concussion is a result of a direct blow to the head, face, neck, or any other body part, resulting in substantial force transmitted to the head.
• Explosive Blasts: Explosive blasts are a common cause of traumatic brain injuries for military personnel. Experts believe pressure from explosives that passes through a victim’s head significantly disrupts brain function.
• Debris: It is possible to develop a traumatic brain injury because of penetrating wounds caused by sharp debris and collision with objects following a blast.

Can You Die From a Head Injury Years Later?

While it’s rare for someone to die directly from a head injury years after the incident, the long-term effects can increase the risk of certain health complications. Traumatic brain injuries, for example, can lead to cognitive decline, seizures, and even neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. These conditions can ultimately increase the risk of mortality.

It’s imperative to seek medical attention immediately after any head injury, no matter how minor it may seem. A proper diagnosis and timely treatment can help prevent long-term complications and ensure a better outcome. If you start to notice complications developing over time, make sure you seek medical treatment for those as soon as possible.

The Long-Term Impact of Brain Injuries

Mild and traumatic brain injuries can cause varying levels of complications. If you have a mild brain injury and fail to adhere to the treatment plan, you’re at risk of second-impact syndrome, a life-threatening condition that causes sudden swelling, leading to displacement of brain tissue.

Here is the long-term impact of brain injuries:

Communication Problems

Communication and language difficulties are common with victims of traumatic brain injuries. The resulting problems trigger frustration, conflict, and misunderstanding for victims of brain injuries, including their family members, caregivers, and friends.

Common communication difficulties include:

• Difficulty writing or speaking
• Trouble following or participating in conversations
• Inability to organize ideas or thoughts
• Difficulty comprehending non-verbal signs

Seizures

Some victims of traumatic brain injuries develop seizures in the early stages or years after the injury. Recurrent seizures are also termed post-traumatic epilepsy. 

Headaches

Frequent headaches are common with victims of brain injuries. They often begin within a week after the accident and could persist for several months.

Infections

Penetrating wounds and skull fractures can cause a cut in the meninges(protective tissue), which surrounds the brain. The opening can enable bacteria to access the brain and cause infections.

An infection of the meninges can spread to the rest of the nervous system if untreated.

Coma

A brain injury can cause a coma, where the victim is unconscious, unaware of the surroundings, and unable to respond to any stimuli. Coma occurs due to widespread damage to all parts of the brain.

However, a victim may emerge from a coma after a few weeks or days.

Brain Death

Brain death occurs when no measurable activity exists in the brain and the brain stem and is an irreversible state. If a healthcare provider removes breathing devices from a person considered brain dead, they often suffer heart failure.

Intellectual Problems

Many victims of severe brain injury experience changes in their cognitive(thinking) skills. As a result, they experience difficulties focusing or take longer to process their thoughts. Victims of brain injuries find it challenging to execute functions such as organization, decision-making, multitasking, or completing tasks.

They also experience memory, judgment, reasoning, learning, concentration, or attention difficulties.

If you sustained a traumatic brain injury, you’ll likely endure hefty medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and emotional anguish. You, therefore, deserve representation by an experienced attorney who’ll aggressively fight to protect your interest.

The Barnes Firm is a team of legal professionals who represent victims of head injuries. We know symptoms do not always arise immediately, and we are ready to assess your rights.

Discover Your Options From an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney

If you were involved in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence and suffered a traumatic brain injury, you may endure a reduced quality of life.

As such, consider engaging an experienced attorney from The Barnes Firm to help you get the compensation you deserve after an accident.

Contact us online or call us at (800) 800-0000 for a free case evaluation.

Richard Barnes – President of The Barnes Firm

Richard Barnes: “As President of The Barnes Firm, I have dedicated my career to achieving justice in hundreds of cases for the victims of injuries caused through the fault of others. Additionally, I have been honored to have been elected Best Lawyer and a Super Lawyer”

Years of Experience: 30+ years
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