Tennessee Brain Bleed Injury Lawyer

One of the most serious injuries that can occur in a car accident may be undetectable at first. Brain injuries, specifically bleeding on the brain, may cause no symptoms until weeks or months after the accident.

Brain bleed injuries, known as hematomas or brain hemorrhages, are potentially fatal and often require surgery. Some people may recover completely, while others may be left with lifelong disabilities following a hematoma.

If you or someone in your family has suffered a brain injury in a motor vehicle accident, you may be entitled to compensation that could help cover medical costs and loss of income. John R. Colvin has been helping personal injury victims in the Tennessee Valley for more than 15 years, working diligently to achieve favorable outcomes on their behalf.

Effects of Brain Bleeding

Brain bleed injuries are usually the result of a blow to the head, but they can also occur if the brain experiences a sudden forceful shift and hits the inside of the skull.

Hematomas are classified in three ways:

• Epidural: This term describes bleeding between the skull and the dura mater, the layer of tissue covering the brain. These injuries result in rapid bleeding and compression of the brain.
• Subdural: This is the most common brain bleed injury and involves bleeding between the brain and the dura mater. In cases where a subdural hematoma is relatively small, the brain may be able to reabsorb the excess blood without medical intervention. Subdural hematomas leak more slowly than epidural hematomas, and they may exist for years before causing any symptoms.
• Intracerebral: This term means bleeding is present within the brain tissue. Whereas surgery may alleviate epidural or subdural hematomas, it usually cannot restore function to a brain damaged by an intracerebral hematoma.

The degree to which hematomas affect the brain depends on many factors, including a person’s general health and age. Acute subdural hematomas – those that cause immediate symptoms such as loss of consciousness, severe headache, and nausea – are often fatal if the affected area is greater than 1 centimeter. About 20 to 30 percent of people will survive such an injury, but brain function may be impaired.

Sub-acute and chronic subdural hematomas are injuries that bleed slowly over time, producing symptoms long after the initial injury occurred. Elderly people are more prone to developing these injuries, especially if they’re taking anticoagulant medications, and symptoms may be easily misdiagnosed, because they closely resemble the effects of Parkinson’s Disease or Alzheimer’s Disease.

Some symptoms of sub-acute and chronic subdural hematoma are:

• Memory loss
• Cognitive dysfunction
• Difficulty walking or maintaining balance
• Slurred speech or the inability to speak
• Confusion
• Lethargy
• Visual disturbances.

When any such symptoms are present, it’s important to seek prompt medical treatment.

Treatment and Recovery

In cases of large or acute epidural or subdural hematomas, doctors work quickly to alleviate pressure on the brain, and that may entail surgical penetration of the skull or removal of a portion of the skull. Many people who undergo this type of surgery will experience seizures afterward, and doctors may recommend that a patient take anticonvulsant drugs for up to a year following surgery.

Pressure on the brain may result in permanent damage. Common consequences of hematoma include impaired motor function, memory loss, cognitive difficulties, and sensory loss. Specialized physical therapy may help lessen those problems, but when cognitive function or physical disability is extreme, families may have no choice but to place their injured relative in a long-term care facility that can provide round-the-clock support.

Getting Help

All brain injuries are complex, and even skilled neurosurgeons cannot predict the multitude of ways a hematoma can affect different patients. When hematomas are determined to be minor, posing no imminent threat, a patient will still need to undergo regular brain scans to ensure the injury doesn’t worsen over time. That means that even with a minor brain bleed injury, medical costs can accumulate quickly.

Following a car accident, the first thing on many people’s minds is going home and putting a frightening event behind them. But because a brain injury can occur without a blow to the head and without causing immediate symptoms, it’s important to seek a medical evaluation as soon as possible following a motor vehicle accident.

Getting medical help is the first step. The second step is getting legal help. John R. Colvin, Attorney at Law, has successfully represented car accident victims throughout Tennessee and Alabama who have needed help. For more than 20 years, he has been helping people with serious injuries, and he is ready to help you.

If a car crash caused a brain bleed injury in your family, find out what we can do for you. Contact us today for your no-obligation consultation by filling out our online form or calling us at (931) 962-1044.