What Is the Difference Between Brain Damage and Traumatic Brain Injury?

TBIs Can Result in Brain Damage

All TBIs can cause brain damage. While a mild TBI may only lead to temporary brain damage, a moderate or severe TBI can result in “bruising, torn tissues, bleeding, and other physical damage to the brain,” according to Mayo Clinic. This damage can be permanent and, in some cases, it might be fatal.

Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury

TBIs range in severity and can lead to other health complications depending on how much of the brain is affected by it and where it occurred. A TBI is classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Below are just a few of the symptoms you might experience depending on the degree of the TBI you suffered.

Mild TBIs

According to MedlinePlus, you may experience the following symptoms after suffering a mild TBI:

• Distorted vision
• Feeling faint
• Mood or behavioral swings
• Sudden confusion, struggles with concentration or thinking
• Loss of consciousness after the accident
• Headaches

These symptoms are typically short-term.

Moderate to Severe TBIs

If you suffered a moderate to severe TBI, you might experience the following symptoms:

• Slurred speech
• Unexplained vomiting
• Agitation
• Sudden confusion
• Nausea
• Inability to wake up from sleep
• Chronic headaches
• Poor coordination
• Tingling or weakness in the extremities

Symptoms of all types of TBIs can take hours, days, or even weeks to appear.

Types of TBIs and Brain Damage

The type of TBI can help you determine whether severe brain damage may occur. Below, we detail a few types of TBIs and whether they may lead to brain damage.

Concussion

Concussions are a mild type of TBI that affects the brain’s ability to function. While most concussions are temporary, symptoms can last for months or even longer when the injury is more severe. Most concussions are treatable with physical and mental rest, limited activity, and pain relievers such as Tylenol, according to the Mayo Clinic.

In some cases, a concussion may require additional types of treatment. Although concussions can interfere with a person’s ability to think clearly or process information, they generally don’t lead to permanent brain damage.

Contusions

A contusion happens when the brain becomes bruised or there is bleeding on the brain. According to Merck Manual, the brain can suffer damage both at the point of impact and on the opposite side of the head if the brain collides with the skull. A contusion can continue to grow over time, causing more of the brain to suffer damage.

If the contusion is large or results in brain swelling, the damage may be more severe.

Diffuse Axonal Injury

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, a diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is often severe. DAIs can occur in car crashes or any other incidents that can cause the brain to shake back and forth. A DAI may result in injury to “many different parts of the brain.”

A DAI victim might also go into a coma.

Hematoma

Different types of hematomas, or blood clots, can form in or around the brain if it sustains an injury in an accident. The classification of a hematoma depends on the location in the brain, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Hematomas can be serious or life-threatening and can lead to permanent damage.

How Traumatic Brain Injuries Are Treated

The type of TBI you suffer will determine the type of treatment that will be rendered. Some ways TBIs can be treated include:

• Medication
• Surgery to remove damaged brain tissue
• Rehabilitation therapies

You may be Entitled to Compensation for Your TBI

Brain damage from a traumatic brain injury can impact your entire life. If you suffered a TBI in an accident in New Hyde Park, NY, you might be entitled to recover compensation for:

• Medical bills, including emergency care, hospitalization, assistive devices, and ongoing care
• Lost wages
• Diminished earning capacity
• Pain and suffering

The costs associated with treating a brain injury are high. We will fight for the compensation you need to cover ongoing care. We know that you may be facing thousands of dollars in medical bills and no way to pay them.

We want you to focus on your care, not on how to afford legal help. That is why we handle injury cases on a contingency-fee-basis. You owe us nothing upfront and pay us nothing unless and until you recover compensation.

Call an Attorney on Our Team for Help Today

You may be able to hold another party financially liable for causing you to suffer injuries. If you were hit by a car, slipped and fell on public or private property, or suffered injuries in another type of accident, the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP can determine if another party is liable. Call us today for a free consultation at (866) 878-6774.