Can You Get a Traumatic Brain Injury From a Slip and Fall Accident?
A traumatic brain injury is one of the many injuries that are possible in a slip and fall accident. While sprains, strains, and broken bones are more common among slip and fall accidents, traumatic brain injuries represent one of the most severe injuries that are common with these accidents.
If you or someone you love have suffered a traumatic brain injury in a fall, a discussion with a Los Angeles slip and fall lawyer could be in your best interest. With the guidance of the right legal counsel, you could recover monetary compensation related to a traumatic brain injury.
How slip and fall accidents cause brain injuries
Head injuries are common following a slip and fall. Many people lose their balance and are unable to control the manner in which they hit the ground. This is especially true in cases where a person slips and falls backward. In these accidents, it is common for the back of a person’s head to strike the ground.
Brain injuries can also occur in a slip and fall accident even in cases where a person’s head does not strike the ground. The impact of the body hitting the ground can jolt the brain with enough force to cause damage. In some cases, the brain can strike the side of the skull in a fall.
No matter how these injuries occur, an accident that results from the negligence of the property owner can result in a viable claim for compensation. With the guidance of skilled slip and fall lawyers, you could recover the monetary award you deserve.
Types of traumatic brain injuries
There are five general categories of traumatic brain injuries. Each of these conditions is severe, but they occur under very different circumstances. If you have questions about how a type of traumatic brain injury could impact your legal claim, speak with a slip & fall attorney right away.
- Concussions. Concussions are the most common form of traumatic brain injury. These injuries occur when a sudden impact causes the brain to shift and move within the skull. When the impact causes the brain to vibrate hard enough, it can cause damage to the brain.
- Contusions. Brain contusions are more commonly known as brain bruises. While bruises on the skin are not typically serious, brain bruises can be life-threatening. Ultimately, these injuries occur when damage below the surface of the brain causes bleeding. If it goes untreated, a brain contusion can be fatal.
- Penetrating brain injuries. Not every brain injury results from blunt force trauma. In some cases, a foreign object will penetrate the skull and the brain as well. These injuries often occur with construction accidents, vehicle collisions, and gunshot wounds.
- Diffuse Axonal Injuries. A diffuse axonal injury, or DAI, is essentially a severe form of concussion. Like with a concussion, these injuries result from the violent shaking of the brain. A DAI differs due to the vibration of the brain causing tearing in the nerves that connect the brain to the spine.
- Coup-contrecoup injuries. Coup-contrecoup injuries are effectively two brain injuries in one. These injuries involve a sudden impact to the skull damaging one side of the brain. The impact then causes the brain to accelerate across the skull, striking it on the opposite side. The end result is two injuries on opposite sides of the brain.
Discuss your brain injury claim with an attorney
The cost of treating a brain injury following a slip and fall accident can be extensive. If you fell due to the negligence of another person, you could pursue a legal claim for monetary damages. Let a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer from Ellis Injury Law assist you with your claim. Schedule your free consultation right away.