Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

Traumatic brain injuries are complicated. It is damage the brain sustains due to external force or penetration by a projectile. TBI is classified based on the severity, anatomical features of the injury and the causing force (closed or penetrating head injury).

A closed head injury is blunt force trauma - a penetrating or open head injury occurs when an object pierces the skull, breaches the dura matter and the outermost membrane surrounding the brain.

In addition, head injuries are classified as either mild, moderate or severe and this is most commonly determined though the administration of the Glasgow Coma Scale which ascertains a person's level of consciousness from 3 to 15. Those who score 8 or lower are suffering from the most severe TBI, a score of 9 to 12 is moderate and 13 and above indicates the mildest incidence of traumatic brain injuries.

It is important to begin treatment for TBI within what is dubbed 'the golden hour' following the injury. Those who suffer from mild to acute TBI will most likely be transported to a hospital and placed in an intensive care unit followed by a longer stay at neurosurgical ward.

The actual course of treatment, however, depends on which stage the patient manifests. It is most important, though, for the doctor to stabilize the patient's condition to prevent further deterioration. Frankly, there is not much that can be done to reverse the initial damage caused by the trauma.

Finally, a large portion of those who die by TBI from an auto accident do not do so immediately but after lingering in hospitals for days and weeks after the accident due to a complex set of conditions that set in moments and even days later.

Continue reading "Head injury from an accident can be deadly" »

Spinal injuries and paralysis as well as brain injuries are not an unlikely result of vehicle collisions and rollovers.

However, other reasons for spinal injuries in a car include seatbelt failures, roof collapse, and seat collapse. Spinal cord injuries are usually either complete or incomplete.

A complete spinal cord injury reflects a victim's inability to function below the level of the injury. There are currently no cures for complete paralysis and those who suffer from this will never recover. Victims who suffer from incomplete spinal injuries will often make full recoveries.

A variety of other back injuries can result from auto accidents as well including whiplash and lumbar sprains. Symptoms of spinal cord injuries may experience a number of symptoms including pain, numbness or loss of muscle control. In addition, one may suffer sexual dysfunction, muscle spasms and infections.

Traumatic brain injuries are caused by the sudden occurrence of physical damage to the brain. They are categorized as either closed head or penetrating brain injuries. Closed head injuries are often the result of a person's head colliding with another object whereas the latter will result when an object pierce's a person's brain.

Automobile accidents are the leading cause of brain injury in all age categories. Statistics place the number of brain injuries due to vehicle collisions at 2 million annually. There have been medical advances to treat these problems but avoiding head injuries is the obvious best idea.

This is your regular reminder to drive defensively - the life you save may be your own.

Continue reading "Spine injury from auto accidents" »

A Houston woman was involved in a car wreck but did not go to the hospital the day of the wreck has died from a closed head injury.

On February 15th, the 50-year-old woman was struck from behind on the South Loop in Houston. Officers investigated the Houston auto accident and both drivers reported no injury and exchanged insurance information with each other.

The next day after the automobile accident, the woman went to Memorial Herman Hospital with a headache where she remained until the time of her death. The Harris County Medical examiner found the cause of death as complications from blunt force trauma.

This sad tale is one that Houston personal injury lawyers see frequently, a victim of a car crash who at the scene do not believe that they are hurt only to learn later on that they have serious injury.

While most times if there is any chance of a head injury, paramedics will insist the victim is checked out at the emergency room. Some times the person who has been in the car crash is in shock and does not realize they are hurt and sometimes the injury manifests itself for the first time in the days following the car wreck.

Texans typically are very self sufficient and many try to "tough it out" when they have serious injuries. I see serious spinal cord injury from a car accidents all the time when a person reported they were ok at the scene of the automobile crash.

If you are involved in a auto accident and even think you may have been hurt- recall this sad story to remind yourself to be safe, if you have any doubt and get checked. Also understand that just because you have been released from the emergency room does not mean you are ok.

If you have residual problems or if the symptoms get worse or don't go away, follow up with your doctor, as many people do not learn the seriousness of the injury until more specialized testing is ordered later on.

Continue reading "Houston woman dies from head injuries from car accident" »