Common Causes of Traumatic Brain Injury

Premises Liability Lawyer

There are two different types of brain injuries. A traumatic brain injury occurs because of force applied to the head. Injuries caused by trauma are different from those that occur because of an underlying medical condition. Brain injury caused by illnesses, defects, and other underlying medical issues are classified as acquired brain injuries. 

Traumatic brain injuries may be caused by a variety of circumstances. Most often, these injuries result from accidents or violence. Some of the most common causes of traumatic brain injury include:

1. Motor Vehicle Accidents

One of the most common causes of a traumatic brain injury is a motor vehicle accident. If the accident causes you to strike your head against something inside the car, or causes something from outside the car to smash through and hit your head, this could cause a TBI. However, the force of the collision can also cause your brain to move around within your skull, striking the sides. This could cause a concussion, which is a type of TBI.

2. Slip-and-Fall Accidents

It is very common for people to sustain TBIs after falling from a standing height after slipping or tripping while walking. As an experienced premises liability lawyer, including those at Hurt Stolz, can attest, many slip and fall accidents that cause injury are legally actionable. Just like injuries caused by car accidents and violence may result in grounds for a civil suit, so do injuries stemming from many different kinds of slip and fall accidents. 

People who fall may strike their head on an object, such as a piece of furniture, or the floor. A backward fall, such as may occur when slipping on a wet or icy surface, can result in a fracture at the base of the skull, which is the most serious type of skull fracture. However, a serious TBI can occur no matter where you hit your head from a fall. Whether these accidents occur due to ill-maintained property, being shoved, or a host of other causes, victims may have grounds for a legal case after sustaining such injuries.

3. Penetrating Injury

A penetrating TBI occurs when a foreign object is forced through the skull and enters the brain. Because the skin covering the skull does not remain intact, it is a type of open head injury, but there may also be open head injuries that do not penetrate the brain. A penetrating injury may happen by accident, or it may be intentional on the part of the injured party or someone else. An example of a penetrating injury is a gunshot wound to the head.

4. Severe Shaking

Another type of TBI that is usually inflicted on purpose is a shaking injury that causes tearing of the nerve tissue. While an injury of this sort can affect people of any age, very young children are more susceptible to TBI from shaking. 

Whether your brain injury was accidental or intentional, it may be possible to hold the person responsible for the harm you’ve suffered to account. Contact an experienced attorney today to explore your legal options.