People in Oklahoma who have a brain injury will likely have one of two types. An acquired brain injury is an injury that occurs during birth. Common causes of this type of brain injury include tumors, electric shock, lightning strikes, stroke and anoxic or hypoxic brain injuries. People can also sustain a traumatic brain injury, which is a change in brain function that is caused by an external force.
The Centers for Disease and Control Injury Prevention Center reports that traumatic brain injuries cause a projected 37,000 hospitalizations and 2,685 fatalities per year. The top contributors to injuries include falls at 40.5 percent, motor vehicles at 14.3 percent, being struck by or against an object at 15 percent and assault at 10.7 percent. The causes of almost 19 percent of traumatic brain injury cases are unknown.
Various kinds of brain injury that are classified as an acquired brain injury include anoxic brain injury and hypoxic brain injury. Different types of traumatic brain injuries include Shaken Baby Syndrome, contusion, concussion, Locked in Syndrome, diffuse axonal injury, penetrating injury, open and closed head injury, coup-contre coup injury and Second Impact Syndrome.
In order to diagnose these injuries, patients typically have to undergo CT or MRI scans at the hospital. These tests are often very expensive. However, the use of a portable device can mitigate costs by determining if a patient’s brain injury justifies an MRI or CT scan. The portable device is also useful for ambulance services and in military and emergency situations.
A personal injury attorney may be able to assist clients who have sustained a brain injury due to the negligence of another person. Negligent individuals may be held financially liable for causing brain injuries that resulted in permanent disability.