Brain and head injuries are among the most serious consequences of an auto accident. Coup and contrecoup injuries in Georgia are no exception.
A coup injury to the brain occurs on the place of impact with an object during an accident. A victim suffers a contrecoup injury when the side opposite the coup injury is also impacted.
Coup and contrecoup injuries are types of traumatic brain injury (TBI). They typically involve brain contusions. The impact to the skull from a moving or a fixed object bruises the brain. It might be part of your car or an object struck by a car in a crash like a road sign or a crash barrier.
When a moving object hits the stationary skull of a driver or a passenger, coup injuries may be diagnosed. During a coup injury, the head stops abruptly and the brain strikes the inside of the skull.
These injuries may also occur as a result of rapid deceleration associated with a car, truck, and motorcycle crashes. Shaken baby syndrome is a form of coup and contrecoup injury.
Contrecoup injuries are complicated and difficult to identify. Medical professionals often classify them as secondary injuries. When a doctor treats the initial trauma, a secondary injury may be missed. When the brain bounces off the inside of the skull, it can lead to bleeding and swelling, and other serious injuries.
Coup and countercoup injuries can cause long-lasting damage. The most serious types of injuries are Coup-Contrecoup injuries that affect both sides of the brain.
In this scenario, damage occurs to the side subject to the impact and the opposite side when the brain hits the skull. medical professionals often misdiagnose coup-contrecoup injuries. They may treat one area to the detriment of the other. Coup-contrecoup injuries can cause permanent brain damage.
What Are Potential Long-term Effects of Coup and Contrecoup Injuries?
These injuries can result in serious cognitive problems involving speech, decision-making, and language comprehension. The victim of this kind of traumatic brain injury can experience memory loss. He or she often reports difficulties concentrating, trouble swallowing, loss of balance and coordination, paralysis and muscle weakness.
The victim of a car accident may suffer contrecoup concussion. Concussions are also known as mild traumatic brain injuries but they can be life-threatening. Your brain fails to function normally after a concussion. You may suffer from a loss of vision, loss of balance, nausea, confusion, and unconsciousness.
What Are the Effects of Coup and Contrecoup Injuries on Victims?
Any kind of traumatic brain injury can have a terrible impact on the victim. People who suffer a TBI in a Georgia car accident often face massive medical bills and lost wages. Their condition may render them unable to work anymore and family relationships may suffer. In some cases, a TBI victim suffers major personality changes. People who suffer from brain injuries may face a lifetime of rehabilitation and dependency on other people.
If another person caused your traumatic brain injury, you may have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit. An experienced Georgia brain injury lawyer can advise you of your options. Please call us at (404) 913-1529.