Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Traumatic brain injury occurs when a person suffers a sudden, violent blow to the head which causes some degree of brain injury or damage. There are many ways in which workplace accidents can cause a person to suffer a traumatic head injury at work These include falling from rooftops and ladders, as well as job-related motor vehicle accidents. According to an article in the March 2010 issue of Risk Management magazine,
"More than half of all work fatalities result from transportation accidents and falls, many of which involve head trauma. The number of nonfatal brain work injuries cannot be reliably estimated, however, because brain injuries are often poorly documented or mild enough to be shrugged off by the injured person."
In the case of a fall, the violent blow can occur when a person hits the workplace floor or his/her head strikes a solid piece of machinery. In the case of driving a motor vehicle at work – including cars, trucks, delivery vans and other commercial vehicles – that violent blow can occur when a person's head hits a solid object on the inside or outside of the vehicle. Car, van and truck defects can also aggravate injuries that already occurred.
Traumatic brain injury can cause a broad range of medical problems including loss of memory, mood swings, aggressiveness and headaches. Symptoms that may be immediately diagnosed after an accident include: loss of consciousness, bleeding, swelling and/or bruising of the brain (which may not be visible), coma and seizures, among other things. Traumatic brain injury can also be more subtle, with symptoms not surfacing for many months or years after the accident.
Closed Head Injury/Concussion
A closed head injury is most commonly known as a concussion. Concussions occur when a violent blow to the head causes the brain to forcefully hit the inside wall of the skull. Such injuries are not unusual in motor vehicle-related accidents.
Concussions can vary in severity from mild to critical, and can have both short- and long-term repercussions. Symptoms of a concussion from a car accident can be immediate or may not appear for some time after the initial trauma. In serious cases, bleeding and swelling of the brain can occur. Even a mild concussion can result in subtle brain damage.
Brain damage in a closed head injury can have physical, cognitive, and psychological repercussions. The physical characteristics of a closed head injury can occur immediately following the initial accident or can worsen in the period following the accident. Physical repercussions of a closed head injury can include: headaches, paralysis, coordination difficulty, weakness, sensory problems, nausea and difficulty sleeping.
Sources: Mayo Clinic; Brain Injury Association of America; Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center; Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Network; Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center; BrainLine.org (funded by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center through WETA public broadcasting; Rick Management magazine, a publication of thje Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS).
Information on this page is not intended as a substitute for a medical evaluation by a qualified provider or consult with an experienced North Carolina Workers' Compensation attorney.
