Tampa
Auto Accident Lawyer for Diffuse Axonal Injury
Auto accidents cause many injuries;
this is an obvious fact. But at first those injuries
are not always obvious. A primary example of a “hidden”
auto accident injury is a diffuse axonal injury. Diffuse
axonal injury is a brain injury that occurs on a cellular
level. More often than not, diffuse axonal injury is
invisible to an MRI or CAT scan, but just like any brain
injury, the symptoms of diffuse axonal injury are serious
and life-changing. If you have sustained a brain injury
during an auto accident or any other type of accident,
you should consult a Tampa personal
injury attorney as soon as possible.
Diffuse axonal injury, also called axonal
shearing, is an injury to brain cells. Inside the brain,
cells called neurons transmit signals back and forth.
In between each neuron is an axon. Axons are like wires
that carry signals from neuron to neuron. Measuring
only one micrometer in diameter, you could say axons
are the transmission lines of your entire nervous system.
A common example of diffuse axonal injury
is during a car accident. After a high-speed stop, the
head is thrown forward and back or side to side, causing
the brain to bounce inside the skull. As a result, individual
nerve cells (neurons) are torn and the axons between
neurons are damaged as well. This means neurons in the
brain can no longer communicate with each other.
Secondary damage is done when brain
chemicals (neurotransmitters) are released into the
space between the neurons. Many brain cells die because
of the toxic chemicals that have been released in a
diffuse axonal injury. This chemical damage usually
occurs in the first day or two after the initial head
trauma.
The tearing of nerve tissue, coupled
with the disruption of brain chemistry, can produce
extensive brain damage, coma, or death. In the best
scenarios, it takes months or years for a diffuse axonal
injury to heal. During the slow healing process, patients
frequently face prolonged medical care, medical bills,
and lost wages.
Clark and Martino, P.A., is a group
of Tampa personal injury attorneys with decades of experience
in brain injuries, including diffuse axonal injury.
For a free consultation with a Tampa
auto accident lawyer, please call us at 1-888-868-5615.
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