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 1-866-598-9111.