When we talk about head injuries and concussions, we are often talking about what is known as a closed head wound. As the name implies, this is a head injury that can result in a concussion or other traumatic brain injury (TBI) in which there is no laceration to the skin, and the patient is not externally bleeding. Internal bleeding is likely occurring, and that can result in serious damage.
As with any bleeding, it occurs when a blood vessel is injured or ruptured. The reason that head injuries bleed so much is because there are more blood vessels in the brain than any other part of your body. All of the blood vessels are needed to carry the large amount of blood that the brain will use. On average, around 20 percent of the blood in the body is pumped to the brain.
The blood vessels in the brain will also supply oxygen-rich blood to the other organs in your head, such as your eyes. It is also important to regulate the temperature in your head, and one of the ways in which this is done is when blood vessels release excess heat to lower your body temperature. Since there is a greater need to regulate pressure in your brain, there are more superficial blood vessels that can be ruptured when you are struck on the head.
While people will often use the term minor head injury as our Boston injury lawyers have seen in far too many cases, to victims, there is really no such thing as a minor head injury. Every head injury can have serious consequences for the victim, and those consequences can be wide-ranging and permanent. This is why there are often such high medical bills and rehabilitation costs associated with a head injury. These bills that you have already incurred and the costs you will spend in the future for rehabilitation and additional medical intervention can be calculated and made part of the damages award in a personal injury lawsuit.
While the defense might try to argue that the damages are speculative, your experienced personal injury attorney can employ the use of medical expert and health care cost expert when appropriate to prove what the bills will likely be, so your attorney can include them in a demand for damages.
These are not the only type of damages that can be demanded in a head injury case. Your attorney can also request damages for pain and suffering, lost wages, and other types of damages commonly referred to as specials. There can also be a claim for emotional distress damages in some personal injury cases, as you can discuss with your attorney.
If you have suffered personal injury in Massachusetts, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
Why do Head Injuries Bleed so Much?, November 17, 2016, Health Feed
More Blog Entries:
Eye Test as Means to Test for Concussion and Brain Injury, July 23, 2016, Boston Brain Injury Lawyer Blog