One type of traumatic brain injury that may coexist with others in a patient is a contrecoup injury. Contrecoup is a French term used to describe a counterblow. This type of TBI has been found to play a role in visible abnormalities after head trauma. There are various manifestations involved in contrecoup brain injuries aside from the main one, contralateral intracerebral hemorrhage, which is generally utilized to identify this type of TBI in most cases. The key factors involved in these injuries are angular stress, rotational stress, deceleration forces, and acceleration forces. Contrecoup brain injuries and other traumatic injuries must be treated simultaneously for favorable outcomes in these cases.

If you suffered a coup injury or contrecoup injury in an accident, our legal team is here to help you seek maximum compensation for your damages. Learn more about how our team of skilled brain injury lawyers can help by dialing (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly case advice today.

At our personal injury law firm, we understand the challenges that TBI survivors may experience while trying to get their lives back on track after an accident. Since 1982, we have helped others in similar situations obtain the justice and financial compensation they deserve after a TBI, such as a contrecoup injury. The team of experienced and compassionate attorneys from AutoAccident.com are here to help you and your family with determination and commitment. Our lawyers are available anytime to discuss your contrecoup brain injury case in detail in a free consultation. Get started today and discuss your case with our skilled accident attorneys, learn about your rights, and get answers to your questions.

A coup injury occurs when an object in motion strikes a stationary head. A contrecoup injury, on the other hand, involves an individual’s head striking a stationary object. Evidence of contrecoup injuries and coup injuries is a contusion or an intracerebral hemorrhage.

Coup injuries and contrecoup injuries are generally found in a focal location on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans. The severity of the trauma at the site of the coup injury is generally lower than that of the contrecoup injury, given the involved mechanisms.

There are various theories behind the development of contrecoup injuries. One theory for this type of head trauma is the difference in the density of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and the brain. The mechanism of injury involves the brain moving away from the location of impact. The movement is described as going toward the opposite side of the skull from the impact. This causes a displacement of lower brain density in the opposite direction as the cerebrospinal fluid travels toward the area of impact in the skull.

The most common etiologies for contrecoup brain injuries are motor vehicle collisions and slip and fall accidents. Studies have found that intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 13 to 48 percent of the adult population with TBI.

Approximately 13 to 77 percent of these cases had contrecoup hemorrhages. Of these cases, it was found that most involved an impact to the temporal and occipital lobes. Contrecoup injuries in the pediatric population, specifically those under four, are rare. However, the frequency of pediatric contrecoup injury cases increases after that.

A thorough evaluation of the circumstances involved in the incident that caused the head trauma is necessary. A review of other key aspects in patient history is also useful for contrecoup injury cases. Findings of such injuries generally involve an impact opposite to the location of injury in the brain. However, it may be subtle and not always clearly identifiable.

The exact area of the contrecoup brain injury will provide the basis for neurological findings. In most cases, altered mental status is reported. However, specific findings are not always presentable in most frontal lobe lesion cases. There may also be findings of confusion, disorientation, hemiparesis, speech alterations, or seizures.

A thorough general trauma evaluation is required for all patients presenting with TBIs. Management should include advanced trauma life support (ATLS) and a comprehensive neurological exam. A CT scan of the head must be performed for the initial assessment of trauma. X-rays or computed tomography scans of the cervical spine are necessary for excluding associated cervical fractures. This is due to most cases reported as secondary to slip and fall accidents.

Treatment will be individualized and based on the severity of the contrecoup brain injury. In lesion cases where immediate surgical decompression is not required, close clinical monitoring followed by repeat computed tomography scans of the head at 12 or 24 hours is necessary. In patients with a GCS of 8 and decreased neurological status, intracranial pressure monitoring is indicated. Given these circumstances, treatment should be based on trauma guidelines.

Surgery may be necessary in some cases depending on the size and type of the contrecoup brain injury and neurological examination. An intervention may include drainage of a hematoma. However, it may be more extensive, such as decompressive hemicraniectomy or lobectomy. The guidelines should be followed for patients that require antiepileptic medications for seven days.

A TBI may cause many neurological deficits. Unfortunately, these may be permanent in some traumatic brain injury cases. The specific type of deficit will depend on the location of the brain impacted by the trauma. If medical treatment is not sought immediately and performed properly, the patient with the contrecoup brain injury may have complications. These may lead to coma or even death in some cases.

Time is of the essence for a personal injury case in California. That is because the actions taken in the days, weeks, and months following the incident may either assist or adversely impact a bodily injury claim. It is essential to take these steps, among others, to protect your rights as an injured party:

• Medical Treatment: If you suffered head trauma in an accident, it is crucial to seek medical treatment immediately, even if you experience minor symptoms. Failure to get treated immediately may not only be problematic for your health but also cause challenges in the personal injury claims process. The insurance company and defense counsel may dispute a TBI and say it is unrelated to the incident because of the lack of medical treatment and records to support the claim.
• Contact a Brain Injury Lawyer: It is crucial to connect with an experienced injury attorney for assistance following a crash. Your contrecoup brain injury lawyer will get to work on your case by protecting your rights and best interests. Insurance companies are not typically known as easy to deal with, but your attorney will communicate and negotiate with these entities on your behalf.
• Statute of Limitations: Unfortunately, injured parties may not realize that they have a limited amount of time to bring a personal injury case. California generally allows injured parties two years to file a lawsuit in court, according to CCP 335.1. Those suffering from a TBI, such as a contrecoup injury, may easily miss the deadline, having spent weeks or even months in hospitalization and rehabilitation. That is why it is recommended to work with an attorney who can ensure all deadlines are met.

Your contrecoup brain injury lawyer can help you and your family in various ways, including hiring expert witnesses and collecting evidence supporting your case. Most importantly, a skilled and compassionate accident attorney will be by your side throughout the process and handle all aspects of your case from start to finish. This will leave you free to focus on recovering. Learn how our legal team at AutoAccident.com can help you with your TBI case by watching this video.

Our law firm handles personal injury cases based on contingency. You do not have to pay upfront to work with our legal team. Instead, attorney’s fees will be taken from the verdict or settlement we obtain on your behalf. If our brain injury lawyers do not obtain a favorable outcome in your case on your behalf, you owe us nothing for the services we have provided.

At our personal injury law firm, we believe that TBI survivors should be heard and compensated for what they have gone through after an accident. Our legal team has the experience, skills, and resources to obtain the financial recovery our clients deserve and have a history of successful verdicts and settlements to prove it. If you suffered a contrecoup brain injury in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, call us at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice on your head trauma case.

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