Brain injuries are often debilitating and leave victims and their families with substantial medical bills, limited abilities, and emotional distress. Although the outcome of sustaining a brain injury is often similar across cases, the ways that brain injuries occur vary widely. There are two types of brain injuries, and their differences lie in the way that the injury happened.
In general, brain injuries are classified as either traumatic or acquired. Acquired brain injuries can also be described as non-traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries can technically both be described as “acquired” because they occur after a person is born and are not caused by a birth injury or any genetic factors. However, the term “acquired brain injury” can be used interchangeably for “non-traumatic brain injury.”
Differentiating between a traumatic brain injury and an acquired brain injury requires a determination of the injury cause. Both types of brain injuries can result in similar symptoms and require similar treatment, but result from two very different causes.
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
A brain injury is classified as traumatic if the cause of the injury can be traced to some sort of accident. In these cases the brain has sustained “trauma” caused by the force of a collision, fall, or similar impact. Traumatic brain injuries are caused by external factors such as these that result in the head hitting an object or the brain moving inside the skull.
A traumatic brain injury can be caused by:
What is an Acquired Brain Injury?
The main difference between traumatic brain injuries and acquired brain injuries is that traumatic brain injuries are caused by external factors, while acquired brain injuries result from internal factors. This involvement of internal factors is why this type of brain injury can also be described as non-traumatic — there are no external factors or “traumas” involved.
Acquired brain injuries may result from other injuries or health complications, such as heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, cancer and tumors, or diseases. In most cases, acquired brain injuries happen when the brain is not receiving enough oxygen. The underlying cause of the lack of oxygen can vary.
If you or a loved one has sustained a brain injury caused by another person’s negligence, contact Christian & Christian today. We can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
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