Coup-Contrecoup Brain Injuries: How Is It Caused and What Are The Symptoms?

Often times insurance companies and their defense team will argue that it’s unlikely that a claimant suffered a brain injury because they did not hit their head on anything. The sad part of this is that the insurance adjuster and their defense team know of the concept of coup-contrecoup brain injury. These are closed-head brain injuries caused by the brain impacting the inside of the skull. They happen when the head rapidly moves in one direction and then whips back in opposite direction. These injuries are traumatic due to the impact and damage it can cause to two sides of the brain. Coup injuries occur when a direct impact strikes the head and causes injury to it, at the site of impact. Cerebral hemorrhaging, otherwise known as brain bruising, occurs in response to the impact.

A contrecoup injury occurs when the opposite side of the brain from where the impact took place is damaged. It is due to the brain traveling away from the initial impact and striking the skull on the opposite side. Contrecoup injuries also result in cerebral hemorrhaging on the opposite side of the impact. Contrecoup injuries can also occur without direct impact to the head. Sudden and forceful back and forth movement of the head, also referred to as whiplash, can cause contrecoup brain hemorrhaging. Due to a not hitting any object directly, many people do not consider the damage that whiplash / contrecoup injuries can cause.

Symptoms of Coup-countercoup Brain Injury

Coup and contrecoup injuries can occur at the same time or individually. Resulting injuries can cause additional complications such as brain bleeding, brain swelling, and disruption to cerebrospinal fluid. Damage to the frontal and temporal lobe of the brain are the most common areas of impact. They will be resulting in decision making problems, speech impairments, and language understanding issues. Depending on the specific site of injury, other injuries resulting from coup-contrecoup brain injuries could be impaired concentration, impaired memory, issues with swallowing, balance and coordination issues, muscle weakness, paralysis, and changes in sensory ability. These injuries often result in impairments that are irreversible and get worse over time.

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Causes

Coup-contrecoup brain injury can be caused by dangerous events such as automobile accidents, a violent attack against a person, a trip and fall incident, a plane crash, a train accident, and more. These events are violent enough to cause an object hit the head with enough force and cause the brain to bounce inside the skull, resulting in one- or double-sided brain hemorrhaging.

As with automobile accidents, trip-and-fall accidents can pose as a serious threat. Especially when the head can suffer severe damage when impacting the floor during a fall. When involved in any incident where the brain may have been directly or indirectly impacted or thrust in a violent manner, it’s very important to seek immediate medical attention and to be certain to mention to the health care provider whether there are any symptoms related to your brain being injured.

Side Effects

Coup-contrecoup brain injury can be very serious. We should treat them as soon as possible. Symptoms may be present at the time of injury. However, some do not manifest for days or even weeks following the injury. Side effects such as brain bleeding, brain swelling and problems with cerebral spinal fluid can lead to serious if not fatal injuries to the brain. If there is any reason to believe that any force or impact, directly or indirectly, was inflicted on the head during an incident, it’s important to get medical attention as soon as possible so that one can begin to understand the changes they may undergo. Our brain is who we are. If there is a damage to it, we will change forever into different versions of ourselves. One may look the same on the outside after a brain injury. However, on the inside, they are a different person.

Some patients make the mistake of not seeking medical attention. They will find themselves affected long term by side effects that they mistakenly did not relate to the accident. To ensure the upmost safety, one should seek immediate medical attention if they feel any of the following symptoms after an accident: loss of consciousness, disorientation, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, headaches, dizziness, foggy brain, inability to concentrate on tasks, inability to read at distances they could read at before, heightened irritability, sudden onset of or worsening of anxiety or depression, inability to control anger, loss of smell, loss of taste, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sounds, or inability to remember things.

Consult with a Personal Injury Lawyer about Brain Injury

Now that you know some details about coup-contrecoup brain injury, you may want to consult with a lawyer. A personal injury lawyer can help you in case you suspect you have sustained a brain injury.

For accidents that happened in and around Orange, California, call personal injury attorney Moses Yneges at The Accident Injury Law Center. Mr. Yneges and the legal team at TAILC will work thoroughly for you to study your case and earn you maximum compensation for the injuries you sustained. Call now for a free and private consultation.