What Is a Diffuse Axonal Brain Injury?
Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a form of traumatic brain injury. Some sort of blunt force makes the brain move abruptly inside the skull and causes many life-changing injuries. In fact, diffuse axonal brain injuries are a leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults.
Accident victims who suffer a DAI are often left in a coma. At the least, the DAI injures many essential parts of the brain. The injuries are tiny, and hard for doctors to detect, even with today’s modern CT and MRI scans. These injuries affect the brain over a widespread area.
Moreover, DAI’s are one of the most devastating of all traumatic brain injuries. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 1.5 million cases of traumatic brain injury every year in the United States.
Have you or a loved one suffered a diffuse axonal brain injury? Healing and recovery from these accidents can take months, sometimes years. The emotional, mental, physical and financial costs of recovery are horrendous. Are you dealing with horrendous medical bills? And rightly scared for your family’s future?
Let Premier Law Group help!
Our expert Seattle personal injury attorneys have firsthand experience with the devastating impacts of diffuse axonal injuries. Many accident victims are left with long-term health problems, even with extensive rehab programs. This presents significant financial risks to your family’s health, well-being and future.
Call Premier Law Group today at 206.285.1743 for a Free Consultation! We can help you with all aspects of accident recovery.
How Do Diffuse Axonal Brain Injuries Happen?
Diffuse axonal brain injuries happen in many different ways. Some of the most common causes of these injuries are as follows:
- Car Accidents: When the head and upper body are thrashed back and forth with severe force
- Falls: Some examples are hitting your head due to slipping and falling on the ice, or falling down the stairs at home.
- Sports Accidents: Concussions and traumatic brain injuries happen in all sports, including: football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, track and field.
- Domestic Violence: Abusers have no boundaries; they punch and hit victims with blunt objects, and severely shake them, as with shaken baby syndrome.
All of these situations and many more cause diffuse axonal brain injuries. Suffice it to say there’s a blow to the head that shakes and shifts the brain inside the skull. The injury causes bodily functions and brain signals to be thrown out of balance. Diffuse axonal injury causes serious permanent disability and even death.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Diffuse axonal brain injury symptoms vary dependent on how much and which part of the brain has been injured. Some common symptoms after the injury are:
- Disorientation and Confusion
- Headache
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Extreme Drowsiness and Sleeping Longer Than Normal
- Inability to Sleep
- Dizziness and Loss of Balance
Unfortunately, however, the most common symptom of diffuse axonal brain injuries is loss of consciousness. This can last several hours or more, if the victim falls into a coma. Doctors will use every tool at their disposal to diagnose the full extent of the injury. This includes CT and MRI brain scans and other diagnostic tools. Much depends on when and if the victim regains consciousness.
Prognosis for Diffuse Axonal Brain Injuries
Diffuse axonal brain injuries always cause swelling of the brain. This makes diagnosis of the extent of the injuries very difficult. Swollen tissues in the brain do not allow CT scans and MRIs to show the full extent of the brain injury. Doctors rely on family members who know the victim to describe how the victim’s behaviors changed.
Statistically, 90% of accident victims who fall into comas never recover. Roughly 10 % of accident victims who wake up from a coma are severely impaired. Those who do not recover from coma fall into a persistent vegetative state. They lose their ability to regain their lives as they knew it before the accident.
Suffice it to say that diffuse axonal injuries are life-changing, for victims and their families.
Recovery Time
The recovery time for diffuse axonal brain injury victims depends entirely on the brain injuries victims have sustained. For example, victims with concussions typically recover in a few weeks’ time.
Unfortunately, however, accident victims who fall into a coma, it’s a very different situation. The diffuse axonal brain injury causes loss of control of bodily functions and speech. Sadly, these victims never recover their former life. They need constant care for the rest of their lives.
Treatment Options
The most common treatments for diffuse axonal brain injuries today are the following:
- Polyethylene Glycol: this is used to reduce the risk of toxic brain swelling
- Variety of Medications: usually steroid and anti-inflammatory medications known to reduce swelling, infection and inflammation
- Extensive Physical Therapy: The objective is to help victims relearn how to live their lives regain. Therapies used include: speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and recreational therapy.
- Bed rest and monitoring: For victims who fall into coma, it’s essential to reduce the swelling on the brain, and hopefully help the victim regain consciousness. Bed rest and constant monitoring help doctors manage the patient’s recovery.
Diffuse axonal brain injuries involve most of the brain. For this reason, there are no surgical remedies to help patients recover.
For Victims Who Wake Up After a Diffuse Axonal Brain Injury
Victims who wake up from a coma after a diffuse axonal brain injury need extensive therapy to recover brain function. Victims have to relearn small and large motor skills. This includes speaking, walking, swallowing, writing and critical thinking.
The most common treatment methods for victims who regain consciousness are:
- Therapy: including speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and recreational therapy.
- Anti-inflammatory and anti-swelling medications: to keep the brain in good condition.
- Adaptive equipment training: tools to help accident victims live life again, such as driving a car and using a coffee maker
- Counseling: to help victims work through the frustration and emotional trauma brought on by loss of brain function and motor skills.
These treatments are ongoing, until the doctor determines that the victim has fully recovered and the brain injury is healed.
Getting Help After Your Diffuse Axonal Brain Injury
Premier Law Group has firsthand experience, helping injury victims and their families recover from the challenges of brain injuries. We know the healing process for brain injuries takes months, or even years. The process takes a toll on all involved. This includes emotional, mental, physical, and financial costs associated with the victim’s recovery.
Why Choose Premier Law Group To Handle My Case?
The Premier Law Group Difference!
As your “difference maker,” you always work with YOUR ATTORNEY — not just a paralegal. We are available 24/7 to answer your questions, and help you build your case.
Our attorneys collect all the evidence from your diffuse axonal injury accident.
For example, your attorney will:
- First, collect Police Reports
- Second, secure Eye-witness Reports
- Thirdly, gather all records surrounding the accident
- Lastly, go to battle on your behalf against the insurance adjusters.
From this fact-finding, your attorney builds your case and files claims for compensation. In other words, we negotiate FOR YOU and your loved ones.
Don’t sign off on an insurance claim until you talk with us. Furthermore, you focus on healing, and let your lawyer collect evidence and handle the claim details.
Contact a Dedicated Seattle Diffuse Axonal Brain Accident Attorney!
Call Premier Law Group and get your FREE Consultation Today!
In conclusion, you always work directly with an attorney and we are available to you 24/7.
Call 206.285.1743 Today!