Open (Penetrating) Brain Injury

The majority of people who suffer brain injuries sustain what is known as a “closed” brain injury, in which the damage is not visible. Some brain injury victims, however, experience an “open” head injury, which is also known as a penetrating head injury. In an open head injury, an object actually penetrates the skin and the skull and enters the brain itself, causing direct damage to brain tissue. While open brain injuries are generally focused in one area of the brain, the damage can be extensive and a patient’s functioning in that part of the brain is often permanently impaired. In many situations, open brain injuries can be fatal.

Common Causes of Open or Penetrating Brain Injuries

Unlike closed brain injuries, an open head injury does not result from a simple bump on the head. Instead, some of the most common causes of open brain injuries include:

Bullet wounds or other high-velocity objects piercing the skull;
Stab wounds; and
Fractures of the skull in which a piece of bone breaks off and enters the brain tissue.

If an object enters the brain and then exits the brain on the other side, additional damage can be caused upon exit. This type of open injury is often referred to as a “through-and-through injury” and usually has the grimmest prognosis of all open brain injuries.

Treatment for Open Brain Injuries

Open brain injuries generally require emergency trauma care to stabilize the patient and immediate diagnostic tests to determine the extent of the damage. Any additional treatment will vary depending on the type of injury. For example, if an object such as a bullet remains lodged in the brain, a surgeon may have to go in and remove it. If pieces of skull are loose or fractured, a surgeon may remove pieces or repair the fracture to prevent any further damage. In many open brain injury cases, a patient may not survive, even with surgery. For example, approximately 91 percent of bullet wounds to the brain result in death. If an open brain injury victim survives, they will often suffer extreme challenges, including complete personality changes, changes in cognitive functioning, severe seizure disorders, and many other long-lasting effects.

Find Out How a Baltimore Brain Injury Lawyer at The Casper Firm Can Help You Recover

If you have sustained an open or penetrating head injury, chances are that you required extensive medical care including surgical procedures, hospitalization, and ongoing rehabilitative therapy involving many type of professionals. If your injury occurred due to the negligence of another party, that party should be held liable for all of your medical costs, lost wages and benefits, pain and suffering, and any permanent disabilities that you suffered. At The Casper Firm in Baltimore, an experienced brain injury attorney can assist you in recovering for all of your financial and intangible losses as a result of your open brain injury. We offer free consultations, so please do not hesitate to call today to learn more about how we can help in your case.