Blunt force trauma is an injury caused by impact that does not penetrate the skin. It can result from incidents as minor as bumping your head against a wall or as severe as being physically assaulted or involved in a serious car crash. According to the National Institutes of Health, blunt force trauma is the leading cause of death in motor vehicle collisions.
Head trauma of this nature can cause severe and lasting brain damage. Even if it isn’t fatal, the impact may still lead to permanent cognitive or physical impairments due to traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). The Brain Injury Association of America found that 2.8 million Americans suffer TBIs every year, with TreatNOW estimating that 14% come from car accidents.
Given how common these types of injuries are, it is essential to understand them more fully. This guide will explain the most important facts.
Key Takeaways
- Blunt force trauma is defined as non-penetrating trauma with a dull or non-sharp object.
- The most common causes of blunt force trauma are car accidents, falls, sports injuries, workplace accidents, and physical assault.
- All forms of blunt force trauma are hazardous to brain function, with even mild injuries resulting in long-term damage.
- Symptoms vary based on the severity of the injury, but the most common red flags are dizziness, balance problems, headaches, confusion, and memory loss.
- Diagnosis and evaluation of head injuries revolve around a combination of neurological examinations and imaging techniques, including CT and MRI scans.
- The best treatments are always customized to the needs of the patient and include a multi-disciplinary approach, including surgery, medications, physical rehabilitation, and psychological support.
- Accident victims have the legal right to seek compensation for their injuries from at-fault parties. The best way to handle insurance claims and personal injury lawsuits is to work with an experienced personal injury attorney immediately.
Understanding Blunt Force Trauma to the Head
Blunt force trauma occurs when a blunt object or surface strikes the head without breaking the skin. In car accidents, the rapid acceleration and deceleration caused by the impact result in drivers and passengers hitting anything from the dashboard to the seats in front of them.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 69,000 Americans die every year because of TBIs. With that in mind, let’s explore the basics of blunt force trauma.
Defining Blunt Force Trauma
Blunt force trauma is a physical injury caused by an impact from a non-sharp object or surface. It doesn’t break the skin, but despite not being as gruesome visually, it can still cause massive internal damage.
Some of the worst outcomes from blunt force trauma to the head include concussions, skull fractures, and internal bleeding. To put it into perspective, the National Institutes of Health found that one in three people diagnosed with a TBI experience permanent changes that alter how they deal with daily life.
Different Types of Blunt Force Trauma
Blunt force trauma isn’t a catch-all term for every type of injury. The mechanism of injury impacts how it manifests. The most common ones are acceleration-deceleration, shearing, compression, and crush injuries.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common types of blunt force trauma:
- Acceleration-Deceleration – These injuries are caused by the head moving suddenly and quickly, resulting in the brain colliding with the inside of your skull.
- Shearing – Shearing injuries are caused by the rotational forces inflicted upon the brain, resulting in various parts of the brain moving at different speeds. That’s what causes nerve fiber tearing and diffuse axonal injury.
- Compression – The head is compressed between two hard surfaces, resulting in internal bleeding and fractures.
- Crush – Crush injuries are caused by the head being subject to extended periods of pressure, resulting in bone and soft tissue damage.
Common Causes of Blunt Force Trauma
Blunt force trauma can be caused by practically anything that results in your head colliding with any dull, non-sharp object. Common examples include motor vehicle accidents, falls, high-impact sports injuries, and physical assaults.
According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, nearly 300,000 head injuries occur in high school students every year because of blunt force trauma gained from high-impact sports.
In short, blunt force trauma can occur in every aspect of life, whether you’re driving home, at the workplace, falling from a ladder while painting your house, or even being a victim of assault.
Recognizing Symptoms of Blunt Force Trauma
Symptoms of blunt force trauma often don’t arise immediately. In many cases, people are entirely unaware that they’re injured.
The Brain Injury Association of America conducted a survey and found that 81% of Americans don’t even recognize a concussion as a type of TBI. It’s this lack of knowledge that results in countless Americans ignoring symptoms and not getting the immediate medical attention needed.
Immediate Signs to Look For
Head injuries may display immediate symptoms that should be taken seriously. Headaches, dizziness, nausea, and balance issues are among the common symptoms you might notice straight away.
If you notice any of the following, there’s a strong likelihood you’ve got a brain injury:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
- Blurred vision
- Balance issues
- Coordination issues
Many of these symptoms may seem mild or easily dismissed, which is why so many don’t get the treatment they need, but early intervention is crucial for preserving your health.
Long-Term Symptoms and Effects
Delayed symptoms are remarkably common. Allow a traumatic injury to go untreated, and you may experience physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive changes that make tackling daily life challenging.
Let’s break these categories down:
- Physical – Chronic fatigue, headaches, and insomnia.
- Emotional/Behavioral – Anxiety, depression, irritability, and mood swings.
- Sensory – Light and noise sensitivity, blurred vision, and other visual disturbances.
- Cognitive – Trouble concentrating, slowed thinking, and memory loss.
All of these long-term effects are more common than you might think. They’re not a part of getting older. They’re a sign that you’ve actually suffered a form of brain damage.
Symptoms Specific to Different Age Groups
Children and older adults don’t have the same experience of head injuries. Age can change how symptoms present and how severe they are. It’s also why the prognosis for different age groups is so different. It’s why the CDC found that people aged 75 and older represent 28% of TBI-related deaths and 32% of hospitalizations.
According to the University of Utah Healthcare, children usually experience irritability, persistent crying, and changes in sleeping and feeding patterns. In extreme cases, they may also experience seizures.
In contrast, older adults tend to experience a marked cognitive decline and problems with their coordination, leading to an increased risk of falls and confusion. Plus, symptoms tend to develop more slowly than in younger age groups, which can increase the chances of missing out on vital medical attention.
How Blunt Force Trauma Affects the Brain
Blunt force trauma can impact the brain in different ways. The severity of the injury influences symptoms, but the primary indicator of the impact of a head injury comes from the mechanism of injury.
The Mechanism of Injury
All blunt trauma originates from an external force, leading to the brain moving inside the skull. However, the way the head is impacted will determine the selection of injuries you’re likely to receive.
Here’s a breakdown from Johns Hopkins Medicine of the different mechanisms:
- Coup-Contrecoup Injuries – A coup-contrecoup injury is when the brain hits the skull opposite to the side of the initial impact. This results in injuries at the site of impact and on the opposite side.
- Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) – A DAI is the acceleration-deceleration effect most common to auto accidents. The subsequent shearing forces damage your brain’s nerve fibers, resulting in catastrophic damage throughout the brain.
- Intracranial Hemorrhage – An intracranial hemorrhage is the mechanism that causes bleeding inside the skull. It damages brain tissue and can increase pressure inside the skull, resulting in a need for emergency surgery to save the person’s life.
Potential Brain Injuries Associated With Blunt Force Trauma
All brain injuries are serious because many forms of brain damage never repair themselves and lead to long-term impairments. Although concussions are the most common brain injuries, followed by contusions (brain bruises), other injuries also arise, including:
- Hematomas
- Skull fractures
- Persistent vegetative states
- Comas
Differences Between Mild and Severe Injuries
All brain injuries are serious, but there’s a grading system to determine severity. A mild traumatic brain injury can be recovered from with time, whereas a severe traumatic brain injury can cause lasting damage, leaving accident victims with permanent disabilities.
So, how are TBIs classified based on the Brain Injury Association of America’s scale?
Mild
- Loss of Consciousness – Under 30 minutes.
- Symptoms – Headaches, confusion, temporary memory loss, and dizziness.
- Imaging – The Brain appears normal.
Moderate
- Loss of Consciousness – Anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours.
- Symptoms – Significant cognitive impairment and prolonged confusion.
- Imaging – Potential abnormalities in the brain.
Severe
- Loss of Consciousness – More than 24 hours.
- Symptoms – Significant cognitive impairment and motor defects.
- Imaging – Evidence of brain injuries.
Diagnosis and Evaluation of Blunt Force Trauma
Medical professionals rely on defined processes and a range of diagnostic tools to determine whether someone has a brain injury. Diagnosing head injuries is a complex business, especially when accident victims don’t seek medical attention until much later, as many of the symptoms are also symptoms of other medical conditions.
Initial Assessment Procedures
The World Health Organization (WHO) endorses a system of gathering information about the incident and using the ABCDE approach to evaluate a suspected brain injury.
The ABCDE process looks like this:
- Airway – Clear and protect the airway.
- Breathing – Measure oxygen saturation and the patient’s respiratory rate.
- Circulation – Check blood pressure and heart rate while controlling visible bleeding.
- Disability – Use the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) to evaluate the neurological status of the patient.
- Exposure – Examine the patient to check for other injuries while keeping the patient warm.
Alongside the ABCDE framework, medical professionals will gather as much information as possible to understand the injury, like its mechanism, impact direction, and force.
Medical Imaging Techniques Used in Diagnosis
The most common imaging techniques to get a visual look at the brain and its structures are Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scans.
Typically, clinicians begin with a CT scan to check for swelling, fractures, and internal bleeding. MRIs can then be deployed for a more detailed look at the brain tissue. With an MRI, doctors can see any bruising, abnormalities, and diffuse axonal injuries that won’t appear on CT scans.
MRIs are more detailed when it comes to dealing with soft tissue injuries, but CTs are the first port of call because they’re a much faster option where every minute matters.
Neurological Examination Protocol
Once the patient is stable, clinicians can then conduct a neurological examination. The purpose of this test is to evaluate the patient’s physical and cognitive functions. Technically speaking, a neurological examination actually consists of a group of tests, including:
- Cranial Nerve Assessment – Measures vision, hearing, swallowing, and facial movements.
- Cognitive Assessment – Uses memory, attention, and orientation tests.
- Motor Function – A test for evaluating muscle tone, strength, and a person’s coordination.
- Reflex Testing – Identifies neurological problems by checking the pathological and deep tendon reflexes.
- Sensory Evaluation – Looks at how a patient responds to sensations like temperature, pain, and touch.
If a patient is in a coma, how a medical professional approaches the issue changes. Instead of the above tests, they’ll use pupil reactivity and painful stimuli instead, alongside regular monitoring.
Treatment Options for Blunt Force Trauma
Blunt force trauma is always serious. Doctors have a wide range of treatment options to choose from, including initial emergency interventions, followed by rehabilitation, supportive therapies, and long-term treatment plans.
Prompt medical attention increases the chance that victims will make a full recovery. This is why road safety experts always recommend heading to your nearest emergency room after an accident, even if you feel fine.
Emergency Medical Interventions
Emergency medical interventions focus on saving the person’s life by addressing any life-threatening injuries initially. The goal is to stabilize the person and control any bleeding before implementing further recovery strategies.
Examples may include repairing internal injuries and fractures, preventing further damage, and extensive pain management. Severe injuries may result in patients being transferred to trauma centers for specialized care.
Rehabilitation and Recovery Strategies
With the patient stable, rehabilitation will consist of recovery strategies that are tailored to the person’s needs. Initiating rehabilitation as soon as possible improves recovery outcomes before the damage crystallizes and solidifies.
Types of therapies include physical therapy to help restore a person’s movement and strength, combined with speech and language therapy to overcome any difficulties communicating and swallowing.
As patients gradually recover their abilities, they’ll work on cognitive rehabilitation to improve attention, memory, and problem-solving skills, alongside occupational therapy to help them regain the skills needed in day-to-day life.
The timeline for these therapies depends entirely on the patient’s unique recovery timeline.
Supportive Therapies and Long-Term Care
The harsh reality is that many patients never fully recover. Long-term care is often required to restore as much quality of life to accident victims as possible, like basic eating or nursing habits. According to the CDC, 55% of people who have a moderate or severe TBI are still unable to return to work two years after the injury.
Again, the therapies used will depend on the patient themselves. Psychological support is normal because of behavioral and emotional changes. Additionally, social services and vocal rehabilitation are often coordinated to reintegrate patients back into the community and help them return to work.
Unfortunately, severe cases may also mean patients are forced into long-term care facilities, where services can be tailored to their needs.
Preventing Blunt Force Trauma to the Head
The best way to address blunt force trauma is to prevent it from happening in the first place. That’s why organizations across society are addressing the most common causes of blunt force head trauma by introducing additional safety measures and education campaigns to mitigate the risk.
Safety Measures in Everyday Life
Everyone has the ability to reduce the risk of head injuries. Often, it simply requires a moment of awareness, thoughtful decision-making, and practical safety measures.
For example, if you’re riding in a vehicle, always wear a seat belt and use age-appropriate seating for young children. It also means using equipment safely in the workplace and ensuring that children are protected in environments, like playgrounds, where the risk is higher.
Additionally, families can do more to protect seniors who are at greater risk of falls that could lead to head injuries. Actions might include removing trip hazards like loose rugs and installing grab bars in bathrooms.
Protective Gear for Sports and Activities
High-impact sports are responsible for an array of head injuries. It’s why more sports are mandating state-of-the-art safety equipment, such as the NFL recently introducing Guardian Caps as an option for reducing head injuries.
While some young athletes may resist wearing protective gear because of style concerns or peer pressure, using sport-specific safety equipment like mouth guards, neck worn devices, and helmets is essential for preventing serious injuries.
Legal Considerations Surrounding Blunt Force Trauma Cases
Blunt force trauma to the head leads to long-term medical, financial, and emotional challenges. Nobody can turn back the clock, but someone else’s negligence shouldn’t leave you out of pocket.
When negligence is at play, it’s time to get the fair settlement to cover your long-term care needs. Sadly, many accident victims are left to suffer because they don’t understand the legal system or how the claims process works.
Here’s everything you must know about the legal side of getting a settlement for a blunt force head injury.
Understanding Liability in Accidents
Liability means proving that another party was negligent. It means showing that they had a duty of care, that they breached it, and that there’s a direct link between what they did or didn’t do and your measurable losses.
It’s a legal principle that applies not just to motor vehicle accidents but to all forms of injury cases, including workplace accidents, assaults, and slip and fall incidents.
Compensation Claims and What to Expect
What you can expect from your compensation claim is the opportunity to receive compensation for all your economic and non-economic losses. The former pertains to the straightforward dollar calculations from lost wages and medical bills, whereas the latter focuses on the emotional impact of your accident.
An experienced car accident attorney ensures that you receive every dollar you’re entitled to by exploring every avenue of compensation, including:
- Medical costs
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Future lost earnings capacity
- Future medical bills
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
In cases where gross negligence and malicious harm are at play, you could also receive punitive damages. These damages are distinct in that they’re designed to punish the defendant, rather than compensate the victim.
Seeking Legal Help: When to Consult a Lawyer
Working with an experienced personal injury lawyer always makes sense because of what they do for you. Simply put, Nolo found that those with legal representation received up to four times more in settlement monies than those who tried to claim by themselves.
You should always contact a lawyer if:
- You have severe injuries.
- Liability has been disputed.
- The insurance company has denied your claim.
- You’ve received a low-ball settlement.
- There are multiple parties in play.
- You’re looking at filing a lawsuit in court.
Lawyers manage everything from investigating your case and gathering evidence to dealing with insurers deploying bad-faith tactics to get you to accept less than what your case is worth. More importantly, they give you peace of mind and space to focus on the healing process.
Navigating Insurance Claims for Head Trauma
Auto insurers will do everything in their power to delay, devalue, and deny your claim. The three D’s are all designed to protect their bottom lines, which is why so many accident victims are left out of pocket.
So, how can you smooth the process?
- Review your insurance policies and understand your coverage, including policy limits.
- Never consent to a recorded statement with an insurance adjuster.
- Don’t say anything that could be construed as admitting even partial fault.
- Document absolutely everything, regardless of how insignificant it might seem.
- Familiarize yourself with the insurer’s claim process.
- Never accept the first settlement offer.
Even if you do everything right, it’s standard practice for insurers to try to minimize your injuries and dispute liability. That’s where a personal injury attorney displays their worth because they’ll pressure and hound them to ensure they don’t wriggle out of their obligations.
The Latest Research and Developments in Blunt Force Trauma
Blunt force trauma tears apart countless families every year. With head injuries being so common, enormous amounts of funding go toward advancing recovery techniques for head trauma patients.
Here are just some of the advances in treatment and rehabilitation improving the lives of patients across the country.
Advanced Diagnostic Frameworks
The GCS scale has always been the traditional framework for assessing brain injury severity, but this is now changing. A new framework, known as CBI-M, is being tested and rolled out to provide a more comprehensive method of assessing physical trauma to the head.
It uses GCS integrated with other factors, including blood biomarkers, medical imaging, and social health determinants, to offer a more multi-directional approach that better reflects the nuances of brain injuries.
Next-Generation Therapies
- Stem Cell Therapy – Stem cells are among the most exciting innovations in the medical world, and they’re also being tested for healing brain injuries, such as repairing damaged tissues, which was previously impossible.
- Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) – HBOT involves breathing pure oxygen within a controlled, pressurized environment. The Academy for Multidisciplinary Neurotraumatology already reports positive results in reducing brain swelling.
- Virtual Reality (VR) Therapy – VR therapy offers immersive environments where patients can practice physical and cognitive actions, which can help improve balance and coordination in a safe space.
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) – TMS is a non-invasive alternative to surgery that can stimulate targeted areas of the brain using magnetic pulses. If successful, it could accelerate recovery and reduce symptoms simultaneously.
- Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) – CRT is an emerging treatment addressing cognitive defects by using structured exercises. By targeting specific skills, like memory and attention, patients can use CRT alongside traditional rehabilitation programs to help reintegrate into daily life.
Conclusion: Empowering Victims Through Knowledge and Support
Brain injuries caused by blunt force trauma to the head are among the most catastrophic injuries that car accident victims can sustain. Sadly, they’re all too common, and the impact on both victims and families is enormous.
At DJC Law, we specialize in supporting victims of negligence with various injuries, including blunt cardiac injury, and help them get the compensation they deserve. We boast a 99% case success rate and over $400 million in settlements won. Begin holding negligent parties to account by scheduling a free consultation with us today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Blunt Force Trauma to the Head
What should I do immediately after a head injury?
Even if you don’t have any symptoms or they feel minor, head to your nearest emergency room for a medical examination. Many severe brain injury symptoms don’t show symptoms until much later, when they worsen.
How can I distinguish between a mild and serious injury?
Mild injuries may display symptoms like a headache, some dizziness, and confusion. On the other hand, severe injuries include prolonged confusion, problems with balance, and even extended periods of unconsciousness, including random fainting spells.
What are the most effective treatments currently available?
Effective treatments depend on the severity of the injury. Generally, rest and relaxation are the best treatment for mild injuries, combined with regular monitoring. However, more severe injuries may require surgical intervention and a comprehensive rehabilitation program. Typically, the best treatments are customized to the patient’s needs.
