Many head injury victims are shocked when the doctor tells them that their skulls have been broken. While the image of a skull fracture conjures up a traumatic scene, the truth is that nearly 70 percent of skull fractures are linear fractures that require only time and rest to heal.
However, there are more serious fractures that require surgical intervention, have extended healing times, and may even have a permanent effect on the victim. For instance:
- Depressed skull fractures. Over 10 percent of all severe head injuries will involve a fracture that displaced the skull inward, placing increased pressure on the brain. This pressure may cause a brain bleed (hemorrhage), or crush the delicate tissues of the brain. Most of these injuries require surgery to lift the bone fragments off of the brain.
- Diastatic skull fractures. This injury involves a break along the suture lines of the skull and is commonly seen in children. This type of fracture may cause the bones to fuse irregularly as the child grows, and may result in altered development.
- Basilar skull fractures. This involves a break in the bone at the base of the skull. While relatively rare, these skull fractures are among the most serious of head injuries. Victims will often show bruising around the eyes or have clear spinal fluid draining from their nose or ears after the break.
- Compound fractures. Compound fractures are any breaks that involve the outside environment making contact with the brain cavity. These are particularly dangerous because of the risk of infection to the patient. If the patient suffers a meningeal tear, has bone fragments protruding from the break or has suffered contamination of the wound, the brain tissue may become infected at put the patient at risk of mental impairment.
When someone in your family is seriously injured, you are probably not thinking about the cost it will take to help him heal. Unfortunately, many victims find that the time between injury and bill collection is disturbingly short, leaving them helpless as their loved one recovers.
If someone in your family has suffered a serious head injury, the Louisville brain injury attorneys at Gray and White can get you the funds you need for his medical treatment. We won’t charge you anything unless we win your case. Call us today at 800.634.8767 or fill out the contact form on the top of this page to start your FREE case evaluation.