The most common types of brain injuries in Chattanooga include traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) caused by sudden trauma to the head, often from car accidents on I-24 or Highway 27, falls on construction sites, or collisions in busy intersections like Shallowford Road and Gunbarrel Road.
These impacts can result in a fractured skull or torn brain tissue, leading to long-term complications. Other brain injuries may stem from a loss of oxygen or restricted blood flow, such as during near-drowning incidents on the Tennessee River or medical emergencies at one of our local hospitals.
While these types of brain injuries can be life-altering and overwhelming, you do not have to face their aftermath alone. If your injury was caused by another person’s negligence, whether a reckless driver, unsafe workplace, or negligent property owner, the team at Gary Massey Injury Lawyers is here to help.
Our firm proudly serves clients across Chattanooga, Red Bank, East Brainerd, and Hixson, working tirelessly to hold responsible parties accountable and secure the medical care and compensation you deserve.
Injury Categorization
An individual’s brain injury will be categorized differently by medical professionals depending on how the injury came about and whether it was immediate or developed slowly over time. It is important for an individual to understand what type of injury they have sustained so that they can seek the right treatment and adjust their lives accordingly. The particular damages a plaintiff will recover for will also differ depending on the nuances of their condition, so it may be important to thoroughly examine one’s injury to determine how it could affect their ability to receive compensation.
Primary and Secondary Brain Injuries
When a person experiences a blow, jolt, or penetration to the head, the brain can sustain both primary and secondary injuries, each with its own set of complications and risks.
Primary brain injuries occur at the exact moment of impact. They’re the direct result of trauma, such as the brain striking the inside of the skull during a vehicle collision on I-75 or I-24, a fall from scaffolding, or a sports-related accident at one of Chattanooga’s high schools or recreation fields. These injuries often involve contusions (bruising of brain tissue), skull fractures, lacerations, or hemorrhaging. The damage is immediate and often visible on imaging scans like CTs or MRIs performed shortly after the incident.
Secondary brain injuries, by contrast, develop gradually in the hours, days, or even weeks after the initial trauma. They are not caused by the initial impact itself, but rather by the body’s physiological responses to that trauma. These may include swelling of the brain (cerebral edema), restricted blood flow, oxygen deprivation (hypoxia), or increased intracranial pressure. Secondary injuries can significantly worsen a person’s condition, often requiring intensive care and continuous neurological monitoring at local healthcare facilities.
Both types of injuries can lead to lasting cognitive, emotional, and physical challenges that affect every part of a person’s life. At Gary Massey Injury Lawyers, we work with medical experts and rehabilitation specialists across Chattanooga to ensure clients suffering from primary or secondary brain injuries receive comprehensive documentation, care, and the compensation they need to recover and rebuild their lives.
Anoxic and Hypoxic Brain Injuries
There are two types of brain injuries: anoxic brain injuries and hypoxic brain injuries.
Anoxic Brain Injuries
An anoxic brain injury occurs when the brain has lost oxygen completely, usually due to a complete cut off of blood flow to one’s brain. Often, an anoxic brain injury is the result of a surgery where a patient’s blood pressure dropped too low or their heart rate was not monitored well enough.
These injuries occur when the heart stops and an individual goes into respiratory arrest or has a heart attack. When someone goes into shock, they have severely low blood pressure, which could affect how much oxygen is being sent to their brain.
Anoxic brain injuries can affect an individual’s ability to speak, cause paralysis, and even change a patient’s ability to understand what is happening around them. As a result, these injuries can have a traumatic influence on someone’s ability to function.
Hypoxic Brain Injuries
A hypoxic brain injury occurs when a patient experiences partial loss of oxygen to the brain. They do not suffer a complete loss, but a decreased amount of oxygen going to the brain, which also can cause brain damage.
An individual who has suffered that type of loss of blood flow or oxygen may have a personal injury case and may be able to recover money for the damages that they have suffered. These can occur because of a blood clot or partial blood clot affecting a patient’s blood flow to vital areas.
Hypoxic brain injuries can affect an individual’s ability to think, see, walk, and use their limbs. It could change their personality, their ability to deal with stress, and to manage their emotions. In this way, a hypoxic brain injury could traumatically damage an individual’s quality of life forever.
Treatment Protocols
While treatment protocols will vary among the different types of brain injuries in Chattanooga, most involve MRIs, CT-scans, and other types of diagnostic imaging to understand exactly what is going on in a patient’s body. Many treatment protocols involve monitoring and managing one’s blood pressure depending on their oxygen flow and blood flow in an attempt to reduce the level of their brain swelling. Over time, treatment will also involve therapy and different types of rehabilitation modalities in order to return function and contact between the brain and one’s different body parts and systems.
Where to Get Treatment for Brain Injuries in Chattanooga
If you or a loved one has suffered a primary, secondary, anoxic, or hypoxic brain injury, getting the right care quickly can make all the difference in recovery. Primary brain injuries, such as those caused by direct trauma in a car crash or fall, require immediate medical attention, while secondary injuries and oxygen-deprivation injuries often demand ongoing monitoring and rehabilitation to prevent further damage.
The following Chattanooga medical centers provide advanced treatment options for brain injuries of all types:
- Erlanger Baroness Hospital: As a Level I trauma center and the region’s premier teaching hospital, Erlanger offers some of the most advanced emergency and neurological care in Tennessee. Their Neuroscience Institute includes neurosurgery, neuro-critical care, and vascular neurology teams equipped to handle both acute trauma cases and complex conditions such as brain swelling, hemorrhaging, or oxygen deprivation that develop after an initial injury.
- Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation: Known for its CARF-accredited Brain Injury Program, Siskin provides highly specialized post-acute therapy for survivors of traumatic, anoxic, and hypoxic brain injuries. Their team of Certified Brain Injury Specialists (CBIS) focuses on restoring mobility, memory, and independence through individualized physical, occupational, and speech therapy programs in a secure, supportive environment.
- Parkridge Medical Center: Parkridge’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit is designed for patients recovering from severe neurological events, including secondary brain injuries resulting from swelling, oxygen loss, or blood pressure changes. Their multidisciplinary staff of neurologists, neurosurgeons, and rehabilitation therapists helps patients regain function and stability while managing the long-term effects of complex brain injuries.
- Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Chattanooga: This facility offers comprehensive post-acute rehabilitation for patients recovering from traumatic, anoxic, and hypoxic injuries. With a focus on innovative therapies, technology-assisted exercises, and real-world skill rebuilding, Encompass Health helps patients transition from hospital care to independent living while managing lingering physical and cognitive symptoms.
Each of these hospitals provides an important step in the continuum of care for brain injury survivors, from immediate trauma response to long-term recovery and rehabilitation. At Gary Massey Injury Lawyers, we work closely with these facilities to ensure our clients not only receive the medical treatment they need but also the financial resources necessary to sustain their recovery journey.
Importance of a Knowledgeable Injury Attorney
Different types of brain injuries in Chattanooga require different kinds of evidence. Someone who receives a blow to the head and suffers a loss of a major body function requires a certain type of evidence to link the accident to their injuries. For this reason, a professional injury lawyer has to be familiar with the different types of brain injuries in Chattanooga, how to prove those injuries, how to spot those injuries, and how to help an individual understand what is going on if their doctors are not very helpful. If you have suffered from a serious brain injury, do not hesitate to reach out to a dedicated attorney today to schedule your initial consultation.
