Another Brain Injury Myth From Dolman Law Group

Here’s another brain injury myth from Dolman Law Group, part of our Tampa Bay brain injury education series. Click here if you missed the first one.

Myth #2:  The victim must strike his/her head to sustain a TBI 

It is imperative you note that the brain has the consistency of Jell-O.  In a rapid acceleration/deceleration mechanism injury, the brain often continues moving forward when the head stops. Within the grey matter of brain tissue, there are vast armies of nerve cells, which facilitate communication with other distant nerve cells via fibers known as axons. Damage to an axonal fiber may result in symptoms such as confusion, irritability, distraction, and memory loss among others.

The best example of a rapid acceleration/deceleration injury aside from whiplash would be “shaken baby syndrome.”

As a Tampa brain injury attorney, I often encounter defense lawyers and “hired gun” physicians retained by the insurance carrier who are ignorant to well accepted science.  In many cases, the physician retained by the insurance carrier is well aware of the science but tries to deflect such focus by stubbornly utilizing this myth to further the argument that my client could not have sustained an injury.  This defense can easily be rebutted and countered by displaying the mechanism of injury and how a rapid  acceleration/deceleration in speed can cause the brain to actually impact and bounce off a side of the skull.