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Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)

Brain Injury Lawyers in Providence Serving All of Rhode Island

When a car accident victim or motorcycle accident victim arrives in a hospital with multiple injuries, it is very common for emergency room doctors to overlook a closed head injury. Physicians often rush to treat an injured elbow, knee, or back before conducting diagnostic tests for the purpose of evaluating a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Meanwhile, a serious condition such as diffuse axonal injury may be much more disruptive to a person's long-term well-being.

Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a type of injury to brain cells that can cause traumatic brain injury. Brain cells known as neurons are connected by axons, which area long slender nerve fibers that carry electrical impulses from the neuron's cell body. This allows communication among the brain cells allowing all of the processes that occur in the brain. Diffuse axonal injury occurs when these axons are sheared or broken, stopping the communication between the neurons they connect.

How Is the Injury Caused?

A person's brain is made up of billions of cells, and when some of these cells do not communicate because of axonal shearing, a traumatic brain injury occurs.

The brain is made up of white matter and gray matter, and axonal shearing can especially occur at the junctions between the white matter and gray matter causing the traumatic brain injury.

Diffuse axonal injury is shearing to multiple axons, stopping many neurons from communicating. This is noticeable in the frontal lobe of the brain that controls cognitive abilities, personality and who we are.

Diffuse axonal injury can be caused by striking the head or rapid acceleration and deceleration without even hitting the head. This can occur during whiplash injuries where the head and neck snap back and forth violently causing diffuse axonal shearing.

Oftentimes diffuse axonal injury does not show up in imaging, including CT scans of the brain and an MRI of the brain, as the injury is microscopic. In addition, often after a truck or car accident, the injured party is taken to an emergency room of a hospital that does not do any diagnostic imaging or tests and the traumatic brain injury is not discovered until later.

The diffuse axonal injury causing traumatic brain injury becomes readily apparent when the typical symptoms of traumatic brain injury appear including cognitive difficulties, personality changes, an inability to sleep, irritability, headaches, and many other symptoms.

What You Need After the Injury

It is important to work with knowledgeable physicians after a head injury. It can also make a great difference in your case to work with an experienced traumatic brain injury attorney such as Robert T. Karns. He is widely recognized for his in-depth knowledge of brain damage such as diffuse axonal injury.

He knows how important it is for you to consult with medical specialists such as:

  • A neurologist
  • A neuropsychologist
  • Diagnostic specialists

If you did, in fact, suffer brain damage such as diffuse axonal injury, sophisticated imaging may reveal the telltale presence of hemosiderin that can verify that this type of injury took place. If Karns & Kerrison represents you after you have suffered a traumatic brain injury, we are prepared to fight for your right to full compensation that will take into account your losses and projected expenses, including:

  • Top-notch diagnostic testing
  • Appropriate therapy, such as cognitive therapy administered by a neuropsychologist or other appropriate medical care provider
  • Lost wage replacement

If your brain injury was work-related, our Providence brain injury lawyers can help you file a workers' compensation claim as well as any appropriate third-party liability claim.

Contact a Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer in Providence

If you have questions about diffuse axonal injury and TBI, and how this topic may pertain to your or your loved one's brain injury, we urge you to call our office at 401-841-5300 or email us to schedule a free consultation. We can help you understand your rights and options.

Contact Us Today

Karns & Kerrison is committed to answering your questions about Personal Injury law issues in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. We'll gladly discuss your case with you at your convenience. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

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