Mobile Brain Injury Attorney

Coup-Contracoup Injury

A client tried to stop from hitting another vehicle which ran a red light, but could not stop in time.  He hit the passenger side of the other car at about 15 miles per hour. The impact of the vehicle caused the client's head to hit the hit the steering wheel with his forehead and then to rebound backwards into the headrest in a hyperextended position.  He was immediately unconscious and did not regain his consciousness until he was in a hospital recovery room. 

When speaking to the physicians, our client complained of a headache, seeing stars, a ringing in his ears, and a general feeling of wooziness. His physicians also noted that he showed signs of confusion, short-term memory loss of events, and anosmia (could not smell). A CT exam revealed a fracture of the frontal bone causing a subdural hematoma which was beginning to compress the brain. The physicians treated the subdural hematoma raising a flap of skull and placing burr holes in the skull. Following surgery the symptoms subsided over the next few weeks.  Only the anosmia remained a permanent problem.

This client sustained a coup-contracoup injury.  The injury and resulting fracture of the skull produced a subdural hematoma. He also lost his sense of smell due to injury of the olfactory nerves and bulbs.

This injury is a form of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). There are various forms of TBIs, such as a Closed Head Injury (CHI) in which the damage results from a blow to the skull. An Open Head Injury (OHI), also called penetrating injury, results when the skull is hit by an object which breaks the skull. The object or skull may enter the brain. Two common types of CHI are a coup (damage occurs at the site of the blow to the skull) and contracoup (Fig. 16-56) (damage occurs on the opposite side of the blow to the skull which results from the rebound effect on the head is placed in motion).

A contusion is a bruise of the brain which causes a short loss of consciousness. Symptoms of a contusion include headaches, vomiting, dizziness, nausea, and trouble with memory or concentration. In this particular case, contusions occurred at the coup and contracoup sites of injury.

If you've suffered a severe head injury in an accident of any kind, contact a Mobile Personal Injury Attorney at McAleer for a free case evaluation to help determine if you have a case in which you could receive compensation for your injuries.