Types of Brain Injury

A brain injury or head injury can have devastating and life-altering consequences not only for the individual who suffered the injury but also for their family. For decades the experienced head injury attorneys of Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen have represented victims of mild, moderate and severe brain injuries. Click on any of the menu items to the left to learn more about the different types of brain injury that can occur.

Seizures

A head injury can cause seizures as can illicit drug use, withdrawal from certain prescription drugs, strokes, metabolic disturbances and other medical conditions. A seizure is a manifestation of a brain problem associated with sudden, abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Most seizures fall into one of two categories:

  • Generalized seizures are caused by abnormal activity on both sides of the brain. Generalized seizures are categorized in subgroups: absence, myoclonic, clonic, tonic, tonic-clonic, and atonic seizures. A person loses consciousness during a generalized seizure.

  • Focal or partial seizures occur in only one part of the brain. Focal seizures fall into two subgroups. How they are categorized depends on the degree to which a person’s consciousness is affected. A simple partial seizure does not involve loss of consciousness whereas a complex partial seizure does.

Symptoms associated with seizures are varied and depend on the part of the brain affected. Most seizures cause loss of awareness. Many involve twitching or shaking of the body. Some present with jerking movements of the head and body as well as drooling, biting of the tongue and incontinence. Other types of seizures have more subtle symptoms like staring spells or short term changes in vision or feeling.

Specific symptoms that may occur at the onset of a seizure include:

  • Alteration in consciousness associated with temporary loss of memory
  • Alteration in emotion with a feeling such as fear, panic, joy, confusion
  • Alteration in sensation such as numbness spreading over a part of the body (for example: an arm or leg)
  • Alteration in vision such as “seeing stars” or sparkles
  • Sudden, involuntary contraction of muscle groups often causing a person to fall
  • Muscle twitching in the arms or legs
  • Tension or tightening of the muscles causing the body or body parts to twist
  • Smelling an odd, unpleasant odor

Usually, seizures are brief occurrences and last only a minute or two. To diagnose a seizure disorder, a physician may order blood tests, CAT scan imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and/or EEGs which record the brain’s electrical activity. Anticonvulsant medication is a common treatment for a seizure disorder.

Experienced Seizure Disorder Attorneys

For decades, the seizure disorder law firm of Allen and Allen has been advising injury victims about their legal options. We have made it our goal to help our clients through the many medical and legal questions that arise and have won favorable verdicts for our clients . Our seizure injury lawyers are experienced in handling accident cases that result in seizures. Call 866-388-6412 for a free consultation.