Last week, I read a page on another law firm’s website asking, What You Should Know About Car Accidents And Brain Trauma. The title piqued my interest! But the article really disappointed. Like so many other lawyer pages, it was mostly a long list of different types of accidents and different medical conditions. Short on substance! Stuffed with keywords to capture search traffic! It worked – I stopped and clicked. The article provided no real information and suggested the reader call the lawyers. I’d rather have a real discussion with some real answers.
I’ve written several past articles discussing specific traumatic brain injury (TBI) topics, including the evaluation, treatment and presentation of these injuries. You can find many of my prior articles on this blog. My goal is to provide helpful information. So, I thought I would write today about a specific type of brain injury: Coup-Contrecoup Injuries. Many people have never heard those terms. But, these injuries are common in serious accidents.
What Are Coup-Contrecoup Brain Injuries?
Coup and contrecoup refer to specific types of head injuries. What are they? The terms coup and contrecoup are French for “blow” and “counterblow.” It’s probably easier to think of these injuries in familiar English terms. Both coup and contrecoup injuries are considered “focal brain injuries.” That is, they are injuries which occur in a particular spot within the brain. But, the two injuries occur in very different areas.
A coup injury (pronounced coo) refers to brain damage directly under the spot of impact. Think of these injuries like this – The patient suffers a blow to the head and then has a brain injury at that spot.
A contrecoup injury refers to brain damage on the opposite side of the brain from where the impact occurred. For example, the patient impacted the front of his head but the brain injury occurred in the back of his head.
Coup and contrecoup injuries can occur individually. In other words, you can have one without the other. But, they often occur together. When they do occur together, patients can suffer a much broader range of problems because more than one area of the brain has been impaired.
What Common Accidents Cause Coup-Contrecoup Injuries?
Once you learn the basics of these injuries, the types of accidents causing them make much more sense. Let’s think about a direct impact to the head. When a moving object hits a stationary head, a coup injury is typically the result. For example, you are standing still when an object flying through the air hits your head. In these cases, the injury is typically at the area of impact.
When a moving head strikes a stationary object, a contrecoup injury also frequently occurs. Contrecoup injuries often involve a sudden deceleration of the head – a moving head strikes a stationary object. This is why serious car accidents often cause contrecoup injuries. In a car crash, the vehicle may suddenly and abruptly stop. But, the occupant’s head continues forward until striking the steering wheel or dashboard.
Even in the absence of an impact, you can suffer TBI. Think about a severe whiplash from being rear-ended with a forceful impact. In those situations, a person’s had may suddenly and violently be thrust backward. After violently going backward, it will usually bounce back forward. The person suffered no outside impact but their brain forcibly moved within their skull. Whether a car crash is a front-end, side-impact, or rear-end collision, a driver or passenger can suffer violent force propelling their head into motion. You can suffer internal brain injury from the forceful movement.
The most common causes of contrecoup injuries are falls and car accidents. In both cases, the victim suddenly and forcefully stops upon impact. According to Centers For Disease Control (CDC) statistics, falls lead to almost half of all TBI-related hospitalizations. And, motor vehicle crashes are also one of the most common causes of TBI. So, potential contrecoup injuries are very common. In many cases, the severity of the injury at the contrecoup site is even greater than that occurring at the impact (or coup) site.
Medical researchers have several different theories as to how the forces within a person’s head cause specific injury opposite to the impact. The brain contains soft tissue enclosed by surrounding fluid and the skull. When a person’s head is slammed in one direction suddenly, the brain can initially slam forward and then slam backwards in the other direction. By searching “contrecoup” on Youtube, you can easily find a number of animations and videos demonstrating these injuries.
What Problems Can A Coup-Contrecoup Injury Cause?
In past articles, I’ve written about the lack of medical diagnosis and treatment of brain injuries. Initial diagnosis is a huge issue. Within the emergency room, patients with head trauma may initially appear fine. TBIs are often referred to as “invisible injuries” because patients look normal. Plus, emergency rooms are often focused on patients with the most glaring, potentially fatal issues. So, emergency personnel may overlook obvious TBI symptoms. In other brain injury situations, the symptoms may evolve or progress over a period time following the accident. So, symptoms may not even be present in the emergency room. Finally, many patients deny their own TBI symptoms. Many people find it very difficult to admit these problems. Because of all these reasons, many TBI patients leave the emergency room undiagnosed.
TBI’s are frequently overlooked. Within the medical community, many professionals lack the training or expertise to evaluate and treat brain injuries. They are often misunderstood. I’ve seen many cases where physicians ignored clear TBI symptoms. But, even a TBI classified medically as “mild” can cause permanent impairments.
Coup-contrecoup injuries can also be more difficult because they impact two separate regions of the brain. Because of this, the patient may suffer a wider range of problems than anticipated. Since the injury is within the skull and not visible, medical professionals may not understand some of the symptoms. We just completed a vehicle rollover case here in Huntsville where the seriousness of the TBI was completely ignored by emergency room staff but later proved disabling.
In some of my prior articles, I specifically discussed TBI symptoms and impairments. So, I won’t re-list them here. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t like lawyer articles that simply list key terms for search engines! Instead, I wanted to focus here on a specific TBI that often impacts people in traumatic accidents.
If you (or a loved one) are suffering symptoms of a possible TBI, seek out a skilled physician who can help with your rehabilitation and recovery. Keep in mind that many medical professionals lack TBI expertise. Do your research to find the right care for your recovery!
How Blackwell Law Firm Supports Injury Victims Across Alabama
At the Blackwell Law Firm, we help people across Alabama following a serious personal injury. Our cases include traumatic brain injury claims as well as other serious personal injuries. Outside the courtroom, we continue to advocate for safer roadways, safer workplaces and safer products. If you have legal questions, let us know. Our consultations are always free and confidential.
Call Us Now (256) 261-1315
The Blackwell Law Firm is Top notch. Patricia and Danielle worked so hard to help me and keep me informed. Jeff , was wonderful as well. I would recommend them 1000000%. If you ever have a question, you can reach out and they will explain whatever it is to you. They make you feel like you are family. They go above and beyond. I am truly grateful for the Blackwell Law Firm.
Response from the owner:I'm so happy we could help with your case. We want you to know that you have a partner who will walk with you, and work hard for you, throughout the process. We also agree that Patricia and Danielle are great at what they do! You know that if you ever need anything, we are here to help! Thank you!
I can not express enough to you of how amazing Blackwell lawfirm is! From Patricia and Danielle to Me. Blackwell himself! They treat their clients in just going to say as close as they can like family. My case was handled very well and I’m satisfied with my outcome! Patricia is the heart of the program and you can truly tell that she loves what she does. I didn’t even look at reviews before I called Mr. Blackwell office little over 2.5 years ago but when I met him and he took my workers comp case at the beginning pro bono even if it didn’t turn into a case just so he could help me through the medical that I found out I would need I knew I had found the once in a lifetime attorney! Now he is humble when you tell him that every attorney in town says he is the best dang workers comp attorney in Alabama but I am here to tell you they all say it bc they know it. If you are reading this make an appointment even if you are questioning if you have a case or not he will let you know and you will love the team! Thank you Blackwell law firm once again!
Response from the owner:We are so thankful for the opportunity to help with your case. We also think Patricia and Danielle are amazing!!! They are so helpful with clients navigating the personal injury or work comp processes. From start to finish, we want to provide the advice and help that is needed while working non-stop for your maximum recovery possible. If you ever need anything, please let any of us know. We are always here for you!
Jeff is incredibly thorough, hardworking and honest. Patricia was so helpful throughout the process answering questions promptly and making me feel at ease. I highly recommend the Blackwell Law Firm!
Response from the owner:Thank you for the great recommendation, Rob! We truly value your support and are thrilled that you had a smooth process with us.
I highly recommend Blackwell Law Firm. Jeff and his staff are friendly and very professional. My mom and I are very grateful for everything.
Thank you!! 🙂
Response from the owner:We are so happy we could help your mother after her injury. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with you and your mother's doctors to build the best case for her. We are here if you ever need anything! Thank you so much!
The case took years as most cases do, but Patricia was always trying to give updates. And if I had any questions she would always find out the answers, and go into great detail to explain each process and steps that were being taken. Jeff and his team will work their hearts out for you. I highly recommend them for your work comp suits.
Response from the owner:Thank you for the review! When you suffer a serious injury or disability at work, you deserve full work comp benefits. We know how unfair the system can be. That's why we work as hard as possible to recover the maximum benefits available. We want to win everything we can for our clients. We also want you to have the answers you need during each step of the process. I'm so happy we could help!
Excellent service, Danielle and Patricia are awesome. They get back to you fast and answer all your questions. Friendly team. Jeff cares about his clients. Would highly recommend..
Response from the owner:Kathy, thank you so much! We are so happy we could help with your case. We understand injuries and medical care are difficult issues. Our entire team is centered on providing answers, advice and advocacy to help and to obtain the best possible result for you. We focus exclusively on injury cases so we can provide the best possible help. Yes, Patricia and Danielle are great!
If you're wondering whether you need a personal injury lawyer—or you're just unsure who you want in your corner—give Jeff and his team, Danielle and Patricia, a call. They don’t treat you like just another client; they treat you like family.
They respond promptly to questions, often even after hours. The guidance and peace of mind they provide are incredible and virtually unheard of these days.
Response from the owner:Thank you for such a thoughtful review! At Blackwell Law Firm in Huntsville, our goal is to provide every client with personal attention, real answers, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing we are working hard in your corner! Danielle, Patricia, and I, are all grateful for the trust your wife Dawn and you placed in us. We focus on one thing -- Working hard for families across northern Alabama in personal injury, car accident, and work injury cases. We are so glad we could help!
I can't say enough good things about the people here. From the very beginning from the first phone call with Jeff they have gone to bat for me in everyway. And to Patricia and Danielle, thank you for all you've done. From listening to me cry to putting up with me ranting. And I can't say enough about their empathy. I can never thank them enough.<3
Response from the owner:We are so happy we could help with your case. We loved working with you! We know how stressful things can be following a serious injury. Our whole team is dedicated to helping build the best possible injury case for you. That's all we do. If you ever need anything, you know we are here for you. Thank you so much, Dawn.
(256) 261-1315
