What is a Coup-Contrecoup Brain Injury?
A coup-contrecoup brain injury injury is one where both sides of the brain are injured after an impact. This can happen in several different ways. The easiest way to explain this injury is if the front of the head was hit by an object and the trauma was so hard that it injured the front of the brain but also the back of the brain. This would happen when the brain could be pushed so hard that it is injured by the back of the skull. A coup-contrecoup brain injury is usually one that will result in a traumatic brain injury, also known as a TBI. This is something that can cause long lasting effects with the brain and cognition in the future.
Within this genre there are also just Coup brain injuries and Contrecoup brain injuries. A Coup brain injury is where just the front of the brain is injured from a blow resulting in no other places where the brain has been damaged. In contrast, a Contrecoup brain injury is one where only the back of the brain is injured.
Common causes for a Coup-Contrecoup Brain Injury
The most common cause for this type of brain injury is an accident where the brain is hit. This can include a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident or pedestrian accident. Think about a car accident for a second and lets consider someone sitting in the back seat. When the car stops suddently, that could make the head hit the headrest in front of them and then immediately jerking the head back to hit the passenger’s own seat. This would cause an injury to both sides of the brain.
In a pedestrian accident situation, the brain could be hit from the front intial impact but then after getting hit by a car, it could then hit the back by hitting the concrete. Again, it is also possible that the brain injury to the front was so severe that the brain shifting was what caused the brain injury to the rear.
Treating Coup or Contrecoup Brain Injuries
Treating these types of injures is nearly impossible. A brain injury either results in an immediate surgery or there is not much that can be done. Unfortunately it is near impossible for the brain to heal after certain injuries. Any type of accident can be long term and that is why if this type of thing happens, it is so important to have a brain injury lawyer to consult with on future damages.
No one should have have to deal with a brain injury alone. It is something that a team of professionals can help with for the time being and for the future.