Coup-contrecoup brain injuries occur when a sudden impact or rapid movement causes the brain to hit one side of the skull and then the opposite side. Even mild head injuries can cause lasting brain damage. A traumatic brain injury lawyer can help secure compensation for the physical, emotional, and financial impact of such injuries.
At Munley Law, our Philadelphia brain injury lawyers handle all types of brain injury cases, including those causing permanent impairment. If you or a loved one has suffered a coup-contrecoup injury in a Philadelphia accident, contact us for a free consultation.
What Is a Coup-Contrecoup Brain Injury?
A coup-contrecoup brain injury is when two injuries happen simultaneously; independently, these injuries are known as “the coup” and “the contrecoup.” The impact that the injury has on the brain depends on where the origination is:
- Frontal Lobe: This center is responsible for reasoning, planning, movement, and speech.
- Parietal Lobe: This center is responsible for sensory perception and spatial orientation.
- Temporal Lobe: This center is responsible for memory, understanding language, and emotional regulation.
- Occipital Lobe: This center is responsible for vision.
Coup Brain Injury
A coup brain injury occurs at the point of impact, resulting in the brain hitting the inside of the skull at the opposite side of the brain and point of contact. The initial point of contact is usually a stationary head being hit by a moving object.
Contrecoup Brain Injury
A contrecoup (French term for center blow) brain injury occurs when the brain bounces and hits the side opposite to where the initial impact happened. It usually occurs when a moving head contacts a stationary object.
Coup-Contrecoup Brain Injury
Coup-Contrecoup brain injuries fall in the category of traumatic brain injury because of the nature of their impact. The impact can be devastating, causing neurological deficits, comas, and even death if not managed and cared for appropriately and promptly (Payne & De Jesus, National Institute of Health (NIH), 2023).
How Brain Injuries Can Occur in Philadelphia Accidents
Brain injuries can occur in countless ways, including:
- Car accidents: High-speed collisions and crashes often bring on head injuries, including concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
- Falls: Slips, trips, and falls, especially among older people, can cause varying types of head trauma.
- Sports injuries: Contact sports like football, hockey, soccer, and boxing have high rates of concussion and
other brain injury incidents. - Violence: Assaults, gunshot wounds, and other acts of violence can cause violent physical reactions, leading to severe brain injuries.
- Bicycle and pedestrian accidents: Motor vehicle accidents can cause head injuries to cyclists and pedestrians.
- Workplace accidents: High-risk work environments often see head injuries from falls, equipment accidents, and other hazardous mishaps.
- Motorcycle accidents: Riders are particularly vulnerable to head injuries in crashes; this is the case even with helmet protection.
other brain injury incidents.All types of traumatic brain injuries should receive medical attention and legal assistance at the early onset of the injury.
Signs and Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
All head injuries need to be examined promptly. Immediate medical evaluation is vital for accurately diagnosing and treating any potential TBI. Symptoms can show up in four main areas: physical, cognitive, emotional, or sleep-related.
- Physical Symptoms: Changes in consciousness, concentration, confusion, or loss of consciousness; changes in movement and coordination in balance and moving; dizziness and balance when up; and sensory depreciation of sight, hearing, and the ability to sensate and feel.
- Mental Symptoms: Mental wariness and confusion; attention and concentration difficulties; delayed information processing; short-term memory loss; mental fatigue and exhaustion; and language problems speaking clearly or understanding others.
- Emotional Symptoms: Mood swings can be sporadic; increased emotional sensitivity; aggression or impulsiveness; behavioral control and modification problems; and inability to recognize social cues.
- Sleep-Related Symptoms: Disrupted sleeping or extensive sleeping and daytime drowsiness (even when sleep amount is sufficient).
Severe brain injury symptoms include repetitive headaches, nausea and vomiting, convulsions or seizures, confusion, weakness or numbness in extremities, loss of coordination, and extreme confusion.
How Is a Coup-Contrecoup Injury Treated?
The treatment for coup-contrecoup brain injuries varies according to the injury’s severity and the different areas of the brain that may be affected:
- Physical Therapy: To implement specific exercises to enhance mobility.
- Occupational Therapy: To relearn movement, restore functionality, and learn new ways to be efficient.
- Speech Therapy: To help with language and swallowing skills if compromised.
- Cognitive Training: To help with memory, attention, problem-solving, and learning.
Each injury is unique because of the unpredictable movements that are the defining triggers. Treatment plans for these injuries are usually designed on a case-by-case basis.
How Long Does it Take to Recover from a Brain Injury?
The Revised Rancho Los Amigos Scale (RLAS-R), created by doctors at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital, measures how well brain injury patients recover. This ten-stage scale is widely used across the U.S.. The National Library of Medicine recognizes it for tracking changes in patient’s thinking and behavior as they recover from severe injuries:
- Stage 1 – No response to external stimuli.
- Stage 2 – Inconsistent and random response to external stimuli.
- Stage 3 – Friends and family are more accessible to respond to than strangers.
- Stage 4 – There is no short-term memory, and behavior is unorganized and hyperactive.
- Stage 5 – Memory is typically severely impaired. They can follow simple commands reasonably regularly; however, their behavior and speech are often inappropriate.
- Stage 6 – Can follow simple commands consistently, can relearn and retain familiar, daily tasks.
- Stage 7– They can perform daily routines automatically. They can retain an interest in social activities, and supervision for safety is less and less necessary.
- Stage 8 – Can independently perform everyday tasks in a controlled setting. Memory has improved, and past and future events can be resolved quickly.
- Stage 9 – Can shift between tasks, multitask, and perform functions independently. Guidance about decision-making, actions, and their consequences can be processed.
- Stage 10 – Able to multitask in many different environments with extra time or devices to assist. Demonstrate the ability to interact with others in social situations appropriately.
Depending on the severity and what area of the brain has damage, some people cannot express progress after certain areas and find it hard to move forward. This is an indicator of where there may be impaired damage, and the longer a person stays in a stage of impaired consciousness or coma without progressing, the more likely they will have long-term brain injuries. Recovery times vary because there are so many variables; full recovery can take anywhere from two to ten years, depending on the impact site, the intensity of effects, and the areas of the brain impacted.
Do I Need a Brain Injury Lawyer for My Coup-Contrecoup Injury?
If you or a loved one has suffered a severe brain injury resulting in medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, or long-term brain damage or death, contact a brain injury attorney. At Munley Law, our experienced lawyers handle all types of brain injury cases. We work with medical experts to assess long-term health impacts and build a solid personal injury claim to hold at-fault parties responsible.
When dealing with a Coup-Contrecoup injury, you need specialized legal counsel. A skilled brain injury attorney understands complex head trauma cases and has the resources to help secure fair compensation. 
Get a Free Consultation with a Philadelphia Brain Injury Lawyer
Most head trauma victims and their families worry they can’t afford a brain injury lawyer because of existing medical bills. Additionally, the uncertainty of how long recovery will take is unsettling. At Munley Law we work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing upfront, and we only get paid if you win. Contact our Philadelphia law firm today for a free consultation and discuss your brain injury case without obligation.
Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys
1617 John F Kennedy Blvd
Suite 1690,
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 515-7747
