Serious injuries from a car accident can change a person’s life in many different ways, from interfering with the person’s ability to work to limiting the person’s ability to perform simple everyday tasks. Perhaps few injuries affect a person’s life more than serious traumatic brain injuries. There are different levels of traumatic brain injuries, with serious traumatic brain injuries impacting a person’s life the most.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traumatic brain injuries account for about a third of accident injuries in the United States. A traumatic brain injury is often described as an injury to the brain caused by violent jolt to the brain. Some traumatic brain injuries are caused by underlying medical conditions and tumors, even without violent trauma to the injured person.
In a car accident, the injury can be caused by a person being forcefully or violently thrown back and forth as a result of the impact. When this happens, a person’s brain may be pulled away from the brain before hitting another part of the skull. The person can also suffer a brain injury when in the course of being thrown back and forth, the person’s head also hits the steering wheel or another part of the car.
Any injury to a person’s head after a car accident should be taken seriously, even when a person does not suffer an open wound. It may be easier to spot a head injury that bleeds than an internal one such as a traumatic brain injury. The symptoms of traumatic brain injuries include: loss of memory, dizziness, headaches, seizures, visual problems, confusion, loss of consciousness, and problems with impulse control. These symptoms may not present immediately after the accident, some symptoms can last for hours, although they can last for weeks, days, months, or even years. Because of this, it is important for a person who experiences even one of these symptoms to seek immediate medical attention.
Mild traumatic brain injuries may be treated by rest and taking headache medication, further rehabilitative treatment may be needed if symptoms persist. A mild traumatic brain injury is sometimes referred to as a concussion. More serious brain injuries take more time and often require intensive rehabilitation. In some situations, a person who suffers from a serious traumatic brain injury may forget how to walk or even communicate. Rehabilitation, such as: speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, can help the person be able to do more from day to day. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to treat the injury.
Contact an Experienced Accident Attorney
If you are injured in a car accident, it is very important to seek medical attention as soon as possible in order to get the treatment you need right away. For more information on how you can seek compensation or payments from an insurance company to cover the costs of medical care and other related costs, contact an experienced car accident injury lawyer at Vocelle & Berg, LLP, in Vero Beach, Florida for a free consultation.
Resources:
cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5575625/