Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be the result of blunt force to the head, and because of this, they tend to be a common injury in car accidents. Whether the crash was head-on or a rear-end crash, occupants in a vehicle can sustain a TBI from several different types of car crashes. The insidious thing about brain injuries is that the symptoms do not always show up right away. You might walk away from the crash thinking that you got away with cuts and bruises and some neck and shoulder pain, but the collision may have caused damage to the delicate structures of the brain, but it can take several hours or days for the symptoms to begin appearing. Having lost consciousness is one of the biggest signs of brain trauma.
If you have suffered other injuries in a car accident, your priority is to seek medical attention immediately. If these symptoms begin to show up a few days later, you may need to return to the doctor to be checked again:
- Dizziness, nausea and other symptoms
- Seeing stars and hearing ringing in your ears
- Confusion, amnesia, changes in mood
- Headaches that are persistent and grow worse
- Sleep disturbances
You might have a brain injury without a blow to the head
It is important to know that not every blow to the head will result in a brain injury, and that you might have a brain injury even though you did not receive a blow to the head. Let’s say that you are in a vehicle that is traveling at 55 mph and you a crash into another vehicle that is also moving at that speed. If you are strapped in by your seat belt and your body is cushioned by the air bag, your body still absorbs a lot of the force of the crash. The rapid deceleration that occurs when your body comes to an abrupt halt and the acceleration when you head flies forward and then backward causes your soft, malleable brain to bang around inside of your protective skull. As the brain crashes into the front of the skull and then with great force crashes against the back of the skull, the delicate structures of the brain suffer tremendous trauma.
Seek medical after a car accident
Seeing a doctor following a car accident gives you the chance to have all of your injuries assessed, but it is also important to have a medical professional document the extent of your injuries. Your medical records are a vital piece of evidence that your personal injury attorney will use in your injury claim. The party at fault for causing the accident can be held liable for your injuries and losses. You may be able to recover compensation for your medical expenses, your lost income and your pain and suffering from the accident.
The experienced car accident attorneys at Stipe Law can evaluate your case and help get you the compensation you need. For more than 60 years, we have been helping Oklahomans recover the compensation they need after a serious car crash. For a free consultation you are welcome to call F:P:Site:Phone} or contact us today in our McAlester offices.