What you’ll learn from this article:
- Delayed brain injury symptoms the average person might not recognize as a serious health situation.
- Learn about common delayed brain injury symptoms that need an immediate doctor’s evaluation.
- Empower yourself to claim the compensation you deserve after your accident.
Believe it or not, brain injuries are among the most common injuries in car crashes and personal injury accidents. Your brain is a delicate organ vulnerable to damage from a sudden impact.
The CDC reports more than 200,000 TBI-related hospitalizations and almost 70,000 TBI-related deaths in an average year. People in car accidents are at an especially high risk of brain damage causing ongoing pain, neurological issues, mental disturbances, and permanent injury.
Even in a relatively minor accident, you can have delayed brain injury symptoms of a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Would you recognize the signs?
This article offers tips about brain injury symptoms and provides information about seeking the compensation you need for your medical treatment.
What are the Possible Head Injuries From a Car Accident?
Head injuries in car accidents range from very mild to extremely severe depending on the circumstances of the crash. A severe brain injury is often suspected when there is considerable blood loss, a skull fracture, or the person is losing consciousness.
Any severe injury calls for a doctor’s diagnosis. Types of severe brain injuries include:
- Brain hemorrhages with internal or external bleeding
- Coup and contrecoup (blow-related) injuries
- Diffuse axonal brain injuries due to the brain shaking or twisting
- Intracranial hematomas (wounds)
- Penetrating injuries where an object enters the skull
- Second impact syndrome, also known as recurrent traumatic brain injury.
A mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) may not be immediately noticeable but it also needs a doctor’s evaluation. A concussion is a well-known type of MTBI.
Common symptoms of concussions may be immediate or delayed and can include:
- Balance problems
- Confusion and disorientation
- Chronic fatigue, drowsiness, or lack of energy
- Difficulty with concentration
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Memory impairment
- Mood disorders
- Nausea or vomiting
- Persistent headaches
- Ringing in the ears
- Sensitivity to light
- Sensory issues like altered taste or vision
- Slurred speech
- Trouble sleeping
What Happens When Your Head Hits the Windshield in a Car Accident?
During a crash, you could crack your head open on the windshield or suffer an internal contrecoup injury when your head bounces between the windshield and the headrest. Coup and contrecoup brain injuries involve damage on or opposite the side of the brain where the head absorbs an impact.
An open brain injury is either classified as a penetrating or non-penetrating brain injury. A penetrating injury occurs when an object intrudes into the head and causes severe damage. A non-penetrating injury is just as dangerous, despite the lack of a foreign object entering the skull. Both types of injuries call for emergency treatment, which may include brain surgery.
Wearing a seatbelt is one of the best ways to prevent a windshield-related injury during an accident. Traffic accident studies show that 50% of deaths are unrestrained passengers and more than 10,000 lives nationwide could be saved every year by wearing seatbelts.
Delayed Brain Injury Symptoms? Contact McCoy & Sparks
If your brain injury is from a car crash or an accident on someone’s property, you may have a type of personal injury eligible for accident compensation. Injured people can seek compensation for medical bills, lost work pay, and other damages.
No matter how minor or severe your accident was, a brain injury could have a major impact on your life. Turn to the lawyers at McCoy & Sparks for experience and compassion after your car accident.
We’ve been helping Kentucky’s injured people for more than a decade. Let’s discuss your situation and your options. You deserve to feel empowered to take action and continue the road to recovery.
You owe McCoy & Sparks nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Schedule your FREE consultation today. Call 844-459-9467 or fill out our online form.