If you're the victim of a motor vehicle accident caused by a negligent driver, you could suffer many catastrophic injuries, such as paralysis, internal organ damage, amputation, burns, and even death.
Another life-altering impairment is traumatic brain injury (TBI).
While your body may appear uninjured, TBI can damage your brain, and the consequences might severely limit your ability to work and take care of day-to-day needs.
If you or a loved one endured this devastating injury, you need the assistance of an experienced car accident attorney to help you fight for the rightful compensation you need to support yourself for the rest of your life.
How Car Accidents Cause Traumatic Brain Injury
TBI is a sudden brain injury caused by a jolt or blow to the head from blunt or penetrating trauma. In a motor vehicle accident, the head can:
- Be jerked violently back and forth
- Hit hard objects inside the vehicle, or outside if the person is ejected
- Have an object penetrate the skull during crash impact
During a collision, the brain might ricochet back and forth violently against the skull. This can result in bruising, bleeding, and the tearing of nerve fibers.
The injury can be to a specific lobe of the brain or the entire brain. In some but not all cases, the skull is fractured.
After the accident, the brain can be damaged even more due to swelling, resulting in the brain pressing against the skull and reducing blood flow. This is referred to as a secondary injury, and can cause more serious brain damage than the initial injury.
Long-term Consequences of TBI Caused by an Auto Crash
If the TBI is mild, this may present as a concussion that results in a brief loss of consciousness or other symptoms but does not cause permanent injuries. In other cases, a TBI can be much more serious and cause long-term brain damage. Even a relatively minor rear-end collision can result in these devastating injuries if the impact to the brain is severe enough.
In the most serious cases, an accident victim can suffer major complications, such as a semi-conscious state, coma, unresponsive wakefulness (once referred to as a vegetative state), or brain death. Other physical complications which can be permanent or temporary include:
- Frequent headaches
- Vertigo
- Fluid build-up in the brain
- Infections of the brain
- Blood vessel damage
- Seizures
An accident victim may also experience life-altering brain damage that affects his physical and cognitive abilities. Some of these complications include:
- Physical injuries. Paralysis of facial muscles, loss of smell, taste, hearing, or vision, swallowing problems, and dizziness are some of the physical injuries caused by TBI. Depending on the location of the brain damage, a person might have permanent mobility problems.
- Intellectual abilities. Traumatic brain injury can cause devastating changes to a person’s thinking necessary for daily life's functions. Memory, concentration, reasoning, decision-making, and problem solving are a few of the abilities that may be significantly impaired, making it impossible for the accident victim to work or take care of personal needs.
- Emotional problems. A person suffering with TBI can also experience emotional changes, such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, mood swings, and anger, which can affect relationships, the ability to work, and his enjoyment of life.
If you or a loved one has a traumatic brain injury as a result of a car accident, expensive medical treatments and the inability to work may be new harsh realities to face. Because the value of your claim for compensation may be higher, you may have to fight longer and harder with the negligent driver’s insurance company to receive compensation you deserve.
Let our experienced car accident attorneys take over this burden so you can focus on coping with your TBI. Find out more about your legal options by calling our office to schedule your free consultation.
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