Car accidents can have a ruinous effect on your physical and mental wellbeing. Some accidents cause minor injuries such as soft tissue injuries or whiplash. But some accidents can be serious and can trigger dangerous injuries.

A common injury caused by car accidents is a head injury. Head injuries range for minor to severe. They can cause slight discomfort or they can permanently affect the victim’s life.

There are different kinds of head injuries associated with car accidents. If your loved one has been in a car crash, you should learn more about the injury so that you can help him/her recover from it.

Brain injuries that are likely to be caused by car accidents

Here is a list of probable injuries that a person might experience if they have been involved in a car accident-

1.     Concussion

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury. It is a serious head injury and requires extensive and immediate treatment.

A concussion happens when your brain, which is nestled safely inside your skull, strikes any part of the inside of your skull. A forceful backward, sideways or forward movement of the head caused by the impact of an accident can trigger a concussion.

Since your brain controls different actions of your body, the symptoms can be wide-ranging-

• Loss of consciousness
• Severe headache
• Confusion or dizziness
• Amnesia
• Nausea and vomiting
• Low levels of concentration
• Inability to form memories (temporary)
• Fatigue
• Changes in personality
• Slurred speech
• Tinnitus

2.     Contusion

A contusion is another serious injury. It happens when the brain sustains a bruise during a car accident. If a blunt object strikes the head or the head strikes the steering wheel or the window, a person is likely to develop a contusion.

A contusion can trigger a wide variety of symptoms-

• Numbness or a sensation of tingling at the site of the injury
• Slurry speech
• Sluggish cognitive skills
• Delayed response
• Inability to concentrate
• Inability to form new memories
• Difficulty in coordinating or balancing

3.     Penetration

When an object pierces the skull during a car accident, it is called a penetration injury. Often objects inside the car strike the head like a projectile. Or it could also be an object from outside such as a branch of a tree.

Penetration head injuries can cause-

• Extensive blood loss
• Breathing difficulty
• Bleeding in the ears
• Paralysis (short-term or long-term)
• Seizures
• Coma

4.     Diffuse axonal

This type of injury results from a high-speed car crash. The car comes to a sudden halt. Your brain does not move at the same speed as the head due to relative motion and it crashes into the skull. Diffuse axonal is a more severe form of concussion.

This type of injury can damage the structures inside the brain and cause-

• Loss of consciousness
• Cognitive problems
• Confusion and disorientation
• Severe headaches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Changes in eyesight and hearing

5.     Coup and contrecoup injuries

This is a double-edged injury. When a blunt object strikes the head hard during a car accident, the brain is jerked violently and it may strike two sides of the skull, one at the site where the object struck and the second on the opposite side of the brain.

This is a very grave injury-

• Bleeding inside the skull
• Swelling in the brain
• Temporary memory loss
• Seizures
• Fractures
• Deteriorated eve sight
• Hearing loss
• Slurred speech

Head injuries almost always require hospitalization. Treatment can be prolonged and the victim might also need surgeries. The symptoms can take a long time to disappear. The person will be kept under round-the-clock observation and will have to take multiple medicines.

Even when the person is discharged, they will have to stay home and be monitored by loved ones for signs of deterioration. Brain injuries deserve maximum compensation from the insurer of the person whose car caused the accident. Brain injury lawyer will help you to get best compensation you deserve for your injury.

Sometimes, brain injuries can have a lasting impact on the victims’ life. As these injuries are accompanied by immense pain, suffering, steep medical bills, anxiety, depression and the possibility of a loss of livelihood and changes in lifestyle.

Personal injury lawyers can help you determine and procure the compensation you deserve. They can collect evidence, build a case and represent you.

Clare Louise