Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of brain injury. The National Institutes of Health reports that car accidents result in an estimated 218,938 emergency room visits for traumatic brain injury each year. Approximately 25% of patients are hospitalized.
Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys discusses the most common types of brain injuries resulting from car accidents.
Overview of Brain Injuries Resulting from Car Accidents
Of people involved in a towaway crash:
- 1.7% will suffer concussion
- One in 367 will suffer a skull fracture
- One in 970 will have diffuse axonal injury
In addition, a person may suffer from contusions or penetrating brain injury.
The Most Frequent Car Accident Brain Injury
The most frequent car accident brain injury is concussion. Approximately one in 60 people involved in a towaway crash will suffer a concussion.
Concussion is the disruption of brain function due to sudden and fast movement. The brain sits within the skull and is attached at the cranium, but it can still move and shake. When a person moves under their own power, the brain doesn’t move too quickly. However, when the brain is subjected to high speeds or blunt forces, such as in a car accident or falling, the shaking may disrupt normal brain function.
Being struck by an object, such as the headrest or steering wheel, can cause a concussion. However, a concussion can occur simply because of shaking—without the brain striking anything. It may occur when the brain shakes forward and backward or side to side.
Concussions vary in severity, and symptoms may include a loss of consciousness, difficulty concentrating, and difficulty processing information. Nausea and vomiting may occur. A person may have a headache and may find light and noise irritating.
Treatment should include rest, both physically and mentally. The head should be kept still, taking measures to avoid additional injury. Ice and over-the-counter medications may reduce swelling and provide pain relief.
Contusions: An Emergency Car Accident Injury
A contusion is a brain bruise where small blood vessels break and bleed. The area affected may be scattered. A pool of blood or blood clot in the brain is an intracerebral hematoma.
Contusion may occur when the brain strikes a hard surface within the head and skull. It’s a serious head injury and loss of consciousness may occur. Swelling is expected and may be delayed two to three days following injury.
Diagnosis is made with brain scans.
Medication may be needed to prevent seizures. Surgery may address blood clots and swelling.
A brain contusion is an emergency medical condition following a car accident.
Coup-Contrecoup Injuries
A coup-contrecoup is an injury to two sides of the brain. Injury occurs both at the location of impact and on the opposite side of the brain.
Coup-contrecoup injury occurs when the brain rebounds and strikes hard matter in the head on the other side of the initial impact.
Diagnosis is made through brain scans, testing brain function, and evaluating symptoms.
Symptoms may depend on what parts of the brain are damaged.
Treatment typically focuses on therapy and improving cognition.
Diffuse Axonal Injury: A Serious Result of High-Impact Crashes
Diffuse axonal injury is the tearing of nerves in the brain and occurs when the brain accelerates and decelerates quickly.
Nerves send signals through the body and manage bodily functions. Neurons in the brain send and receive information. Axons transmit electrical signals from the cells of the nerve.
When nerves are stretched, pulled, and damaged in a car accident, a person has diffuse axonal injury.
Diffuse axonal injury is serious, typically affecting a large part of the brain and causing a coma.
Loss of consciousness does not occur in all cases. When a coma occurs, it is typically long-lasting, for six hours or more.
Treatment focuses on reducing swelling, and steroids may be helpful. A person may benefit from physical therapy, speech therapy, adaptive equipment, and mental health care.
When severe, injuries may be fatal or a person may be left in a vegetative state. For survivors, the prognosis is typically life-long impact and need for significant rehabilitation. Complete recovery may be possible in mild cases.
Penetrating Brain Injuries in Severe Car Accidents
When a foreign object enters the brain, a person has a penetrating brain injury. An object pierces the barriers of the brain, traumatizing brain matter. Broken glass, car parts, and other projectiles may enter the brain because of a car accident.
Penetrating brain injury results in a greater fatality rate than any other type of brain injury.
Blood may accompany damage to brain matter. There may also be leaking cerebrospinal fluid.
Treatment may include patient stabilization and prevention of additional harm. Surgery may remove foreign objects and control bleeding.
Treatment may also involve removing skull tissue to allow swelling without further damage. Emergency care focuses on minimizing damage to neurons. Infection is a serious concern.
Legal Rights of Victims of Brain Injuries from Car Accidents
A victim who suffers a brain injury from a car accident may have the right to financial compensation. Because brain injuries are serious and life-changing, the compensation that a person receives should reflect the severity of the injury.
To have the right to compensation, a person must prove legal fault. The person seeking compensation must then show that the car accident is the cause of injury.
Getting an appropriate monetary award requires documenting expenses related to the injury.
Expenses include the cost of immediate treatment as well as rehabilitation and long-term care expenses. A person may also claim for lost income, pain and suffering, disability, and disfigurement.
The victim has the legal right to compensation for economic and non-economic damages. They may have representation from an attorney.
Contact an Experienced Gastonia Car Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury in a car accident, contact an experienced Gastonia car accident lawyer. While a brain injury can change your life, the compensation that you receive can help and give you justice for what has happened.
Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys represents car accident victims with a variety of types of brain injuries. Call or message us now.
