Car accidents can bring with them life-changing consequences, and one of the most severe outcomes is a brain injury. Like all injuries, brain injuries can range in severity from mild concussions to severe brain damage.
Understanding the causes, symptoms, and potential long-term effects of a brain injury that resulted from a car accident is important. Understanding the injury allows a victim to have the right treatment plan and chart the best course forward in their path to healing.
Unfortunately, one of the most common injuries an individual can suffer after a car accident is a brain injury. According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control, between the years 2006 and 2010, motor vehicle traffic crashes account for a majority of TBI-related deaths, with an injury rate of about 55.8% in children ages 5 to 14 years old and 47.4% in young adults ages 15–24 years old.
A driver and their passengers can experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI) because of the extreme force on their body after a collision. Not wearing a seatbelt and failing to use proper car seats for children can all increase the risk of a TBI.
Traumatic brain injuries are classified into two types: Closed-brain injuries and penetrating-brain injuries. A closed brain injury happens when a traumatic event has caused the brain to shake back and forth in the skull, resulting in damage to the brain tissue and blood vessels.
Penetrating brain injuries refer to open head wounds where the skull has cracked or an object has pierced the brain.
Both closed and penetrating brain injuries can occur during a car accident, though closed brain injuries are more common because of the force of the collision. Other common causes of brain injury can include:
Recognizing the signs of a brain injury is crucial. Depending on the type of accident, some brain injury symptoms may be more visible than others. Additionally, the severity of the brain injury will also impact the symptoms a victim shows.
Symptoms of a brain injury vary, but some of the more common indicators that a brain injury has occurred include:
It’s important to understand that some symptoms may not immediately manifest after a car accident. The delayed onset of head and brain injury symptoms is not uncommon, and a victim, their loved ones, and their healthcare providers should remain vigilant for the signs of a brain injury to appear days or even weeks after the accident.
Brain injuries range in severity but will often impact various aspects of an individual’s life both in the short term and long term. The long-term consequences of a TBI can be broken into three categories: physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects.
Brain injuries can have a severe effect on an individual’s physical capabilities. Some of these effects can impact a person’s motor skills and ability to balance and perform everyday activities.
Other physical effects include chronic pain such as headaches or neck pain. In severe cases, victims may develop epileptic seizures.
If a victim suffers cognitive consequences after a brain injury, they will deal with effects on their speech, communication, memory, and their ability to concentrate.
Victims of a traumatic brain injury may also experience emotional and behavioral issues like mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress disorder. Understanding triggers and how to manage these emotional and behavioral effects is critical to recovery.
If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury because of another driver’s negligence, an attorney can help you do the following:
If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury following a car accident in Tampa, Florida, it’s important to understand your legal rights and options. The Tampa personal injury attorneys at Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, can help you pursue the justice you deserve.
Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury.
Percent Distributions of TBI-related Deaths by Age Group and Injury Mechanism — United States, 2006–2010.
Whiplash.