Recognizing Signs of Brain Injury After a Car Accident

The brain acts as the control center for your body and mind, making it an extremely important organ. Injuries to the brain have a significant impact on a person’s physical, emotional, and cognitive abilities and permanently alter the way they go about their everyday life. While a brain injury may seem like a rare injury, approximately 23,500 people visit Colorado emergency rooms every year due to a traumatic brain injury. The leading causes of brain injuries are falls and motor vehicle accidents.

Some brain injuries happen in tragic, unavoidable instances where no one is responsible for the injury. In other cases, another person’s negligence can cause a car accident that results in a brain injury. Signs and symptoms of brain injuries often depend on the severity of the injury. If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury in a car accident, contact an attorney at Gerash Steiner Blanton, P.C., to schedule a free initial consultation. Our team can review the circumstances of your case and determine whether the at-fault party is liable for losses stemming from your brain injury.

Common Signs of a Brain Injury After a Car Accident

It is not uncommon for someone involved in a car accident to strike their head on something during the crash. Symptoms of a potential brain injury include:

• Losing consciousness,
• Severe and prolonged headaches,
• Vomiting,
• Slurred speech,
• Behavioral changes,
• Restlessness,
• Significant confusion,
• Nausea,
• Severe drowsiness, and
• Dilated pupils.

Some of these symptoms may appear right after your car accident, but others may take longer. Even if you only experience a few signs of a brain injury after a car accident, you should seek medical treatment right away. Once you seek medical treatment, you should consult an attorney right away to determine whether you should file a car accident claim.

How Do Brain Injuries Happen During a Car Accident?

The average passenger vehicle weighs between 4,000 and 6,000 pounds. When these large pieces of metal collide at high speeds, the impact of the collision causes occupants of both vehicles to jolt back and forth and bear the brunt of the impact. The rapid back-and-forth movement of the brain inside the skull can start to inflict harm on the brain. 

In some cases, an occupant can hit their head on a window, another person’s body, or a piece of property inside the vehicle. In especially violent car crashes, an occupant may eject from the vehicle and strike their head wherever they land. If someone stops breathing after a car accident, the lack of oxygen to the brain can inflict devastating injuries in a very short time.

Can I Miss Brain Injury Signs After a Car Accident?

Even if you do not see any signs of a brain injury, you should seek immediate medical attention if you hit your head during a car accident. People typically expect to feel a little out of sorts after a car crash, so they do not always seek medical treatment in a timely fashion. Your health is the top priority and you can seek reimbursement for your medical bills from the party liable for your injuries.Failure to promptly diagnose and treat a brain injury can lead to short and long-term consequences. Thus, consulting with a medical professional as soon as possible after a blow to the head or other head injury is essential.

Types of Brain Injuries

A brain injury includes any damage to the brain, whether or not it leads to temporary or permanent effects on your everyday life. Brain injuries can range from minor to life-threatening and the severity of the injury will determine the appropriate treatment plan.

Concussion

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or impact to the body that causes the brain to move back and forth rapidly. The force to the brain causes chemical changes and can damage or stretch brain cells. Concussion signs after a car accident may include:

• Dizziness,
• Headache,
• Vomiting, and
• Sensitivity to light.

Although medical professionals often describe a concussion as a mild brain injury, it can still lead to long-term consequences if left untreated.

Brain Bleed

A brain bleed occurs when the brain starts bleeding inside the skull. A bleed inside the skull can occur either outside or within the brain tissue. If the brain hits the inside of the skull with enough force, it can cause a blood vessel in the brain to burst, resulting in a brain bleed.

What If I Ignore Head Injury Signs After a Car Accident?

A brain injury can significantly impact your emotional state, physical health, and quality of life. Lack of treatment can enhance these negative effects. Leaving a brain injury untreated can result in the following: 

• Cognitive and executive functioning problems;
• Inability to communicate;
• Behavioral and emotional changes;
• Altered consciousness, including coma and brain death; 
• Long-term physical complications, such as seizures and fluid buildup in the brain;
• Increased risk of degenerative brain diseases; and
• Risk of death.

Efficient and effective medical treatment can reduce the risk of long-term issues associated with a brain injury. Additionally, car accident victims are required to mitigate their damages by seeking appropriate care and treatment for an injury. If your failure to seek treatment increases the severity of your injuries, the opposing party may not be liable for the damages you could have avoided by taking the appropriate action.

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer at Gerash Steiner & Blanton, P.C., Today to Discuss Potential Brain Injuries

If you or a loved one suffered a brain injury in a Colorado car accident, you need a dedicated, experienced lawyer who is fully prepared to protect your legal rights and secure a favorable result. Our team at Gerash Steiner Blanton, P.C., puts the best interests of our clients before everything else and fights tirelessly to obtain the compensation they deserve. We are not a firm that takes hundreds of cases and gives minimal attention to each one. When we take your case, we give you individual attention so we can create a strategy tailored to your case. Contact our office today to discuss ways we can help you.