In a car accident, many kinds of injuries can happen, but there is one kind of injury that causes a lot of concern: a brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are caused by unnatural movement, bumps, blows to the head, or violent shaking, resulting in a sudden striking of the brain against the skull. The brain’s soft tissue absorbs the force of the impact, which can disrupt the brain’s normal function. TBIs can range from mild to severe and may take months to appear.
Motor vehicle crashes are the third overall leading cause of TBI-related hospital visits and deaths, after falls and being stuck by or against an object. During a car crash, a person may experience whiplash and be subjected to sudden violent movements. Their head may even hit surfaces such as the steering wheel or dashboard. No matter if you were rear-ended or were in a head-on collision, there are a few different brain injuries that you may sustain.
Concussion
Concussions are mild TBIs and are one of the most familiar types of brain injuries, especially in car accidents. It can occur after an impact to the head that causes your head and brain to quickly shake back and forth, like when you get whiplash.
The symptoms of a concussion differ depending on the injury’s severity. While some people experience a loss of consciousness after a concussion, not all people do. Some more symptoms of a concussion include:
- Balance problems
- Confusion
- Difficulty concentrating
- Dizziness
- Double vision or blurred vision
- Drowsiness or feeling sluggish
- Headache
- Lightheadedness
- Memory problems
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sensitivity to light or noise
- Slowed reaction to stimuli
- Slurred speech
Contusion
A contusion is a localized bruise on the brain tissue and can occur after a direct impact on the head, like when your head strikes the window or steering wheel when in a car accident. Like other bruises, brain contusions range from minor to life-threatening.
Some symptoms of a contusion include the following:
- Cognitive changes
- Difficulty balancing or coordinating
- Difficulty forming new memories
- Difficulty forming sentences
- Finding it hard to concentrate
- Numbness or tingling in the affected area
- Slurred speech
Penetration
A penetrating head wound happens when an object punctures your skull and hits your brain. In a car accident, the objects both inside and outside the vehicle may become dangerous projectiles that can cause severe penetrative injuries.
Injuries such as this can be fatal. They may cause serious complications such as the following:
- Bleeding from the ears
- Coma
- Difficulty breathing
- Heavy blood loss
- Loss of bowel and bladder function
- Loss of consciousness
- Loss of movement or sensation in limbs
- Paralysis
- Seizure
No matter what kind of TBI you or someone you love has sustained in a car accident in Los Angeles, you should get in contact with a brain injury attorney from Haffner Law. You may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Haffner Law is committed to our clients. We will review your case and determine which legal options are available for you to recover compensation. Get in touch with us today for a free consultation.
(This is an attorney advertisement by Joshua Haffner)
