The Dangers of Traumatic Brain Injuries After a Car Accident

Injuries sustained in serious car accidents range from those caused by flying debris and airbag burns to those caused by trying to brace oneself for impact (if one has time to do so). However, brain damage is one of the terrifying aftereffects of a car crash. A brain injury is often “invisible,” or undetectable, following an accident. There is a professional personal injury attorney in Columbus, Ohio that works exclusively with clients who have suffered brain injuries as a result of car accidents.

Traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of brain injuries. A mild concussion is not considered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), but a severe, sudden, and unprovoked physical attack on the head is. It is a leading reason for adult mortality and disability. A brain injury can range in severity from a minor concussion to a serious injury that causes coma or even death. There might be localized (to one part of the brain) or widespread (affecting several parts) damage (which happens in more than one area of the brain).

Types of TBI

Brain damage can occur in two different ways:

Closed brain injury. 

When the skull is not broken, the harm to the brain is called a closed brain injury. When the brain is violently jolted forward or backward inside the protective skull bone, bruising and tearing of brain tissue and blood arteries occur, leading to a closed brain injury. Automobile accidents fall, and, increasingly, contact sports are leading causes of closed brain injuries. This kind of harm can also occur if you shake a newborn (called shaken baby syndrome).

Penetrating brain injury. 

When the skull is cracked open, like when a gunshot enters the brain, the result is a penetrating head injury.

Diffuse axonal injury:

Traumatic brain movement and rotation inside the skull can cause lengthy connecting nerve fibers in the brain to be sheared (torn) and lead to diffuse axonal damage. This movement and rotation of the brain are what causes the damage (axons). DAI frequently leads to coma in addition to the damage to other areas of the brain. Imaging procedures such as a CT scan or an MRI may not detect the changes in the brain because they are normally very small and can only be seen with a microscope.

Primary and secondary brain injury

The term “primary brain injury” refers to an injury that occurs suddenly and severely to the brain and is generally understood to be more or less complete at the time of impact. This occurs during a traumatic event, be it a vehicle crash, a gunshot wound, or a tumble.

Alterations that manifest themselves several hours to days after the first brain injury are called secondary brain injuries. It encompasses a whole chain of cellular, chemical, tissue, or blood vascular alterations in the brain that lead to the continued loss of brain tissue. Each of these alterations occurs at a different level.

Recovering from Accident-Induced Brain Injury

Even a “minor” vehicle accident can cause irreparable brain injury. Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may be able to rest at home, while others will require surgery. In severe cases, patients may need to spend weeks (or even months) in the hospital waiting for the swelling to subside or for the intracranial pressure to normalize. Patients with traumatic brain injuries may experience, at the very least:

  • Physical therapy
  • Frequent visits to the doctor
  • Rehabilitation exercises and more

Causes bruising and internal damage to the brain

The brain and internal tissues and blood vessels are bruised and damaged by a direct blow to the head due to a mechanism termed coup-contrecoup. A coup lesion is a bruise that forms at the point of impact (pronounced COO). With enough force, the brain can jolt backward and hit the opposite side of the skull, leaving a bruise known as a contrecoup lesion. When the brain is violently jolted against the sides of the skull, it can produce internal bleeding, bruising, or swelling due to shearing (tearing) the internal lining, tissues, and blood vessels.

Step After a Car Accident

It is in your best interest to get checked out after a car accident, regardless of whether or not you believe your injuries are significant. You can look for a professional and even ask to be examined for a probable head injury if you do this.

After the accident, it is essential for both your well-being and your case that you keep track of any health symptoms you may be experiencing. Many survivors keep journals or diaries to document their experiences and track their improvement. Keeping a journal may reveal a problematic pattern of symptoms if they are tracked over time. The most important thing you can do is make another appointment with your doctor if you notice any changes in how you felt before the accident.

Conclusion

If you or a loved one has been in a car accident and you suspect that a traumatic brain injury may have occurred, you should see a doctor right away (TBI). The next step is to speak with a car accident lawyer who concentrates on representing people who have suffered brain injuries as a result of automobile accidents. You may be entitled to traumatic brain injury compensation if the accident you were engaged in was the result of the negligence of another party (TBI).