Accident victims experience a wide range of severe injuries. Victims of auto collisions and even sports accidents suffer from severe trauma to the brain, primarily due to the abrupt, jolting movements the body is subjected to on impact. The most common type of traumatic brain injury victims suffer from is the concussion. However, there are many more kinds that can result in severe, even permanent damage. These conditions and their associated symptoms are described below.
Critical Information About Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur as a result of abrupt damage inflicted upon the brain. If the body is severely jolted back and forth for any reason, the brain may collide into the inner surfaces of the skull, resulting in bruising, bleeding, and nerve damage. The sudden impact may target specific regions of the brain in a way that causes devastating consequences for standard functionality. Yet, even when particular lobes of the brain are impacted, the entire brain may still be compromised.
Typically, symptoms that can clue victims into the existence of the TBI include:
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Loss of consciousness
Part of the unique danger imposed by TBIs is that they are not always readily apparent in their onset. Often, victims do not feel as if they are injured, and neglect to visit a medical professional since no harmful conditions are readily noticeable. This is often a lethal mistake, as TBIs can worsen quite rapidly since the brain continues to swell after impact. This swelling causes a restriction of blood flow and limits the distribution of oxygen throughout the body. (This worsening frequently results in a worse condition than the initial impact would have caused on its own.)
Types of Brain Injuries You May Experience in an Accident
The most prominent types of brain injuries that accident victims are at risk of experiencing include:
- Concussion: This may result in a severely altered mental disposition and potentially loss of consciousness.
- Contusion: Upon impact, some blood vessels may be broken, which causes bruising on the brain (these vessels leak onto the brain tissue).
- Hematoma: Blood vessels can rupture due to the sudden impact, causing clots, speech impairment, seizures, and weakness in the overall body. If the body does not reabsorb the clot, there is a possibility that it will cause a stroke.
- Inflammation: This occurs when the condition is not addressed in an appropriate time. As the brain attempts to cope with the injury naturally, excess nutrients and fluids begin to build up, creating pressure within the skull.
- Diffuse axonal injury: Nerve cells may be severed or stretched, which disrupts communications between axons, impairing an individual’s physical and cognitive abilities.
- Traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage: The bleeding caused by the impact may leak into the cerebrospinal fluid, leading to coma, paralysis, or death.
Those who suffer from these TBIs may experience severe, lifelong effects. These can impact your physical, cognitive, sensory, and emotional stability and health, ultimately reducing your quality of life and causing unprecedented financial damage. If you have been injured in an accident and were diagnosed with any of the TBIs discussed here, contact a personal injury lawyer right away. They will fight for you and ensure you receive the compensation needed to treat your condition and return to health as soon as possible.
