Victims of car crashes can suffer from a host of injuries, one area that’s particularly vulnerable to injury is the brain. While some might assume that catastrophic brain injuries will only occur in the most serious crashes, that’s not necessarily the case.
Any violent head motion can damage the brain. This is because the brain can slam against the interior of the skull, even if the head isn’t directly hit.
A vehicle that’s slammed into and comes to a sudden stop, the head may fling around, which is enough to cause significant damage. It’s possible that the brain will have a contrecoup injury, which means opposite places on the brain are damaged.
Onset of symptoms
While it’s possible that a person who has a mild traumatic brain injury may not realize it for several days or even weeks, most people who have a moderate to severe injury will know within the first few hours or days of the crash.
The symptoms of these catastrophic brain injuries are often serious and easily noticed. Some of these include:
- Dilation of at least one pupil
- Loss of consciousness
- Clear fluid coming from the ears or nose
- Headache that doesn’t lessen in severity
- Loss of coordination
- Seizures
- Difficulty or inability to wake
- Slurred speech
Anyone who’s involved in a car crash should pay close attention to any signs that may signal a brain injury and get medical care if any appear. Treatment for a catastrophic traumatic brain injury can be costly, which can be difficult for victims to cover if they’re unable to work because of the injury. They may opt to pursue a compensation claim if the injury resulted from a negligent driver’s actions.