Brain injuries are more common after car crashes than most people realize. They can happen in high-speed collisions and even in crashes that seem minor from the outside. With brain injuries, there are often no visible wounds or marks, so victims may not know they are injured right away. As a result, victims often don’t get the treatment they need soon enough either. Understanding how these injuries occur after car accidents and what to do to protect yourself legally and physically are essential. Consulting with an experienced Las Vegas brain injury lawyer from Valiente Mott Injury Attorneys is crucial to protecting your legal rights. Contact us today to schedule your free consultations.
How Car Accidents Cause Brain Injuries
Car accidents can cause brain injuries in several ways, some of which you might not have considered. Here’s how this can happen:
Sudden Impact Leading to Violent Head Movements
When a car suddenly stops or changes direction, which happens when it crashes into something, your body can snap forward or to the side quickly. This motion can force the brain to move inside your skull, even if the head itself doesn’t hit anything, which can lead to brain injuries. This won’t lead to any external injury, making it hard to recognize in some cases.
Penetrating Head Injuries
Debris or broken glass can sometimes break through the skull. When an object or piece of the car penetrates the head or face, this leads to an open wound and often trauma to the brain tissue. This is a more obvious injury, which allows the injured party to get help quickly.
Airbag Injuries
Airbags are meant to help protect you during an accident, but when they go off, they’re just a few inches from your face or may end up actually hitting you in the face. The impact can cause your head to move aggressively, leading to head and brain injuries.
Steering Wheel Impact
Not every car accident allows time for every airbag to fully deploy. If your head strikes the steering wheel or another hard surface, it can cause direct trauma to the skull. This blunt force can result in concussions and cause internal bleeding around the brain.
Types of Brain Injuries You Could Experience After a Car Accident
It’s also helpful to understand the specific types of brain injuries you could experience after a car accident. Common ones include:
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A TBI is a broader term for any injury that disrupts brain function, like hitting your head against a window, dashboard, or other part of the car. TBIs range from mild to severe and can result in troubles with memory, thinking, and mood.
- Concussion: A concussion is a mild brain injury that happens when the head is violently rocked or hit, causing the brain to bounce inside the skull.
- Diffuse Axonal Injury: This occurs when sudden force causes the brain to twist or shift inside the skull, stretching or tearing nerve fibers throughout the brain. These injuries often lead to loss of consciousness and can have serious, long-term effects.
- Contusions and Brain Bleeding (Intracranial Hemorrhage): A violent jolt or blow can bruise the brain tissue or cause blood vessels in the brain to break and bleed. This pressure can damage healthy brain tissue and puts a person at risk for complications or even lead to emergency surgery.
- Penetrating Skull Injuries: A sharp object, shattered bone, or car debris that pierces the skull can directly injure the brain, often leading to severe disability or even death.
- Hypoxic Brain Injuries (Loss of Oxygen Due to Trauma): Sometimes a crash can disrupt breathing or blood flow enough to deprive the brain of oxygen (hypoxia), leading to widespread damage. The effects can range from short-term confusion to permanent brain injury or coma.
Understanding these different ways the brain can be harmed in a crash emphasizes why it’s so important to be checked by a doctor after any accident.
Symptoms of Brain Injuries
After a car accident, brain injuries can show up in many different ways. Some symptoms are easy to overlook, but ignoring them can be dangerous and even life-threatening. Here are some warning signs you should always take seriously:
- Loss of consciousness, even for a few seconds
- Headaches that don’t go away Confusion or trouble remembering things
- Nausea or repeated vomiting
- Unusual drowsiness or trouble staying awake
- Slurred speech
- Blurred vision Sudden weakness or numbness in arms or legs
- Problems with balance or walking
- Changes in personality or sudden mood swings
- Seizures
If you notice any of these signs after a car accident, it’s important to get medical help right away.
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How a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help Brain Injury Victims
A Las Vegas personal injury lawyer plays an important role for anyone recovering from a brain injury after a car accident. The journey to a full recovery can be complicated and expensive. Here are some ways a lawyer can help you in these types of cases:
Investigate the Crash and Gather Evidence
A lawyer will collect police reports, photos, witness statements, and other details from the accident scene to show how and why the crash happened.
Work With Medical Experts to Prove the Brain Injury
Attorneys regularly work with doctors and other experts to confirm the type and extent of the brain injury. Medical evidence plays a big part in an insurance claim or lawsuit.
Calculate Long-Term Costs
Car accident brain injuries can lead to years of treatments and day-to-day treatment. Your lawyer will include more than just your immediate medical expenses – they’ll calculate ongoing care, rehabilitation, changes to your ability to work, and pain and suffering.
Negotiate With Insurance Companies
Insurance companies often try to settle claims quickly and pay out as little as possible. A lawyer deals with these conversations and will try to make sure you get a settlement that is in line with what you’re actually entitled to.
Take the Case to Trial if Needed
If an insurance company refuses to make a fair offer, your lawyer can file a lawsuit and fight on your behalf in court to get you fair compensation. The right legal help lets victims and their families get the compensation they need so they can focus on their recovery. If you have questions about your own case, contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
