The aftermath of a car accident can be extremely difficult, regardless of the type of injury you sustain. The human body is resilient, however, there are some injuries that are significantly serious and that you must be aware of because not everyone is and these injuries can be life-threatening.
Traumatic brain injuries
The impact of a car accident can shake your brain in such a way that it causes serious harm, like a traumatic brain injury or TBI. These injuries are not immediately obvious.
Though many times doctors can identify and diagnose these injuries shortly after the accident, many times doctors will see nothing at first because the symptoms of a brain injury can manifest much later.
Common yet subtle signs
Sometimes the symptoms come on strong and other times they can seem benign and unrelated to the injury, like sleep disturbances or vision problems. However, these can be signs of a traumatic brain injury. If you suffer an injury because of a car accident, watch out for:
- Headaches
- Disorientation
- Dizziness
- Trouble remembering things
- Changes in your mood
- Sleep problems
- Eyesight issues
- Hearing problems
- Hard time concentrating
- Slurred speech or inability to recall words
- Loss of motivation and feeling depressed
What to do if this is you
If you are in a car accident and suspect your doctor may have missed a brain injury, or if there were not enough symptoms at the time to identify it, as soon as you experience any of these symptoms, err on the side of caution and assume it could be related to the car accident.
Why should I do that?
It is better to assume that there is a relationship between the car accident and the symptoms you are having because the brain is a delicate organ that, when shaken, can suffer significantly.
In addition, brain injuries can manifest in so many ways because the brain is connected to every other part of the body. Without the brain, there is no life. This is how important your brain health is.
What if I have a brain injury?
If you have a brain injury, you might wonder what to expect. The possible outcomes depend on so many factors, including the severity of the injury, the part of the brain affected and the extent to which it was affected.
The outcome of a slight bruise of brain tissue will look quite different from what the result of a lack of oxygen can do to the brain. In the latter, for example, depending on how many seconds passed before your brain began receiving oxygen again, the injury can be superficial and mild all the way to life-threatening.
If you suffered a brain injury in a car accident, there are many possibilities of what you can expect. Including, for example:
- Losing your memory
- Issues with cognition (making decisions, concentrating)
- Mental health problems
- Middle ear issues (balance problems)
- Loss of hearing or vision
- Neurological problems
You are also at a higher risk of developing dementia or Parkinson’s disease.
All of this information should give you an idea of the seriousness of brain injuries and what to look for, as well as what to expect if you have a brain injury.
Medical urgency
Make sure you seek medical attention, make a list of all your symptoms, even if you think it might be benign, and get medical help immediately. Ask for tests that your doctor deems appropriate for evaluating whether your brain sustained an injury.
It is critical to contact a personal injury attorney who can help you identify whether you have a case. Many of these situations end up in settlements that include monetary compensation. It is important for you to know your rights and understand what the law says about your situation.