Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries From Car Accidents

Each year, brain injuries from car accidents result in approximately 200,000 emergency room visits, 50,000 hospitalizations, and 16,000 deaths. While many patients with mild cases are able to continue living a normal life, more than half of moderate to severe brain injury victims end up disabled and out of work. Without the right legal representation, it’s easy for such patients to end up bankrupt and unable to afford the rehabilitation they need to get back on their feet. 

If you or a loved one has endured a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from a motor vehicle accident, read on to learn how life may be affected and why it’s so important to hire a personal injury attorney who will go after the liable party. 

Common Brain Injuries from Car Accidents

The severity of TBIs after a car crash can vary widely, ranging from a bump on the head that causes a brief loss of consciousness to a hard impact blow that sends the victim into a coma.  The initial impact of an accident often causes the brain to bounce against the inside of the skull, leading to bruising, bleeding, and nerve damage. Once the brain is injured, it may swell and push against the skull, reducing oxygen flow around the brain. Some TBIs will heal in time, while others cause lifelong impairment.

The brain conditions doctors often diagnose after a car accident include:

Concussion

Concussions happen when the brain gets shaken or twists inside the skull, causing mild damage to nerves and blood vessels. Patients either lose consciousness for less than 30 seconds or have a change in awareness. Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light are common and can last from days to weeks. 

Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)

One of the most common types of brain injuries, DAI is widespread damage to the brain’s white matter caused by the tearing of the brain’s long connecting nerve fibers. Victims often fall into a coma and when the brain heals, may be left with long-term or permanent disabilities. 

Hematomas

When a blood vessel in the brain bursts upon impact, it leads to bleeding in and around the brain. In a motor vehicle crash, acute subdural hematoma (SDH) is a common intracranial injury, with high mortality and morbidity rates. 

Contusions

Bruising or swelling of the brain can occur when very small blood vessels bleed into brain tissue. Contusions can form on the side of the initial impact, or on the opposite side where the brain bounced (or the front and back of the brain). These injuries are common after high-speed crashes and aren’t always visible in scans right away but can significantly increase in size within the first 48 hours. If contusions hemorrhage, they can cause further brain tissue destruction.

Skull Fractures

High-speed impacts can cause breaks or cracks in the skull. Mild skull fractures can heal over time, but severe breaks can lead to a number of complications such as bleeding in the brain, leaking of cerebrospinal fluid, and seizures. 

Diagnosing the Severity of Traumatic Brain Injuries 

Immediately after a car accident, emergency responders should look for signs of a traumatic brain injury, which include loss of consciousness, no matter how brief; headache; blurry vision; unilateral dilation of pupils; dizziness; slurred speech; and confusion. If any of these symptoms are present, the crash victim should be taken to a hospital for further examination.

Sometimes, symptoms of a TBI are subtle or delayed. The adrenaline and chaos after an accident can mask signs of a brain injury, making it hard for patients to realize they are in pain; and difficult for doctors to determine if further tests should be performed. Since doctors can’t directly examine the brain, it is always safer to order a scan rather than assume the patient is fine.

A computed tomography (CT) scan can detect fractures, bleeding in the brain, hematomas, contusions, and brain tissue swelling. If patients exhibit symptoms of a TBI but a CT scan is negative, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be ordered. An MRI can detect micro hemorrhaging (tiny tears) from the rupture of tiny blood vessels.

A newer technology called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) offers an even more detailed look at the brain’s white matter tracts that CTs and MRIs can’t provide. It can find injuries to nerve fibers (called axons) in specific locations of the brain, painting a clear picture of potential long-term effects on cognitive and physical functions.

Besides examinations and imaging, doctors also consider the length of time that a person is unconscious to measure the severity of a brain injury. Patients who were out for less than 15 minutes may have a minor TBI, while those who lose consciousness between 15 minutes and 6 hours are likely to have a moderate brain injury. Anything longer than 6 hours is considered severe.  

Effects of Trauma on the Brain

Each patient who suffers a TBI is affected differently depending on the severity of the blow and the location of the injury within the brain. 

• An injury to the frontal lobe of the brain often impacts personality, along with problem-solving and planning skills. 
• If hit in the parietal, or middle lobe, a patient might have trouble identifying objects, understanding spatial relationships, interpreting pain, and understanding the spoken language.
• Vision disturbances can occur if the blow is to the occipital lobe, or at the back of the brain.
• Short-term memory, speech, and smell recognition might be affected if hit on either side of the head along the temporal lobe.

While a concussion often heals with rest and time, moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries may require extensive treatment and rehabilitation. One-third of TBI patients require hospitalization, surgery, or rehabilitation. 

In order for a patient to be able to perform daily living tasks and address cognitive, emotional, and occupational challenges so they can return to life as they know it, a team of physical, occupational, vocational, speech, and respiratory therapists may be needed. Without the right support, 75% of persons with a TBI will lose their jobs within 90 days of returning to work.

Recovery from a TBI presents physical, emotional, and financial challenges.

More Than Half of TBIs are Missed

According to the Brain Injury Association of America, as many as 56% of TBIs are not detected in the ER. Other studies show that hospitals miss TBI diagnoses 80% of the time. Patients who have endured brain injuries from car accidents and do not receive prompt care are at severe risk of brain swelling, stroke, and other further damage. 

Receiving treatment for these injuries, as well as financial compensation to help pay for treatment, depends on a prompt, accurate diagnosis. 

Who is Liable for a Brain Injury From a Car Accident?

Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney is the best way to ensure TBI victims receive the proper care and compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and long-term rehabilitation. There are multiple parties who could be to blame for a TBI after an accident.

The At-Fault Driver

If the other driver was violating traffic laws or driving recklessly and collided with your vehicle, they may be found responsible for your injuries. Using evidence such as surveillance footage, eyewitness statements, and medical reports, a personal injury attorney will work to prove that the driver’s negligence caused the car accident — which caused your traumatic brain injury. 

Medical Providers

As we discussed above, doctors misdiagnose traumatic brain injuries all the time. You might have been turned away from a hospital without a proper examination and scans, or were told you do not have a brain injury despite exhibiting symptoms. You may have a case against the doctor or hospital if negligence can be proven.

The Street or Highway Department

While state transportation departments are immune to most lawsuits under Tort Immunity Acts, you may be able to file a claim for vehicle damages and injuries if road conditions contributed to the accident. If a major pothole or debris in the road caused you to use control of the vehicle, it’s possible that the state, county, or local municipality could be held liable. Proving negligence is difficult in these cases and filing a claim is complicated. An experienced attorney will let you know if you have a case and will know who to contact.

The Best Personal Injury Attorney For Your TBI

At Hipskind and McAninch, our personal injury attorneys believe that every client should have the best chance possible to receive the maximum compensation for their injuries. Brain injuries can be life-altering and very expensive, with the lifetime cost of caring for a survivor more than $600,000. We will work to identify who is at fault for your accident and make sure you receive compensation to ease your financial burden. Contact us for free today.    

Category:

Car Accidents, Personal Injury, Serious Injuries

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auto accident, brain injuries from car accidents, car accident, personal injury attorney, traumatic brain injuries