Head and Brain Injuries are Common Among Serious Car Accidents

One of the first things that paramedics check auto accident victims for are brain injuries. In addition to being common in car crashes, they can be extremely serious – with permanent effects. The trauma can happen when a person’s skull hits an object like a windshield. The force can cause the brain to hit against the skull, leading to brain bleeding or bruising. Even if the head does not actually collide with something, the force from the accident can cause significant trauma to the brain.

Concussions, Contusions, Diffuse Anoxal Injuries

Concussions happen when the brain collides with the inside of the skull, and contusions are when the brain suffers a bruise, usually from direct impact to the victim’s head. Severe shaking or rotation may cause a diffuse axonal injury, which is a tearing of the brain structures. These are more common in high-speed accidents.

To identify a concussion, medical practitioners look for symptoms like confusion, dizziness, slurred speech, nausea and vomiting, headache, and ringing in the ears. Some people will also experience a temporary loss of consciousness, personality changes, and difficulty with concentration. Contusions can have some of the same symptoms, along with problems with speech, coordination, and memory. Other cognitive changes and numbness in the affected area may also be present. Signs to look for in diffuse axonal injuries include a loss of consciousness, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, and headache.

Coup-Contrecoup and Penetration Injuries

These two injuries can occur from severely forceful or violent accidents. Coup-contrecoup happens when the brain jerks very suddenly, making the brain impact both inner sides of the skull. As a result, both sides of the brain are damaged, with symptoms including seizure, memory problems, skull fractures, bleeding and swelling of the brain, blurred vision, and personality changes.

Penetrating head wounds are among the most traumatic, and happen when an object penetrates the skull. Aside from heavy blood loss, the person may experience difficulty breathing, seizures, bleeding from their ears, loss of bowel and bladder function, paralysis, and coma.

Proof of Brain Injury in Court

Proving brain injury in court is not always as easy as it sounds. Not all brain imaging studies can show the minute changes that occur after a trauma. Basic MRIs and CT scans are helpful but may not have the detail needed to show brain damage.

Newer MRI technologies are more powerful than their predecessors and can identify structural damage in the brain. PET scans can also be helpful, as they let doctors gauge how the brain uses oxygen. A brain that is not using oxygen properly is likely injured.

Many car accident injuries do not become apparent until time has elapsed after the accident. They could show up the next day or even weeks later. This is why it is so important to have a medical evaluation as soon as possible after a motor vehicle accident. Even if the victim looks and claims to feel fine, they could have a traumatic injury that affects their life forever.

Delaware Car Accident Lawyers at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC Offer Help for Brain Injury Victims

If you are suffering from a brain injury related to a car accident, contact a Delaware car accident lawyer at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC. Call us at 215-569-8488 or 302-888-1221 or complete an online form for a free case evaluation. We have offices in Philadelphia, Abington, and Media, Pennsylvania to assist clients across Chester County and Delaware County. Our Wilmington, Delaware offices assist clients in Dover, Middletown, and Newark, and our Haddonfield, New Jersey offices help those throughout South Jersey.