Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) or head injuries are some of the most serious injuries resulting from car wrecks. Head injuries are also known as brain bleeds. This bleeding in or around the brain can lead to life-threatening consequences. The potential for traumatic brain injuries can come from any type of vehicle accident.
Defining Head Injuries
According to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, more than 6.7 million Americans have experienced a brain aneurysm or brain bleed in their lifetime. That equals about one out of every 50 Americans.
Brain bleed is an umbrella term used to explain bleeding in the brain between the brain tissue and the skull or inside the brain tissue. It can also be referred to as a brain aneurysm or brain hemorrhage.
Heads experiencing sudden jolts, bumps, and blows can damage or disturb the brain’s normal electrical function. In addition, the brain can be bruised, torn, or compressed. If the brain is damaged in certain areas, the victim of a brain injury can experience impairment to their vision, hearing, speech, memory, or motor control.
On some occasions, a head injury can cause unconsciousness. Even if this only lasts for a short while, the reduction of oxygen to the brain can cause catastrophic medical conditions. As the brain tissue swells in response to the original damage, secondary injuries often occur.
If this pressure is not relieved, permanent damage or death can occur. If the skull is penetrated, small pieces of glass or metal can become embedded in the braincase, causing considerable damage; more significant penetration wounds are frequently fatal.
Most Common Types of Collisions for Head Injuries
During the moment of impact in a car accident, the neck and head move more freely than the body. Often, people suffer whiplash or damage to the neck’s muscles and tendons. This same jolting motion can force the brain to jostle around the skull.
The four most common collisions for head injuries are:
- Head-on: When the front of a vehicle smashes into a stationary object or another vehicle, a driver’s head may slam into the steering wheel or the windshield.
- Rear-end: When a vehicle strikes another from behind, victims often suffer whiplash, which strains the neck and back muscles, or closed head injuries when the brain moves rapidly back and forth inside the skull.
- T-bone: When one vehicle hits another on the side, the head is tossed from side to side and may hit the window or other surfaces.
- Rollover: A rollover crash is one of the most dangerous because occupants of the vehicle may be hit with flying objects inside the vehicle, slammed into the vehicle’s interior surfaces, or thrown from the vehicle.
When the brain is damaged by striking the skull, there are multiple types of head injuries that may occur. Anyone experiencing head injury symptoms should seek medical treatment immediately. A brain bleed is a significant injury and can be life-threatening.
Types of Head Injuries
According to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vehicle collisions account for approximately 300,000 of the more than 1.7 million TBIs diagnosed each year. Vehicle collisions make up the leading cause of head injury-related death for people aged 5-24.
After a vehicle collision, some injuries are obvious, but others can be silent. That is why you need to seek a medical evaluation soon after a crash, whether you feel fine or not. Your injuries may not be immediately apparent. Brain injuries often go undiagnosed until people collapse or begin to experience secondary symptoms.
Undiagnosed victims can fall into a coma or vegetative state without immediate and proper medical treatment. Getting medical treatment protects your health and establishes a link between your injuries and a vehicle collision.
The four most common types of head injuries suffered in collisions are:
- Concussions: The most common type of head injury, concussions often result from stopping suddenly and hitting something with your head. The recovery period is usually one to two months.
- Contusions: Cerebral contusions occur when brain tissue is bruised. The force of the blow can also tear tissue or break blood vessels in the brain. There are three kinds of contusions after a hard blow to the head:
- Coup: Injuries occur directly under the impact area.
- Contrecoup: Injuries occur to the side of the skull opposite the impact.
- Coup-contrecoup: Injuries are suffered at the point of impact and the opposite side of the skull.
- Diffuse Axonal Injury: A diffuse axonal brain injury will substantially affect your cognitive function. During this type of head injury, the brain’s nerve fibers are sheared or torn due to the brain being twisted in the blow. This injury can affect a victim’s ability to communicate, concentrate, or reason. There is also a danger of falling into a coma.
- Penetrating Head Injury: This occurs when something in or around the car penetrates the skull. Along with a brain bleed and cranial damage, the brain is also torn or crushed. Frequently, victims suffering this type of injury experience catastrophic damage or die.
Brain Injury Symptoms
Recognizing the symptoms of a brain bleed is a crucial step in seeking immediate medical attention. When a victim receives medical attention it can make a significant difference in an injury’s outcome. Head injuries share similar symptoms, varying from mild, moderate, or severe.
Some symptoms become more debilitating as the level of damage increases. These symptoms include:
- Dizziness
- Difficulty swallowing or speaking
- Inability to understand what others are saying
- Insomnia or sleep disturbances
- Losing consciousness or struggling to stay awake
- Loss of coordination
- Memory loss
- Mood swings
- Nausea
- Numbness in the face, arms, or legs
- Paralysis in the face, legs, or arms
- Tingling in face
- Unexplained weakness
- Vomiting
Legal and Financial Challenges After a TBI
The severity and unpredictability of the injuries make brain bleed claims complex. The symptoms and onset time of a head injury can vary widely, which makes assessing the injury’s full impact a challenge.
Often, insurance companies try to reduce settlements or deny the claim. They may use delay or dispute techniques, including:
- Downplaying the injury’s severity
- Blaming pre-existing conditions
- Questioning the cause of injury
- Asserting limited coverage
- Seeking early settlements
