It is a very rare case for car accidents to go without any injuries. The intensity of the impact during the accident depends on many other factors. However, it appears that head injuries are the most common ones. Car accidents are the leading causes of severe injuries such as brain injuries which can be caused by direct impact, blows, and jolts. Yet, you need to bear in mind that not all brain injuries are the same. Namely, there are various types of injuries that can happen with different consequences that will eventually have different legal outcomes. These are some of the most common head injuries caused in car accidents.
Concussion
Even though concussion is considered a mild brain injury, it still has some serious post-accident effects, such as dizziness and extreme pain. Concussions are most commonly the result of a blow to the head and are typically marked by symptoms such as extreme headaches, vomiting, nausea, blurred vision, and ringing in the ears. You can simply face a concussion as the result of a car accident. Also, the symptoms of a concussion can be temporarily delayed, so it would be smart to instantly contact an ambulance after you get through the accident.
Brain Contusion
A contusion is the very essence of a bruise. However, it is not a basic bruise, it is a bruise on your brain. This can be the outcome or the result of a violent blow to the head or even a violent jolt to the head. In this case, your brain collides with your skull, causing your brain to bruise. So, if you suffered a traumatic brain injury such as a brain contusion, it is crucial to have a documented piece of evidence so you can make necessary claims from the insurance or even make personal injury claims. Additionally, you should speak with a brain injury attorney to assist you in navigating the complicated legal issues that may arise if you decide to fight for your compensation. Even though many contusions heal on their own, they can be the cause of some very serious states, such as blood clots or even bleeding from the brain. When in a car accident, contusions can happen when you hit your head with the rear, frontal, or side part of your head.
Skull Fracture
If you happen to go through a severe car accident, then your skull can actually fracture. This injury is usually accompanied by injuries to the brain tissue and can be as well accompanied by some other injuries such as concussion or contusions. There are many different symptoms indicating skull fracture, but the most common ones are bleeding from the nose and ears, bruises all over your head, and instant swelling at the place of impact. You can suffer these injuries if the blow and impact are hard enough, and this can basically be an outcome of any accident. Skull fractures can occur in or outside of the vehicle if you are thrown through the windshield.
Acquired Brain Injury
Acquired brain injury is also called a second brain injury, and it should not be the result of any impact made on your head. It is caused by the shortage of oxygen getting to your brain as a result of some other injuries. Without oxygen, your brain cells start dying, which can lead to severe brain injuries or damage and can eventually result in reduced brain functioning. Your head is rarely the only body part going through the impact, and you should also know that any injury can cause a shortage of oxygen or stop blood flow to your brain. For instance, if you were badly hurt in the crash and your breathing stopped for a couple of minutes before you were brought to life again, you might suffer secondary brain injury due to the lack of oxygen. Secondary brain injuries can vary from damage in the frontal area of your brain, causing you to lose some of your basic abilities, such as the ability to talk, or even result in complete disability with none of your limbs functioning.
Car accidents are very stressful events that can lead to a huge number of health complications. In the majority of cases, these injuries leave some consequences, and these can go from mild to severe based on the impact you have gone through. Even though your head injuries were not so severe, you should visit the doctor and have a detailed checkup since these injuries can have delayed symptoms and medical reports pose a very important piece of evidence for your future insurance claims.