Head trauma or traumatic brain injuries are among the most serious injuries
suffered in car accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car accidents are the most common cause of brain injuries requiring hospitalization among adolescents and adults ages 15 to 44.
Head injuries in car accidents may range from concussions to serious brain injuries, which may have long-term repercussions for victims and their families. The signs and symptoms of a head injury may not appear immediately and in some cases, may not be apparent for days after the impact that caused the injury. Symptoms may come and go and appear temporary. This is why it is important to get prompt medical attention if you’ve suffered a blow to the head in a car accident.
Types of Car Accident Head Injuries
Head injuries in car crashes may happen because of a blow to the head such as striking the side frame or windshield of a vehicle or because of violent movement of the head in a rear-end collision. This type of movement can cause the brain to move inside the skull, causing catastrophic injuries. If an object causes a skull fracture, it can also cause a penetrating injury and brain damage. In some instances, pieces of a broken bone may tear into the brain causing serious damage.
Here are some of the types of brain injuries that are often sustained in car accidents:
Concussion: A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head. While medical providers may describe a concussion as a “mild” brain injury because they are not life-threatening, the effects of a concussion may potentially be serious and long-term. Repeated concussions can cause cumulative and irreversible brain damage.
Diffuse axonal brain injury: This type of injury indicates widespread damage to the tissue throughout the brain. The location of the injury will often determine which bodily functions are affected. When a larger part of the brain has been affected, the damage will be more and the extent to which a person can perform vital functions may be limited.
Intracranial hematoma: This is essentially a blood clot that is located in or near the brain. Intracranial hematomas can cause pressure on the brain, which if not relieved, may lead to permanent brain damage.
Brain bleeding: Bleeding may occur within the skull or outside the brain or even within brain tissue. Without immediate medical attention, coma or even death may occur. These types of catastrophic injuries are common in violent collisions.
What Happens After a Brain Injury?
When a person suffers severe brain injuries in a car accident, he or she may require a hospital stay for additional tests and close monitoring. Sometimes brain surgery may be required to help manage brain swelling or to repair damaged tissue. Often, in such cases, we also see that patients need rehabilitation and skilled care during recovery. When critical parts of the brain are damaged, patients are not always able to achieve full functional recovery and many may even require help with basic needs such as eating and dressing.
It is important that a victim who has suffered a head injury in a car crash immediately contact an experienced New York brain injury lawyer. In such incidents, you need an attorney who has extensive experience representing victims and their families in car accident cases that have resulted in permanent or catastrophic injuries. Victims may be able to receive compensation including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, cost of rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident or pedestrian accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For nearly 50 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
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