Car crashes are a common safety concern. Those involved in collisions are at risk of major injuries that may sometimes prove fatal. Other people may develop medical conditions that forever change their lives.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are among the most common and serious maladies associated with car crashes. The human brain cannot typically heal fully after significant traumatic injuries. The symptoms of TBIs can be permanent in many cases, although rehabilitative support can help people overcome some functional limitations. One of the reasons that car crashes are a leading cause of TBIs is that there are multiple ways for a wreck to cause damage to the human brain.
Blunt force trauma
At the moment of impact in a car crash scenario, people’s bodies often move abruptly in one direction. The occupants of a vehicle can very easily strike their head on the windows of the vehicle, the dashboard or the steering column during a crash. Blunt force trauma during a crash can cause bleeding and swelling inside the skull. Anyone who hits their head on part of the vehicle or their surroundings during a crash could be at risk of developing a TBI.
Penetrating injuries
When crashes occur, vehicles often produce debris, such as small pieces of the tempered glass used for windshields and windows. That debris can potentially cut into the head and penetrate the skull. What looks like a minor injury externally can potentially cause lasting damage to the brain, especially if people don’t seek medical care quickly after the collision.
Violent vehicle motions
The way that vehicles spin, rock and flip during crashes can shake the human occupants quite violently. Those abrupt motions can cause the brain to move rapidly inside the skull, which can potentially result in a TBI. People may notice minor symptoms, like headaches, only for their conditions to slowly but steadily worsen as time passes. When there is bleeding or swelling inside the brain, the skull can actually cause additional damage by restricting the movement of the inflamed tissue and accumulating fluid.
Although it is far more rare, percussive force can also cause brain injuries. In the unusual scenario that a vehicle explodes during a collision, the force of that explosion could potentially cause damage to the brains of the people present.
Violent motions, shrapnel and blunt force trauma can all potentially cause brain injuries that require expensive medical care and could limit someone’s abilities. Pursuing compensation for a brain injury acquired in a car crash caused by another’s negligence requires a review of the circumstances, insurance available and an understanding of the costs generated by the injury.
