Traumatic brain injury is undoubtedly one of – if not the worst – injury that can result from a car accident. As a Seattle personal injury lawyer, I have seen the effect that this injury can have both on the victim and his or her family. While there are different levels of TBI, there is no doubt that it is a life changing injury that can dramatically alter the course of one’s life.
An injury of this magnitude requires a very severe direct force on the head and brain. Auto accidents are one of the most common causes of traumatic brain injury, because high speed collisions are one of the few ways that a strong enough force can be created. TBI typically results from when an object violently hits the head (or the other way around), or when an object pierces the skull and hits the brain. Because the brain is so incredibly complex, each case is different, however, symptoms can generally be understood based on whether it is diagnosed as mild, moderate, or severe. Here is a list of the three levels of TBI, with their symptoms.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury – Someone with mild TBI may maintain consciousness throughout the accident, or may lose it for a few minutes. Headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion, blurry vision, bad taste in the mouth, behavioral changes, changes in sleeping pattern, trouble concentrating, memory problems.
Moderate/Severe Traumatic Brain Injury – Someone with moderate to severe TBI may see the same symptoms as someone with mild TBI, but the symptoms become much worse. They may lose coordination, repeatedly vomit, have a headache that won’t go away, slur their speech, have seizures, and/or become restless and agitated.
These injuries need to receive medical attention immediately. While doctors may not be able to reverse the damage of moderate or severe trauma, they can prevent it from getting worse. Doctors work on stabilizing oxygen and blood flow to the brain, and can check for other injuries to the face. Due to the force required to cause traumatic brain injury, there is a decent chance that other bones in the face may be broken as well. A couple main concerns for people with TBI are hematomas, or contusions. Many patients have to undergo surgery to remove the blood clots and bruised brain tissue that can result from severe car crashes.
Unfortunately, the most serious of these injuries can have much worse consequences than having to undergo surgery. More serious head injuries can lead to total unconsciousness. Depending on how badly damaged the brain is, this can result in a coma, and even death. If you or a loved one has suffered from this terrible injury because of an accident that was caused by someone else, you should speak with an experienced Seattle brain injury lawyer as soon as possible. As the victim of somebody else’s negligence, you should not have to incur the costs of these damages, and will likely need an attorney to fight the other insurance company on your behalf.