The force of impact during a car crash and the violent movement of the vehicles can cause severe and even deadly injuries. There are many injuries that you may possibly suffer in a motor vehicle collision, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are some of the worst.
They are also among the easiest injuries to overlook following a collision. Your initial review of your body after a crash may make you think you are unhurt, but you may just have delayed-onset symptoms. It is often several days before a TBI will cause noticeable symptoms, and you may require a professional medical evaluation to confirm a brain injury.
What are warning signs that you are at increased risk of a TBI?
Losing consciousness
When someone suffers a blunt force trauma to the head, they may lose consciousness for just a moment. Those who experience violent motions during a car crash could also black out for a few seconds.
Longer bouts of unconsciousness after a crash have an association with worse TBIs, but even blacking out for a few seconds will be a warning sign of a potential brain injury. Some people lose consciousness at the scene of the crash. Others may fall asleep later and prove impossible to wake.
A completely disabled vehicle
If the force of the collision was enough to make your vehicle unsafe to drive, especially if the vehicle flipped or rolled over, you may have an elevated risk of brain injury when compared with other people involved in motor vehicle collisions. Higher speeds and violent motions could easily contribute to a TBI.
Headache or nausea after the crash
The symptoms that people develop when they have a brain injury may not be obvious for several days. However, some symptoms may be noticeable when the chemical response to the collision begins to fade.
A persistent headache or a sense of nausea could be a warning sign of a brain injury. People will also want to monitor themselves for sleep disruptions, changes in sensory perception and differences in their mood or personality.
Recognizing when you are at elevated risk of a traumatic brain injury following a car crash will help you get the medical treatment and financial compensation you require because of that injury.