Car accidents can happen to anyone. While some crashes may only cause minimal property damage and little to no injuries for the parties involved, other crashes carry severe consequences that are often life-altering.
Also referred to as “catastrophic injuries,” these types of injuries can cause permanent disabilities and chronic conditions for the victims, changing the way they live their lives on a day-to-day basis.
In this blog, we will discuss three common types of brain injuries caused by car accidents:
Brain hematomas
Brain hematomas are a dangerous type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that occurs when a brain’s blood vessel tears or ruptures. When this medical emergency happens, blood forms clots in or around the brain.
These blood clots may put excessive strain on the person’s brain, which can cause a variety of symptoms including blurred vision, intense headaches and/or nausea. If left untreated, brain hematomas can progress and cause permanent brain damage or death.
Skull fractures
Skull fractures are a type of head injury that may lead to TBI. While there are common cases of minor fractures that do not require surgery, skull fractures from car accidents are usually severe and can cause damage to the person’s skull, blood vessels and brain.
When this happens, the symptoms may include vision loss, vomiting, slurred speech and/or cerebrospinal fluid leak from the person’s nose or ears.
Contusions
A person can suffer from a contusion (or brain bruising) when they experience a direct impact from the crash that has caused a localized swelling in their brain. This type of TBI can disrupt their brain’s normal function and lead to a variety of neurological issues, including memory loss, slurred speech and seizures.
Since brain injuries vary in their symptoms and may develop gradually before they start to manifest, recognizing the symptoms can help individuals receive prompt diagnosis and proper treatment for their brain injury.