After an accident, you’re very likely to suffer from a head injury. Some head injuries are minor and symptoms may go away after a few weeks. However, head and brain injuries that have a chance to cause permanent damage or require surgery are often considered traumatic.
The following are traumatic brain injuries people commonly suffer from after car accidents:
1. Brain contusions
A contusion is a kind of bruise that causes damage to tissue. Most bruises cause skin discoloration and can last for weeks or months, but often heal on their own accord. People often find they’ve suffered a bruise after hitting their arms or legs on something hard.
In some cases, after someone’s suffered a head injury, they may find they’ve sustained a brain contusion. A brain contusion is a bruise on the brain tissue, which is highly dangerous depending on the severity of the injury. A brain contusion can cause swelling and may bleed. This can result in brain function issues and may cause dizziness, confusion, memory issues and declining mental health.
2. Skull fracture
Much like the bones in your arms and legs, your skull can suffer a break after an accident. But, unlike your limbs, the impact on the head and broken skull fragments can expose the brain and lead to serious long-term damage.
A skull fracture can lead to both physical and neurological health conditions. The brain may suffer tissue damage, bleeding and bruising. Similar to a brain contusion, victims of skull fractures can suffer from disorientation, headaches and nausea.
3. Coup and coup-contrecoup
Many people suffer injuries to one side of their brain directly where they suffered their trauma, this is referred to as a “coup.” A brain contusion that appears directly below where someone’s head impacted a steering wheel is a coup. If the injury appears opposite to where a blow occurred, then it’s considered a “coup-contrecoup.” People can suffer a coup and a coup-contrecoup.
You shouldn’t have to suffer from your injuries long after a vehicle accident. You may need to be aware of your legal rights to seek compensation for injuries and losses.