Car accidents are often traumatic and may lead to many different kinds of injuries, including many types of head injuries. While most vehicles come equipped with safety features to help mitigate these injuries, various elements of a car crash like speed, the area of impact on the car, and the position of the individual within the vehicle could cause dangerous complications.
Addressing head injuries as quickly as possible by calling emergency services and bringing in a medical professional could help assess the damage and prevent further injury. Certain types of head injuries like traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) could have lasting side effects and consequences. Understanding how to mitigate and respond to these injuries could help reduce these negative side effects.
Consider speaking with a skilled Missouri personal injury attorney from Steelman Gaunt Crowley for more information on types of head injuries and potential compensation. For more information, schedule a consultation today at (573) 341-8336.
Common Head Injuries
There are many different types of head injuries that victims of car accidents may suffer from. These injuries can range from mild to severe, and could have a significant impact on the victim’s quality of life long after the car accident in question. Depending on the nature of the injuries and the amount of financial and emotional damages involved, the victim of a car accident may be eligible for compensation. Keeping an accurate record of medical bills may help in this regard.
Concussions
Concussions are generally a mild form of traumatic brain injury (TBI), that results from blunt force trauma to the head. This can occur in car accidents from the force of stopping quickly or from the collision of the head against an airbag or steering wheel. Concussions often occur as the result of the brain colliding with the interior of the skull. Symptoms may include headaches, nausea, vision blurring, dizziness, loss of consciousness, as well as memory or concentration issues. However, these symptoms may not manifest immediately.
Contusions
Contusions may also arise from blunt force trauma to the head, though they differ in nature from concussions. Contusions result from bruising in the brain, and may have similar symptoms to concussions as well as loss of coordination and comas. Contusions can range from mild to moderate, and generally require the insight of a professional to diagnose.
Diffuse Axonal Injuries
Axons are the long connective neurons the brain uses to communicate throughout the body. Diffuse axonal injuries (DAI) occur when these axons are torn or severed due to the movement of the brain inside the skull. DAIs can have long lasting consequences, as damage to nerve tissue is generally difficult to reverse. Symptoms may include disorientation, headaches, difficulty sleeping, and could even lead to permanent brain damage or death.
Coup-Contrecoup Injuries
These injuries may be similar to contusions, except they happen on both sides of the brain. Caused by the brain impacting the interior of the skull and rebounding to impact the opposite side, these injuries may exhibit similar symptoms to contusions. However, coup-contrecoup injuries may be more severe due to multiple points of injury.
Penetrating Head Injuries
One of the more deadly types of head injuries from car accidents, penetrating head injuries are caused when foreign objects such as metal, glass, fragments of bone, or others pierce the skull and damage the brain directly. These injuries can be common in car accidents. Generally, the primary concern is blood loss from the injury, but penetrating head injuries can also lead to permanent brain damage or even death.
For more information on types of head injuries suffered in car accidents, consider speaking with a skilled personal injury attorney from Steelman Gaunt Crowley.
Hematoma
Hematomas may come in many different forms or be called by different names, but the term in general refers to a blood clot in the brain. These may be classified differently depending on what area of the brain the clot is located, but each type of hematoma can be incredibly dangerous. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, many types of this injury are caused by car accidents.
Skull Fractures
Skull fractures may also result from car accidents, especially when the head collides with the steering wheel or other parts of the car. If the force is strong enough, the victim’s skill could fracture. There are several types of skull fractures with varying levels of severity. Linear fractures involve a break in the bone, but do not move the bone, allowing for quicker healing. However, depressed and basilar skull fractures are much more serious and may require surgical intervention.
Categorization of Head Injuries from Car Accidents
Additionally, there are several different classifications for types of head injuries, and understanding these could help clarify a personal injury case. Awareness of the nature of the injury could help in constructing a case for compensation, in addition to having clear evidence and accurate records of damages and expenses from the car accident.
Mild, Moderate, and Severe
Traumatic brain injuries are categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. Mild types of head injuries from car accidents may include concussions or some milder contusions, and may have symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, nausea, concentration issues, loss of consciousness, and more. Generally, mild head injuries are the least likely to have lasting effects and consequences. Moderate head injuries may involve more severe symptoms such as comas, broken bones, or worse. Severe head injuries will generally require immediate medical intervention, and may include penetrating head injuries, hematomas, and DAIs.
Closed Head and Open Head
Additionally, medical professionals often categorize head injuries as open head or closed head, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Closed head injuries are generally more common, as they involve injuries without skull fractures. If no foreign matter pierces through the skull, the injury is closed head and is generally contained to the confines of the skull cavity. However, in the event of severe trauma like a car accident, a foreign object such as glass, metal, car parts, or bone fragments could pierce the skull and damage the brain. This is an open head injury, which is generally much more severe than a closed head injury.
Speak With a Missouri Car Accident Attorney
The many different types of head injuries from car accidents can all be painful, debilitating, and could lead to permanent consequences. For those who were injured in a car accident, a skilled personal injury attorney from Steelman Gaunt Crowley may be able to help evaluate a case and give insight into what compensation may be available. Consider scheduling a consultation to speak with an attorney today by calling the office at (573) 341-8336.