This article shares some great advice from Phoenix personal injury lawyer, Aaron Crane from Cantor Crane with respect to brain injuries caused by car accidents.  One of the leading causes of brain injuries are car accidents. The violent jerking that occurs upon impact, or blows to the head during the event, can lead to a brain injury. Sadly, many people do not realize at first that they have succumbed to a brain injury and the injury goes untreated.

What is even more devastating is that many emergency rooms often overlook the potential for brain injuries when they are examining a car accident victim. This can lead to delayed treatments and potentially long term effects. In some cases, failure to diagnose the brain injury can also lead to death.

UNDERSTANDING HOW BRAIN INJURIES OCCUR

There is a very serious misconception that a person must have sustained a blow to the head or have been knocked unconscious to have suffered from a brain injury. This is not true. When a person is jerked back and forth during the impact of the car accident, their brain can “bounce” around in their skull, leading to injury.

Brain bleeding and/or swelling can occur when the brain hits the skull. This can lead to life threatening conditions that may not be noticed at first. Exterior bruising or bleeding does not have to be present for a brain injury to have occurred.

SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAIN INJURIES

Signs of brain damage and head trauma and injury may not automatically be apparent when an accident occurs. The injury victim may walk away from the accident, talk without problems, and function as if nothing was wrong. However, symptoms can emerge after a few hours, a few days, or even a few weeks. Some of the more common symptoms of a brain injury include:

• Unrelenting Headache• Inability to Stay Awake or Feeling Drowsy all the Time• Nausea, Vomiting or Both• Confusion, Memory Loss or Disorientation• Dizziness• Slurred Speech or Inability to make Cognitive Sentences• Numbness• Loss of Balance• Sensitivity to Light and Sound

These are the most common side effects associated with brain injury. However, they are not the only side effects. If you have any unusual physical symptoms after a car accident, you should seek a medical evaluation.

POST CONCUSSIVE SYNDROME

Concussions can have lasting side effects on the injury victim. Some injury victims experience a condition known as post-concussive syndrome that can occur after a person has suffered a concussion. This syndrome can occur immediately, or several months after the event occurs. Like most traumatic brain injuries, the effects may last for only a short period of time, or for the rest of their lives. The symptoms associated with post-concussive syndrome include:

• Aggressive Personality• Agitation and Mood Swings• Loss of Senses, Such as Taste or Smell• Physical Fatigue• Depression• Insomnia

This is a very serious condition that will require medical care to overcome. If you have experienced a head injury in the past and begin to have these symptoms, seek medical care.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT

If you have been involved in any type of vehicular accident, you should go to the emergency room for a medical evaluation. Even if it does not appear that you have any physical injuries, it is in your best interest to be evaluated by a medical professional. Injuries to the brain are not often detected until the injury has caused too much harm.

Speak to the ER doctor about being evaluated for a brain injury. This is especially important if your head was shaken during the impact or if it hit anything during the event. Physical signs, such as blood or bruising, are not necessary for a brain injury to have occurred. It is very important that you ask about being evaluated, especially if you are experiencing any symptoms of trauma at all.

If your doctor believes that you have not succumbed to a brain injury and you begin to experience symptoms, do not hesitate and seek immediate medical attention. Traumatic brain injuries can be very serious, and if left untreated, potentially lethal.  Contact Cantor Crane today at for a free initial consultation .

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