Car accidents are, unquestionably, one of the most common causes of serious injuries in the U.S., with more and more of those involved suffering not only from dislocations and broken bones but also from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which can lead to lifelong cognitive problems.

Most TBIs are caused by a jolt or serious blow to the head, whereby victims will often experience dizziness, nausea, a loss of consciousness, confusion, and even seizures and coma, depending upon the severity of the injury. Still, no two brain injuries are the same, as the injury very much depends upon the event that gave rise to it, the amount of force involved, and the area of the brain affected.

 

The Most Common Brain Injuries

Brain injuries are generally placed into one of two categories: acquired and traumatic, with the most common ones manifesting as:

Concussions:

  • Caused by excessive shaking (such as whiplash) or a direct blow to the head, when the brain receives a strong impact or a sudden change in momentum or movement that causes the blood vessels to stretch and cranial nerves to become damaged;
  • Involve either a closed or open head injury;
  • Can involve a loss of consciousness or no loss at all;
  • Do not always show up on a CAT scan;
  • May or may not involve brain bleeding and/or swelling, and/or a skull fracture; and
  • Can take months or years to heal.

Contusions:

  • Result from a direct impact to the head and results in a bruise or bleeding on the brain;
  • Large contusions may need to be removed surgically; and
  • One of the most severe types of contusions as a “coup-contrecoup injury,” which is a contusion that occurs at both the site of the impact and on the opposite side of the brain as a result of the impact being great enough to cause a contusion at the site, as well as the brain to hit the opposite side of the skull and cause a contusion there as well.

Diffuse Axonal Injury:

  • Occurs when the head is shaken or there is a strong rotation due to the brain lagging behind the movement of the skull, whereby the nerve tissue tears through the brain; and
  • Often results in brain damage, a coma, and sometimes even death.

Others types of brain injuries incurred in car accidents can include:

  • Penetrating injuries;
  • Acquired brain injuries;
  • Anoxic brain injuries;
  • Hypoxic brain injuries;
  • Mild traumatic brain injuries;
  • Moderate traumatic brain injuries; and
  • Severe brain injuries.

 

Contact Our Rhode Island Car Accident & Brain Injury Attorneys Today 

If you or a loved one has suffered from a traumatic brain injury after a car accident, a Providence car accident attorney will help you recover any medical expenses as well as rehabilitative care and any other costs associated with the accident. Some of the most debilitating symptoms of TBIs are losing daily living skills, which takes a significant amount of intensive therapy every day. Many people also experience some psychological trauma, along with anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle motorcycle, and/or pedestrian accident, contact our Providence car accident attorneys today to discuss your options and find out how we can help.