During a car accident, you may be at serious risk of suffering a brain injury, which can lead to long-term or permanent physical and cognitive impairment. As a result, many brain injury victims may be entitled several types of compensation for the damages they suffered, including the cost of medical treatment, lost income, and pain and suffering.
If you or someone you love suffered a brain injury in a car accident, it may be in your best interest to work with an experienced attorney when filing a claim. He or she will understand the types of damages you suffered and will work to recover the maximum amount of compensation you may be entitled to recover.
Below, Stephen, Anderson & Cummings’ car accident lawyers in Fort Worth discuss what we look for when reviewing a brain injury claim. To learn more about your options to recover compensation, contact us to schedule a free, no obligation consultation.
Types of Brain Injuries
There are several types of brain injuries that victims can suffer during a car accident, including:
- Contusions: Contusions are bruises to the brain resulting from a hard impact to the head. The brain swells, causing blood clots which cut vital oxygen flow to your brain.
- Concussions: When your brain strikes against your skull due to a violent blow or forceful impact, a concussion can occur. Concussions range in severity, with the most severe cases resulting in brain bleeding and permanent brain damage.
- Coup-contrecoup: A coup-contrecoup brain injury occurs when contusions form at the impact site as well as on the brain’s opposite side, resulting from very strong force. These injuries are common in side-impact collisions that force your body to move in many directions on impact.
- Diffuse axonal injuries: When the axons of the brain, the long, connecting fibers, tear as the brain rotates or shifts inside the skull, a diffuse axonal injury occurs. These injuries may cause significant brain damage, coma, or death.
Symptoms of a Brain Injury
Car accident victims who suffer a brain injury may experience a variety of symptoms, such as:
- Loss of consciousness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sensory issues
- Fluid drainage from the ears or nose
- Mood shifts
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Lack of energy
- Seizures or convulsions
- Difficulty retaining memories or forming new ones
The symptoms of a brain injury are not always noticed immediately after a car accident. It may takes several hours or days before you begin to notice the effects of brain injury. For this reason, it is important that you receive medical attention following your accident to diagnose possible brain injuries and receive the treatment you need.
Collisions that Cause Brain Injuries
Brain injuries are more likely to occur in car accidents with multiple impacts, which may include:
- Side-impact collisions: This occurs when another vehicle hits your vehicle on the side. This may cause you to lose control of your vehicle, resulting in a “spin out.” Or, your vehicle may be shoved up against other vehicles, stationary objects or into another traffic lane where you may be struck by another vehicle.
- Head-on collisions: This type of crash occurs when the front ends of two vehicles that are moving in opposite directions strike. Your head may be jolted forward, where it strikes your dashboard or steering wheel. Likewise, the force of the collision may cause your brain to crash into the inside of your skull, resulting in a concussion.
- Rear-end collisions: When a vehicle behind you strikes your car in the rear, your head and neck may be jolted forward and snapped back due to the momentum of the collision, resulting in brain damage. Likewise, you may be at risk of suffering a blow to the head due to loose objects flying inside your vehicle during the collision.
Compensation for a Brain Injury
Car accident victims who acquired a brain injury during a car accident may be entitled to hold the at-fault party liable for the damages they suffered. Through a brain injury claim, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Past and future medical treatment
- Lost wages and income
- Loss of earnings capacity
- Cost of medical assistive equipment
- Adjustments to your home or vehicle
- Rehabilitation
- Cost of long-term care or a caregiver
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of reputation
- Loss of consortium
Have More Questions?
After a car accident, it may help to contact an experienced Fort Worth personal injury lawyer to discuss your right to pursue compensation from the at-fault party. Anderson & Cummings’ dedicated team of attorneys are devoted to helping victims of negligence and will pursue the results you deserve.
Contact us today to schedule a free, no obligation consultation. We will help you review your options to hold the at-fault party liable for your brain injury and any other damages you may have suffered. All of our services are provided on a contingency fee basis. We only charge our clients if we help them recover compensation for their claim.
Call (817) 920-9000 or complete our Free Case Evaluation form now.