Car Accidents and the Risk of TBI
Car accidents have the potential to result in very serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries—or TBIs. In the car accident context, traumatic brain injuries often come about when the force of the impact causes the accident victim to strike his or her head on the door, ceiling (especially if the vehicle flips over), or headrest. In serious car accidents, the accident victim may actually be dislodged from the vehicle and strike his or her head on the ground.
It is entirely possible for someone to suffer a TBI even if her head doesn’t strike anything at all. The forces exerted on someone’s neck and head can cause the brain to bounce off the inside of the skull. Those forces cause small tears in brain tissue called “axons,” which can be permanently damaged by a whiplash injury or striking the head on something inside or outside the vehicle. In the slip and fall context, a person can suffer a TBI when her head strikes any hard surface during the fall.
Depending on the severity of the traumatic brain injury, a patient’s recovery time can range anywhere from six months to two years or longer, following the date of injury. During the initial six months of treatment, the patient will likely make the most progress toward his or her recovery. In many cases, TBIs, even so-called “mild” TBIs, can cause permanent injury to the brain. These injuries lead to impaired cognitive function, emotional and personality changes, and sensitivity to light, sound or other stimuli. Friends and family members of a person suffering a TBI are often the best witnesses to describe the changes to a person who has suffered a brain injury.
If you or someone you care about has sustained a traumatic brain injury in a Richmond car accident, you may be eligible to recover monetary compensation for your injuries and damages.
The Richmond attorneys at Emroch & Kilduff specialize in personal injury law and can help you or your loved one pursue money damages against the at-fault party in a traumatic brain injury case.
Common Causes and Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries are caused by external trauma or blunt force applied to the accident victim’s head. This high level of force causes the accident victim’s brain to shift inside the skull and potentially damage the brain’s internal “wiring.”
Traumatic brain injury symptoms can range from mild to severe. Mild symptoms of traumatic brain injuries typically include short-term memory losses or dizziness, along with headaches, blurred vision, or temporary insomnia. On the other hand, the long-term symptoms of traumatic brain injuries can include long-term memory losses, seizures, slurred speech, long-lasting confusion or disorientation, extreme mood swings, loss of sensory perception (especially the senses of taste or smell), comatose state, or permanent inability to move or function. Don’t be fooled by the term “mild”—even “mild” brain injuries can be permanent.
Serious traumatic brain injuries may require years of medical treatment, physical therapy, and/or occupational therapy to correct or improve. In a worst-case scenario, the accident victim may need to undergo medical treatment for the rest of his or her life or remain in a nursing home or assisted living facility permanently.
Available Damages
In traumatic brain injury car accident cases, the accident victim (or the accident victim’s representative) will need to prove that the other driver was negligent and that the traumatic brain injury directly resulted from the accident. The accident victim may be able to recover compensation for past, present, and future medical treatment; pain and suffering damages; and the costs of lifetime care.
Call a Richmond Personal Injury Car Accident Lawyer Today for a Free Initial Consultation and Case Evaluation
Traumatic brain injuries sustained in serious car accidents can have lifetime effects. If you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury in a Richmond car accident, the knowledgeable attorneys at Emroch & Kilduff can help you recover the compensation you need and deserve. To schedule a free consultation and case evaluation with a Richmond, Virginia, personal injury car accident lawyer, please call us today at (804) 358-1568 or contact us online.
