Head injuries are one of the most serious injuries from a car accident. These types of injuries can result in minor cuts and bruises, or more serious medical conditions like brain damage.
A head injury can cause you to suffer life-altering consequences that cause serious debilitating impairments and costly medical expenses.
If you or someone you love has suffered a brain injury after an accident, you must immediately seek medical attention. Then, contact a skilled personal injury attorneyto discuss your claim and determine if you are entitled to compensation for your injury.
Types of Head Injuries from Car Accidents
A head injury can occur during an auto accident when your head makes a hard impact after striking an object inside a vehicle, such as the steering wheel or dashboard.
Additionally, the momentum of a car accident may cause the brain to collide with the inside of the skull and result in a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A person can acquire a variety of head injuries in a car accident, including:
Closed Head Injuries
Closed head injuries occur in an auto crash when the force of the accident causes the brain to strike against the skull.
These injuries are often serious and can be life-threatening if they are not quickly treated. Examples of closed head injuries include:
- Concussion: This injury is caused by a blow to the head that shakes the brain inside the skull. It is often the result of the skull suffering a sudden impact, change in momentum or forceful movement.
- Epidural Hematoma: A direct impact or outside force may damage a blood vessel in the skull. The location of the hematoma is on top of the cerebrospinal fluid and away from the brain.
- Subdural Hematoma: This occurs when a head injury is strong enough to burst a blood vessel and can cause pooled blood to push on the brain.
- Acute Hematoma: This injury involves a rupture of veins on the brain’s surface when the head suddenly jolts or the brain shakes.
- Contusion: While normally referred to as a “bruise,” this can cause internal bleeding that may require immediate medical assistance.
- Coup-Contrecoup: This is a contusion that occurs on both sides of the brain.
- Diffuse Axonal: A strong rotation of the head can cause brain structure to tear.
Open Head Injuries
An open head injury occurs when the skull has been penetrated by an outside object and exposes part of the brain. When the skull is penetrated during an open head injury, bone fragments may strike sensitive parts of the brain and cause further neurological damage.
Open head injuries are often the result of an incident that causes a violent impact, such as an auto accident, sports injury, workplace accident, or gunshot or knife wound that create a skull fracture.
Skull Fracture
Open head injuries often result in a skull fracture, which occurs when any of the skull’s eight bones are broken after the head forcefully strikes a surface or is penetrated by another object.
A skull fracture can be linear, depressed, or diastatic. However, a depressed skull fracture, where the fracture presses the bone into the brain, is the most serious type of skull fracture.
Symptoms of Head Injuries
The symptoms of head injuries are often unique and depend on the type and severity of the accident that occurred.
However, there are many signs and symptoms that indicate when a person has suffered a head injury after an auto accident. Symptoms often associated with head injuries include:
- Drowsiness or fatigue
- Nose bleeds
- Blurred vision
- Confusion
- Difficulty recalling memories or forming new ones
- Loss of consciousness
- Nausea
- Irritability
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Depression
- Trouble sleeping
- Difficulty thinking
- Slow response times
- Difficulty balancing
- Seizures
- Numbness in the arms or legs
Brain injuries and skull fractures can result in serious medical impairments, including dementia, paralysis, and loss of bodily functions or death. If you suspect that you or another person injured in an auto accident is displaying the symptoms of a head injury, immediately seek medical treatment.
Evidence to Support a Head Injury Claim
If you are filing a personal injury claim after suffering a head injury in a car accident, our attorneys will help you gather evidence to support your claim. Some forms of evidence that may help you build a strong case include:
Medical Records
These documents can establish the type of brain injury you sustained. Additionally, medical records link your injury to the accident and show insurers that you are not filing a claim for a pre-existing condition.
When you receive medical treatment, ask your treating physician for copies of the following information:
- Records of hospital visits and doctors’ appointments
- Medical records prepared by your physician
- Results of diagnostic tests
- Imaging test results
- X-rays
- Prescription medications
- Medical bills that show the cost of your treatment
Photos
If you are able, you should take pictures of the accident scene to show vehicle damage, the street or intersection the accident occurred on, and the road’s conditions.
You should also take photos of your injuries as they develop to document them in real-time. This will show that your injuries are healing and you have received medical treatment.
Police Report
After a car accident, it is vital to contact the police, especially if the accident resulted in a serious injury.
Also, the responding law enforcement officer will conduct an on-site investigation of the accident and will determine who he or she believes is at fault. You can request a copy of the police report and use it as evidence for your case against the at-fault party.
Witness Statements
Witnesses may have observed the accident and can provide an objective recounting of the incident. If you are able, you should collect the names and contact information of any person who may have witnessed your collision.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer in Las Vegas
Head injuries are a serious and frightening medical condition that can result in significant medical complications and financial losses. However, knowing the signs and symptoms of a head injury may prevent worsening the condition.
If you suffered a head injury after a car accident caused by another’s negligence, contact the Las Vegas personal injury attorneys at Henness & Haight. We will provide you with a free, no-obligation consultation to determine if you can pursue compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.
We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not have to pay any upfront legal fees. We only require payment if we secure compensation for your claim.