When a car accident can cause a traumatic brain injury

Maryland motor vehicle accidents can change the lives of those involved forever. The injuries suffered — whether temporary or permanent — may sometimes result in the victims not being able to return to work in the short term — or ever again. In the event of a serious car accident, a victim may suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which often leads to expensive medical bills, rehabilitation and physical therapy.

Rear-end accidents often cause victims to suffer a whiplash injury, which results from a sudden jerking of the passenger’s head and may sometimes lead to a TBI. When police arrive and begin investigating, it may be difficult to remember the sequence of events leading up to the accident. In the days following the accident, besides headaches and considerable neck pain, many may notice their memory is a bit fuzzy and their train of thought is easily lost.

Research suggests that there is a wide variety of symptoms that could develop when a passenger’s neck has been similarly traumatized. It is possible to suffer a TBI in any kind of vehicular accident, from a seemingly-minor fender bender to a head-on collision. When whiplash occurs, the brain is thrust forward and actually ricochets off the front of the individual’s skull — potentially causing damage to the brain stem’s nerve cells, as well as the frontal and temporal lobes.

A traumatic brain injury due to whiplash may be difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to live with, which is all the more reason that a medical professional’s help should be sought — even when the injury seems relatively innocuous. If a Maryland resident suffers brain damage due to the negligence of another party, they are typically entitled to file a personal injury claim against the party believed responsible. They usually begin this process by consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney in order to establish the validity of their claim.

Source: techfeatured.com, “After a Car Accident or Whiplash Injury: Symptoms of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI)”, Autokid, Nov. 9, 2016