How Common Are Traumatic Brain Injuries After Car Accidents?

One of the most severe results of a car accident is a traumatic brain injury, or TBI. Even “minor” TBIs can have serious effects on your memory, personality, ability to move, and other critical bodily functions. Damage to your brain from a TBI may require treatment to resolve.

TBIs can be severe, but how often are they a result of car accidents? This post will discuss TBIs, their symptoms, and the next steps if you’ve been diagnosed with a TBI from a car accident.

How Common Are Traumatic Brain Injuries After Car Accidents?

Traumatic brain injuries are extremely common in the United States. Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates there were roughly 61,000 TBI-related deaths nationwide in the recently reported year.

Additional research from the CDC shows car accidents are among the most common causes of TBIs. The CDC’s latest Surveillance Report on TBIs shows motor-vehicle accidents were the cause of about 25 percent of all brain injuries for the data year.

Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injuries After Car Accidents

If you’ve just been in a car accident, the Mayo Clinic lists some symptoms that may indicate you have a traumatic brain injury.

Symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury can include:

• Headaches
• Vomiting or nausea
• Drowsiness or fatigue
• Difficulty speaking
• Dizziness or loss of balance
• Sensitivity to light or sound
• Other sensory issues (ears ringing, blurred vision, changes in your ability to smell or taste)
• Losing consciousness for a few seconds to minutes
• Insomnia
• Difficulty concentrating
• Mood swings or changes (depression, anxiety, etc.)

Symptoms of a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury can include:

• Losing consciousness for several minutes to hours
• Persistent headaches, or a headache that severely worsens
• Persistent nausea or repeated vomiting
• Seizures or convulsions
• Pupil dilation in one or both eyes
• Clear fluid draining from the ears or nose
• Inability to awaken from sleep
• Numbness or weakness in your fingers or toes
• Loss of coordination
• Profound confusion
• Slurred speech
• Feeling agitated, restless, aggressive, or other unusual behavior
• Coma

Young children who’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury may have trouble communicating that something’s wrong.

Here are some TBI signs to watch for in young children after a car accident:

• Changes in eating or nursing habits
• Persistent crying
• Easily or unusually irritated
• Changes in sleeping habits
• Seizures
• Drowsiness or an inability to focus
• Loss of interest in favorite activities
• Depressed mood

Types of Car Accidents That Can Cause a TBI

Any car accident can potentially cause a traumatic brain injury. However, some types of crashes are more prone to cause head injuries than others, such as:

• Head-on collisions — A driver may slam their head on the steering wheel or steering column after a head-on crash. Passengers could hit their heads on the vehicle’s dashboard.
• Rear-end collisions — A rear-end collision could cause a driver to slam forward and hit their head on the dashboard, steering wheel, or steering column. A driver or passenger may also sustain a head injury when their body is jerked backward by a seatbelt, hitting their head on the headrest.
• Sideswipe or T-Bone accidents — Either of these types of accidents could cause a driver or passenger to slam their head into the side of their vehicle or a window, especially if the vehicle isn’t equipped with side airbags.

Talk to Our Experienced Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys in Montgomery, AL

The Alabama traumatic brain injury lawyers at Stokes Stemle, LLC are here to help you pursue fair compensation for your losses if you’ve been in a car accident. For more information, contact our office today for a free initial consultation.