One of the most serious injuries a person could suffer in a motor vehicle accident is a traumatic brain injury. In addition to the physical impairments a brain injury may cause, it is common for those with such catastrophic trauma to suffer lifelong cognitive deficits and even dramatic changes in personality.
Damage to the brain may occur in stages as brain tissue continues to die after the initial blow. If the victim suffers from blood loss or lack of oxygen following a brain injury, these may contribute to the progressive damage. However, rapid intervention on the part of emergency responders and trauma center doctors can limit the damage an accident victim may suffer. If you suffered a brain injury in a motor vehicle accident, you may have been fortunate to have received such intervention.
Medics look for signs
Responders to the scene of your accident likely focused first on your breathing, stopping the flow of blood and stabilizing your spine. Their next concern was your brain. Even if you did not sustain a blow to the head, brain injury is possible if the crash was violent enough. Emergency responders probably evaluated you by checking for the following:
- Loss of consciousness at all, even briefly
- Disorientation or confusion
- No memory of the accident or events that occurred just before the collision
- Damage to your head, including bleeding, torn tissue or an open wound
- Abnormalities in your eyes, such as protruding or sinking back into your skull
- Broken bones in your face
- Struggling to breathe
- Trouble seeing clearly
- Difficulty understanding what people are saying to you
If they noticed any of the above, responders alerted the hospital that you may have a brain injury. When you arrived, doctors set to work running tests to determine the location and extent of your injury.
Permanent injuries
The first moments or days following your injury were likely tense with waiting for test results and watching your symptoms. Unfortunately, if you suffered even a moderate brain injury, you may experience permanent impairment, such as memory loss, difficulty concentrating, changes in your sensory abilities, insomnia and headaches. You may also have uncontrollable mood swings, aggression, depression and physical deficits, such as loss of balance or seizures.
If your brain injury occurred during an accident resulting from someone else’s negligence or reckless actions, you have every right to feel the injustice of the situation. However, you can seek some justice by pursuing compensation through the Georgia civil courts with the help of a capable personal injury attorney.