Car collisions can lead to some significant injuries, especially involving the skull and brain. Head-on collisions are some of the worst, but any kind of crash can lead to a head injury. These injuries are so serious that victims are going to need significant financial support to cover their medical care and recovery period.
Traumatic brain injuries, in specific, occur when the brain is suddenly jolted, impacted or pierced. Someone may get one from their head whipping forward (causing their brain to hit the inside of the skull) or because of hitting the steering wheel or window with their head. The severity of the injury will depend on:
- How swollen the brain becomes
- The kind of stress that is placed on the brain, such as torsion or a direct impact
- Whether the injury is open or closed
- The pressure that develops in the brain
- If there is any piercing of the brain
Immediately after a brain injury occurs, two things happen. First, the brain responds by releasing chemicals. This can flood the brain with all kinds of substances, including water, blood, and others. As pressure continues to build, a person is likely to develop secondary cell death. That’s why quick treatment is so essential for people with brain injuries. If a medical professional can quickly reduce swelling and pressure, they may be able to prevent further brain cell death and complications.
People who have suffered severe brain injuries may lose consciousness. This loss of consciousness can happen for a few minutes or for days, weeks or months, depending on how serious the injury was. When the loss of consciousness occurs for many days, the person is considered to be comatose.
Over time, many people who suffer from severe injuries and end up in comas do come out of them. Unfortunately, the neurons in the brain can’t repair themselves, so it does take time to reroute information and for a person to relearn anything they’ve lost (if possible). That makes it important to obtain as much financial compensation as possible to pay for the recovery process.
