Common Car Accident Injuries - Head/Brain Injuries
Dealing with the emotional, physical and financial toll of a head injury can be overwhelming. As an accident victim, you have enough to worry about. Our attorneys may be able to handle many aspects of your case for you, helping you to get the compensation to which you may be entitled. This allows you to better focus on the important task of healing.
The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin has helped more than 20,000 injured North Carolinians. More than half of the attorneys in the Personal Injury Department have at least 10 years of experience and several have 15 years or more. Call now for a free case review and conversation about your potential claim.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, half of all traumatic brain injury victims received their injuries in automobile accidents.
Traumatic brain injury occurs when a person suffers a sudden, violent blow to the head which causes some degree of brain injury or damage. In motor vehicle accidents — including cars, trucks and other commercial vehicles — that violent blow can occur when a person's head hits a solid object on the inside or outside of the vehicle. An automobile defect can be the cause of a traumatic brain injury. Car, van and truck defects can also aggravate injuries that already occurred.
Traumatic brain injury can cause a broad range of medical problems including loss of memory, mood swings, aggressiveness and headaches. Symptoms that may be immediately diagnosed after an accident include: loss of consciousness, bleeding, swelling and/or bruising of the brain (which may not be visible), coma and seizures, among other things. Traumatic brain injury can also be more subtle, with symptoms not surfacing for many months or years after the accident.
Rollover accidents are a common cause of traumatic brain injury and related-deaths. Forty percent of all rollover deaths occur in sports utility vehicles or SUVs. The reason is that some SUVs are defectively designed, making them less stable and more likely to flip during a car crash. The increased risk of vehicle rollovers in SUVs has been well documented and vehicle manufacturers are well aware of this threat. However, they often choose financial gain over design changes which could prevent thousands of traumatic brain injuries each year.
Motor vehicle accidents can happen on any highway, at any time of day, and can change a person's life instantly. The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin understands the financial, physical and emotional trauma that accompanies such accidents. The firm will represent you to the best of its ability, so you can concentrate on healing and restoring your life. Call today for a free case review and conversation about your potential claim.
Closed Head Injury/Concussion
A closed head injury is most commonly known as a concussion. Concussions occur when a violent blow to the head causes the brain to forcefully hit the inside wall of the skull. Such injuries are not unusual in motor vehicle-related accidents.
Concussions can vary in severity from mild to critical, and can have both short- and long-term repercussions. Symptoms of a concussion from a car accident can be immediate or may not appear for some time after the initial trauma. In serious cases, bleeding and swelling of the brain can occur. Even a mild concussion can result in subtle brain damage.
Brain damage in a closed head injury can have physical, cognitive, and psychological repercussions. The physical characteristics of a closed head injury can occur immediately following the initial accident or can worsen in the period following the accident. Physical repercussions of a closed head injury can include: headaches, paralysis, coordination difficulty, weakness, sensory problems, nausea and difficulty sleeping.
Sources: Mayo Clinic; Brain Injury Association of America; Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center; Traumatic Brain Injury Recovery Network; Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center; BrainLine.org (funded by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center through WETA public broadcasting).
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