Louisiana residents know that they need to drive carefully and obey the rules of the road in order to remain safe and keep others on the road safe. However, thousands of people are hurt or killed every year in car accidents. Some of the most common types of injuries related to car accidents are head injuries, which can range in severity from relatively mild to fatal.
Common head injuries that result from car accidents
There are several different types of brain injuries that come about as a result of car accidents, forcing people to seek out help with personal injury cases. Some of the most common include the following:
- A contusion happens when the brain gets bruised. This usually happens when something hits the outside of the head. It could happen from the head hitting a steering wheel or slamming against a window or windshield.
- An open head injury takes place when the skull becomes fractured or cracked, causing damage to the brain as well. In a car accident, projectiles from the accident like pieces of metal or other debris often cause open head injuries. Doctors will have to remove the object from the brain and possibly do wound debridement afterwards.
- Concussions, also called mild traumatic brain injuries, are the most common type of head injury. They involve a bump, jolt or violent shaking of the head, causing the brain to move back and forth. Most concussions are mild, and they often heal with some medical intervention. Other concussions are extremely dangerous, and the damage they do to victims is long-lasting. Symptoms include exhaustion, headaches, nausea and feeling disoriented.
- A diffuse axonal injury is another common type of head injury in car accidents. This type of injury involves massive forces pressing on the brain and the head. This pressure causes the brain to move about violently, compromising the connections that exist between the body and the brain. Brain stem fibers can tear, causing the victim to slip into a coma.
Where can people go if they need help with personal injury cases?
Getting injured in a motor vehicle accident is potentially life-altering. People who are struggling with the aftermath may benefit by working with attorneys who have experience getting compensation for accident victims.