Traumatic Brain Injuries Resulting from Car Accidents
An experienced Palm Beach Gardens attorney can fight for your rights
A car accident can turn your world upside down, and lead to potentially life-altering traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). These injuries are disruptions in normal brain function caused by external mechanical forces, such as a blow or jolt to the head.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car accidents are one of the leading causes of TBIs. They often occur in head-on collisions, side-impact crashes, rollovers, and high-speed rear-end collisions due to:
- Direct impact: The head striking an object such as the steering wheel or window.
- Sudden deceleration: Rapid stopping forces causing the brain to collide with the skull’s interior.
- Penetrating injuries: Objects breaching the skull and damaging brain tissue.
What are common types of TBIs from car accidents?
Car accidents can lead to different types of TBIs, including:
Concussions
Considered mild TBIs, concussions result from a blow or jolt to the head, leading to temporary loss of brain function. Symptoms may include headaches, confusion, dizziness, and memory disturbances. While concussions only last up to a few months, repeated concussions can have permanent effects.
Contusions
These are bruises on the brain tissue caused by direct impact to the head. Contusions can lead to swelling and increased intracranial pressure, which can potentially cause neurological effects depending on their size and location.
Diffuse axonal injury (DAI)
DAI involves widespread damage to the brain’s white matter tracts due to severe shaking or rotational forces, commonly seen in high-speed car accidents. This injury disrupts nerve communication, and often results in prolonged unconsciousness or coma.
Penetrating injuries
These occur when an object pierces the skull, enters the brain tissue, and causes localized damage. Such injuries can lead to major neurological impairments, depending on the affected brain regions.
Coup-contrecoup injuries
This type of TBI involves damage at the site of impact (coup) and on the opposite side of the brain (contrecoup) due to the brain striking the inner skull surfaces. These injuries often result from rapid acceleration-deceleration events, such as car accidents. Symptoms may include headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, confusion, memory problems, and mood changes.
How are car accident TBIs diagnosed?
TBIs resulting from car accidents require prompt and comprehensive care to optimize recovery outcomes. Even if you feel fine initially, delayed symptoms can appear hours or days later. It’s important to seek immediate medical assistance after a car accident to prevent your TBI from worsening and to create a clear link to the collision you were involved in.
An accurate diagnosis is needed for pinpointing your TBI and determining the appropriate treatment plan. The diagnostic process would likely start with a comprehensive clinical evaluation. A doctor will assess your neurological status by examining your cognitive functions, motor skills, and sensory responses.
Following an initial assessment, a doctor may order imaging studies to identify structural damage in the brain. These include:
- Computed tomography (CT) scans: CT scans detect bleeding, swelling, or fractures.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): MRIs provide detailed images of brain tissues to identify subtle injuries.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG): EEGs record electrical activity in the brain to identify abnormalities.
How are crash-related TBIs treated and rehabilitated?
Rehabilitation therapies help restore brain function and can enhance your quality of life if you suffered a TBI from a car accident.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy focuses on improving mobility, strength, and coordination. Therapists design individualized exercise programs to help patients regain motor skills, balance, and endurance. Their goal is to help you facilitate a return to daily activities.
These programs often include:
- Motor skill training: Exercises aimed at retraining movements and improving fine and gross motor skills.
- Balance and coordination exercises: Activities designed to enhance stability and prevent falls.
- Strengthening regimens: Targeted exercises to rebuild muscle strength and endurance.
- Gait training: Techniques to improve walking patterns and mobility.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy assists TBI patients in relearning daily living skills and adapting to physical limitations. Therapists work on fine motor skills, cognitive functions, and strategies to perform tasks such as dressing, cooking, and managing finances.
They may also work on improving fine motor skills such as buttoning a shirt, writing, and manipulating small objects.
Speech and language therapy
Speech and language therapy addresses communication difficulties and cognitive impairments to improve your overall communication. Therapists help patients improve speech clarity, language comprehension, and cognitive abilities like memory and problem-solving. They also focus on language comprehension, so TBI patients can understand spoken and written language.
Neuropsychological support
Neuropsychological support offers counseling to manage emotional and behavioral changes resulting from TBIs. Their goal is to support your mental health and social reintegration. Psychologists provide strategies to cope with mood swings, anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues.
How do I get compensation for a car accident TBI?
If another party’s negligence caused your crash-related TBI in Florida, you might be entitled to compensation. This process typically involves filing a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver and receiving compensation through a settlement.
Compensation from a car accident claim can cover medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, and non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. However, insurance companies don’t readily compensate crash victims. They may dispute the severity of your injury, question the necessity of certain treatments, or attempt to blame your injury on pre-existing conditions.
To counter these tactics, it’s important to maintain thorough medical documentation and adhere strictly to prescribed treatment plans. An experienced Florida car accident attorney can investigate your car accident and negotiate with the other driver’s insurance company on your behalf, so you can receive a fair settlement.
Get personalized and dedicated legal help from a skilled Palm Beach Gardens attorney
If you or a loved one has suffered a TBI from a car accident in Florida, don’t wait to get legal representation from an experienced Florida attorney. The Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo, P.A. has extensive experience handling car accident cases involving TBIs.
Our firm has fought for major settlements for our clients, such as $10.9 million in a car accident and product liability case, as well as $8.2 million in a tractor-trailer accident.
You don’t have to pay any upfront fees for our services. That’s because we work on a contingency fee basis and only get paid if we win your case. During your free consultation, we’ll assess the details of your car accident, discuss potential compensation options, and provide honest answers to any questions you have.
Contact us online or call our law office in Palm Beach Gardens today to schedule your free consultation and take the first step toward securing the compensation you deserve.
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