Car accidents commonly cause head and neck injuries, ranging from minor whiplash and headaches to traumatic brain injuries. Cars today have superior safety features compared to previous decades, but it’s still possible to suffer serious harm. If you’re in a car accident, seek medical attention right away. Whether you hit your head or your neck was violently jolted, it’s better to diagnose and treat injuries as soon as possible.
Here are some of the most common head injuries and symptoms people suffer after car accidents:
- Concussions: Concussions occur when your brain is jolted back and forth inside the skull. The movement can cause your brain to twist or bounce around, which causes cell damage and chemical changes. Although most people think of concussions as mild, because they’re usually non-life-threatening, they are a type of traumatic brain injury. Seek medical attention immediately, especially if you notice any of these warning signs.
- Bruises: Bruises, also referred to as contusions, can occur when your head suffers blunt force from another object. While some bruises are superficial, a doctor can check for symptoms of concussion and other serious issues. Bruises can cause headaches, but non-serious contusions typically heal in weeks, if not days.
- Diffuse axonal injuries: This is another type of traumatic brain injury. According to Johns Hopkins, it is “the shearing (tearing) of the brain’s long connecting nerve fibers (axons) that happens when the brain is injured as it shifts and rotates inside the bony skull. DAI usually causes coma and injury to many different parts of the brain.” Because these tears are microscopic, and may not be visible on MRIs or CT scans.
- Intracranial hematomas: Intercranial hematomas are a collection of blood on the brain, which usually results from trauma like car accidents, or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. The blood can collect in the tissue or underneath the skull, pressing on the brain. This is a potentially life-threatening injury—and symptoms could take several weeks to appear. See a doctor immediately, as soon as you develop any of these symptoms, even if you’ve already sought medical care after your accident.
- Whiplash and headaches: Whiplash is the most common head and neck injury. Left untreated, whiplash injuries can cause severe head and neck pain, which may persist for years. However, it may take hours or days for symptoms to fully manifest.
Always visit a medical provider after a car accident, especially if you suffered head and neck trauma. Then call the Law Offices of Tim Misny for help with your car accident claim.
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The Law Offices of Tim Misny can help you with your car accident case. When you’re the victim of negligence or recklessness, I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call my office at (800) 556-4769 so that I can evaluate your case right away.
