Roughly one in every six concussions that are sustained in the United States each year result from a car accident. It may take days to recover from this concussion. Up to 20% of people who sustain concussions will experience lingering symptoms for weeks, months, or even years. Some may never fully recover. If you have suffered a concussion in a car accident, you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation. First, it is vital that you get both legal and medical help for your situation.
How Can Car Accidents Cause Concussions and Brain Injuries in Monmouth County?
Car accidents result in unnatural motion of your body and potential impact to your head. You can suffer a concussion in a car accident when the following occur:
- If your head and neck snap forward when the rest of your body remains still, your brain will move violently inside your head. The sudden movement can cause your brain to slam into the base of your skull, damaging both the brain itself and causing chemical changes.
- There can be a direct impact on your head when it strikes a part of your car as a result of the force of the accident. For example, your head could strike the steering wheel or the dashboard. Even hitting an airbag when it is inflating can cause damage to your brain.
- There may be rotational forces at work in a car accident, besides your head suddenly moving forward. These forces can stretch brain tissue and result in a concussion.
What Are the Types of Brain Injuries from Car Accidents?
A concussion is just one of the brain injuries that you may suffer in a car accident. There is a chance that you can sustain lasting damage to your brain in the following ways:
- Diffuse axonal injury: The violent shaking in a car accident, or the impact to your head, can cause brain fibers to be sheared. Diffuse accidental injuries are a form of permanent brain damage that will change the course of your life.
- Contusions: Bruising on the brain has the potential to cause serious injury because the pooling of blood can result in the death of vital brain tissue.
- Coup-contrecoup injuries: Your brain can move back and forth in your head in a car accident. Not only can it strike the base of your skull, but it can also hit the opposite side when it rebounds.
Why Must I Get Immediate Help for Any Type of Brain Injury?
From your standpoint, it is crucial that you take care of your health immediately after you have been involved in a car accident. If you suspect that you may have suffered a concussion, you should take immediate action to see a doctor. Concussions can grow worse over time if they are not treated. Then, the insurance company may argue that you failed to take the necessary steps to protect your own health, and they could reduce the amount of compensation they offer you in a settlement.
To be clear, any injury to your brain is a serious matter. Concussions can have serious impacts on your health in both the short and long run. It may take a while to recover from a concussion, if you are even fully able to do so. In the meantime, you may not be able to work, and you may sacrifice the life that you had before the car accident.
Suffering one concussion may also leave you at serious risk of future brain injuries. Subsequent concussions can have a more significant impact, and they may result in long-term brain damage. Your brain may not be the same again, even after suffering one concussion.
Monmouth County Car Accident Lawyers at Mikita & Roccanova, LLC, Are Standing by to Help
If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury in a motor vehicle accident or any other type of physical harm, speak to the Monmouth County car accident lawyers at Mikita & Roccanova, LLC. We are standing by and ready to speak to you during a free initial consultation, which you can schedule by visiting our website or by calling us today at 732-705-3363. We have offices in Hazlet and Highland Park, NJ, and we serve injured clients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.