Increased urbanization in Georgia puts more cars on the road increasing a person’s chance of being in an auto accident. One of the more serious injuries sustained in these accidents are traumatic brain injuries. Some symptoms are immediately noticeable while others may take hours to days to show.
Traumaticbraininjury.com reports that “over half of all reported traumatic brain injuries are the result of an automobile accident.” The force of an auto accident can cause head injuries from impact with another object such as the windshield or steering wheel. The blunt force trauma the head sustains can create an open wound.
Not all TBIs are noticeable right away. Bleeding and contusions can cause lasting effects not immediately noticeable. These injuries happen when the head stops but the brain continues to move. Brain injuries can cause long-term disability in the victim affecting their life long after the accident happened.
A car accident can cause a TBI with penetrating injuries, indirect injuries, whipping injuries, bangs, bumps and secondary injuries. Severe and moderate TBIs result in a loss of consciousness for a few minutes to several hours. Mild TBIs typically do not cause a loss of consciousness, but if do, it only lasts a few minutes.
Regardless of the severity of a TBI, individuals recently in a car accident should seek medical attention right away. The sooner a person receives a diagnosis, the sooner they can receive medical treatment. In addition, failure to receive medical attention can thwart the chances the individual has of filing a personal injury case.