How Common Are Traumatic Brain Injuries After Motor Vehicle Accidents?
A traumatic brain injury is an injury that arises after the head or body suffers a violent jolt or blow. A TBI can also occur after an object penetrates brain tissue. For example, if a shattered piece of skull goes through brain tissue, a person could suffer a traumatic brain injury. According to the CDC, an estimated 1.7 million TBIs occur annually in the United States of America.
Among the many ways that people sustain traumatic brain injuries is through motor vehicle accidents. But how common are traumatic brain injuries after motor vehicle accidents? Motor vehicle accidents are said to be the second leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. The CDC estimates that motor vehicle accidents are to blame for more than 292,000 of the 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries that occur every year in the U.S.
Why Are Traumatic Brain Injuries So Common After Motor Vehicle Accidents?
Traumatic brain injuries are so common after motor vehicle accidents because of the violent and sudden movement vehicle occupants experience in a crash. Because the head and neck do not remain strapped to a seat during an accident, they can move freely. The head and neck can move freely after a crash and hit things such as the steering wheel, dashboard, or window. Also, objects flying around a vehicle during an accident can strike a vehicle occupant’s head and cause them to sustain a TBI.
Which Motor Vehicle Accidents Can Result in Traumatic Brain Injuries?
People suffer TBIs in different types of motor vehicle accidents. For example, a rear-end accident can result in a traumatic brain injury. In rear-end collisions, the head is usually thrown forward and then backward in a violent manner. This can result in whiplash. Apart from whiplash, this movement can cause a person to sustain a traumatic brain injury when their brain strikes the inside of their skull.
A front-end collision can also result in a traumatic brain injury. In a front-end accident, the car suddenly stops while you continue to move at the same speed you were moving before. This can cause your brain to strike the inside of your skull.
Other types of motor vehicle accidents that can result in traumatic brain injuries include;
- Side-impact collisions
- Rollover accidents
Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms
The symptoms of a traumatic brain injury will vary depending on the severity of the injury. Symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury include;
- Headache
- Loss of balance
- Difficulty sleeping
- Slurred speech
- Fatigue or drowsiness
- Blurred vision
Moderate to severe TBIs can include any of the signs of a mild TBI as well as other symptoms that appear within the first hours to days after a head injury, such as the following;
- Repeated vomiting or nausea
- Convulsions or seizures
- Profound confusion
- Dilation of one or both pupils of the eyes
- Inability to awaken from sleep
Contact Us for Legal Help
Have you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury in a Florida motor vehicle accident because of the negligence of another party? If so, you may be eligible to recover compensation. Contact our Orlando personal injury attorneys at The Pendas Law Firm to discuss your case.
The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Ocala, Bradenton, Daytona Beach, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Fort Myers areas.
Source:
cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/pdf/blue_book.pdf
