After your car was slammed into from behind, you walked away from the crash, feeling nothing more than a little rattled. Soon after, though, you started to feel dizzy and got a headache you couldn’t shake. Your doctor suspects a concussion caused by the car accident, but you assure him that you didn’t hit your head.
The reality is that rear-end collisions often cause concussions when the driver who was hit is jerked back and forth from the force of impact. In fact, brain injuries are one of the most common
medical conditions sustained in a rear-end collision.
Rear-End Accident Brain Injuries
Clearly, when your head slams against the steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, or door, you would expect that you could be injured. However, even without direct impact, your brain can rattle against your skull, causing as much damage as if you hit your head directly.
When you experience whiplash in a rear-end crash, you can also suffer one of the following types of traumatic brain injury (TBI):
- Concussion. Usually considered a mild form of TBI, a concussion can cause long-term effects, including headaches, dizziness, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue.
- Coup-Contrecoup. When the neck jerks back and forth and the brain hits the skull in two opposite places, contusions and bleeding can result.
- Diffuse axonal injury. When the skull is whipped forward and the brain lags behind, nerve tissue can twist and tear. This is the injury that causes disability and death in Shaken Baby Syndrome, and it can be fatal in car accident victims as well.
- Post-concussive syndrome. Any type of brain injury can result in chronic problems with memory, concentration, and headaches. This is a common diagnosis after a car accident TBI.
Because there is no obvious head trauma after a non-impact brain injury, it is important that you are evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible after the accident.
Brain Injuries Are Expensive to Treat
The chronic conditions caused by brain injuries frequently require daily medications and ongoing therapies. A car accident attorney who understands the impact of a brain injury can make sure you have the necessary resources to pay for your care for years to come. Whether it's from your own insurance, the at-fault driver’s insurance, or through a negligence lawsuit, you can make sure you are compensated for your losses.
Contact Our Experienced Car Accident Attorneys Today
If you suffered a brain injury after being hit from behind, the attorneys at Mahaney & Pappas want to talk to you about your possible claim for damages. Call us to schedule your free initial consultation today.
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