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Beyond the Crash: The Long-Term Effects of Auto Accidents and Traumatic Brain Injuries

What You Need to Know:

  • Auto accidents are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries.
  • People living with moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries require life-long care.
  • Consulting a doctor and contacting a traumatic brain injury lawyer after an auto accident can help ensure you get the life-long care you need for a traumatic brain injury.

The brain is arguably the most critical organ in our bodies. Who we are, how we move, what we feel—everything about us is defined by that bundle of nerves in our skulls. So, when there is damage to a person’s brain after an auto accident, it can alter their life moving forward.

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is not just a bump on the head. It’s a disruption in the brain’s normal functioning, and the consequences can be far-reaching. Understanding the challenges individuals and their families encounter post-TBI diagnosis is crucial to how we advocate for our TBI clients at Snellings Law.

We want to give you a clear understanding of how this injury can affect individuals and their families. Whether you are a TBI survivor, a caregiver, or someone seeking to understand the complexities of life after a traumatic brain injury, keep reading to learn how TBI from an auto accident can change your life.

Beyond the Crash- The Long-Term Effects of Auto Accidents and Traumatic Brain Injuries

Demystifying TBI: A Scientific Perspective

The brain is made up of neurons or brain cells. Neurons communicate to the brain what the body needs. This process is called neurovascular coupling. When the body needs to do a task, the neurons communicate this to the brain. The brain then sends oxygen and glucose to the area of the brain, doing the task of giving it the fuel it needs.

When a traumatic brain injury occurs, the nerve pathways used to send messages and fuel are damaged. The neurons will create new pathways around the injury, but the messages won’t be delivered as quickly or efficiently. The brain will also send less blood to the damaged area, and other areas of the brain may try to overcompensate. This can affect how a person thinks, moves, and speaks.

Auto Accidents and Traumatic Brain Injuries

Enduring Effects: The Long-term Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury

Because different tasks are performed by different brain areas, damage to one area can cause that part of the brain to work inefficiently or stop working at all. For example, if a traumatic brain injury damages the part of a person’s brain that controls speech, that person may have difficulty verbalizing their thoughts.

Some of the long-term effects of a traumatic brain injury from a car crash include:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Mood and personality changes
  • Short attention span
  • Difficulty locating things
  • Difficulty reading
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty with impulse control
  • Low energy
  • Loss of memory
  • Headaches
  • Heart and blood pressure issues
  • Light and noise sensitivity
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Difficulty speaking, thinking, and acting
  • Difficulty making decisions
  • Difficulty problem-solving
  • Fatigue
  • Blurred vision
  • Motion sickness
  • Dizziness or vertigo
  • Balance issues
  • Hormone changes and dysfunction
  • Loss or change of senses
  • Tremors
  • Paralysis
  • Spasticity
  • Coma
Play Video

For an in-depth look at TBI symptoms, read our blog, “TBI Signs and Symptoms” or watch this video.

Auto Accidents and Traumatic Brain Injury

As discussed, a traumatic brain injury occurs when an object penetrates the brain or when the brain hits the interior of the skull. This can occur when something strikes the head or if the head is shaken, like during whiplash.

In a car crash, the sudden movements of the car, when hit, can cause the injured victim to hit their head on the side of the car or an outside object. The movements of the car could also cause the injury victim to jerk back and forth suddenly and cause a TBI from whiplash.

There are different levels of TBI as well, ranging from mild to severe. A concussion, while still serious, is an example of a mild TBI. Moderate and severe TBIs require long-term care if the victim survives.

On the Road to Recovery

According to the CDC, auto accidents are among the leading causes of traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries after auto accidents are commonly missed because the symptoms may take time to show.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a car accident, it’s imperative to monitor yourself for TBI symptoms in the weeks and months following the crash. Catching a TBI early can help you heal faster and allow you to create an effective long-term care plan.

To help you monitor for a TBI, we’ve created a TBI symptoms checklist that’s free to download and sent directly to your email. You can print out the list and go over it with your doctor to help determine if you’re suffering a traumatic brain injury from your auto accident. To download the checklist, all you need to do is enter your name and email.

Long-Term Effects of Auto Accidents and Traumatic Brain Injuries

If you do find that you have a traumatic brain injury, your next step should be to contact a traumatic brain injury attorney. Many times, adjusters will try to minimize the severity of a brain injury. This might be because the injury wasn’t discovered until later after the crash or because the symptoms aren’t directly treatable with surgery or stitches. A traumatic brain injury lawyer knows these tricks and will be able to advocate for you to get the compensation and treatment you need.

People living with moderate or severe traumatic brain injuries will likely need a long-term care plan. Sometimes, insurance will try only to cover the initial treatment, and they won’t compensate you for the life-long care you’ll need. A traumatic brain injury can adequately explain the need for long-term care to the insurance adjuster so that you’re not left paying out of pocket.

A traumatic brain injury lawyer can also help quantify the change in your quality of life. As we know, the symptoms of a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury can alter your life completely. You may be unable to work, have difficulty maintaining relationships, or lose the ability to perform daily tasks like showering or making food. You deserve to be compensated for these changes, and a traumatic brain injury attorney knows how to communicate this change effectively to adjusters.

Advocating for You: Snellings Law is Committed to TBI Survivors

At Snellings Law, we’ve helped many traumatic brain injury survivors get the care and treatment they need. We know how to document and present traumatic brain injuries to adjusters and get the best resolutions for our clients. Car accidents are scary enough, and we know the aftermath of a car crash can be so much worse for those who have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

We work on a contingency fee basis, so you won’t pay anything out of pocket when you sign with Snellings Law. We only get paid if we win your case, so don’t hesitate to contact our office if you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury from a car crash. Our attorneys are passionate advocates for traumatic brain injury victims in North Texas. We want to help our community thrive and work hard to ensure that our traumatic brain injury clients get the resolutions they deserve. Contact us today by filling out the contact form on our website or by calling us at (214) 387-0387.

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