South Carolina auto accidents frequently cause very serious brain injuries, even when the accident is fairly minor. Sometimes these injuries are very obvious, but often, they are not. Sometimes the severity of your injury is not apparent until you seek medical treatment, but, because you did not realize the severity of the injury, you might make the mistake of failing to seek prompt medical treatment. In such cases, many days can pass before you notice the symptoms as they become worse.
It is important to raise awareness of brain injuries that are caused by auto accidents in South Carolina so that more victims will seek prompt treatment. Seeking prompt treatment will improve your medical prognosis and will also strengthen your auto accident claim for damages.
Common Brain Injuries Caused by South Carolina Auto Accidents
Treatment for brain injuries can be difficult and expensive, but proper treatment is essential to your recovery and quality of life. In many cases, quick treatment is the only way to prevent death or permanent disability from a brain injury. The immediate treatment will not necessarily be the end of it, though. A person with a traumatic brain injury may also need ongoing care, rehabilitation, and possibly even surgeries. All of this would be costly and time consuming. If you suffered a traumatic brain injury in an auto accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you should seek the advice of a South Carolina auto accident attorney to ensure that you are compensated for these expenses and losses.
The most common brain injuries that result from South Carolina auto accidents include contusions, concussions, debris penetrations, and diffuse axonal injuries.
- Contusions: These are bruises that occur on the brain and may need to be treated with surgery. They are typically caused by a severe blow to the head, which is quite common in auto accidents. You may have hit your head on the roof of the vehicle, on the steering wheel, or on a window, for example.
- Concussions: These are brain injuries that can vary from mild to severe, and should be taken seriously. Like contusions, concussions are caused by a severe blow to the head, which can occur in the same way as contusions. The difference is that concussions involve stretched blood vessels that can create nerve damage. Many auto accident victims don’t realize that severe and permanent brain damage can be caused by a concussion. Anyone with a concussion needs to be monitored for such damage. Common symptoms include dizziness, extreme fatigue, nausea, and disorientation.
- Debris Penetrations: Unlike contusions and concussions, a brain injury that involves debris penetration is much more visible and obvious. It may not be obvious at first that the brain has been penetrated, but the injury itself will be evident because of the visible wound and/or debris sticking out of the head. These injuries can be caused by any metal, glass or other object that impacts the head with significant force, enough to break through the skull and penetrate into the brain. Such injuries can be life threatening, involving bleeding in the brain that must be quickly addressed by surgery. This kind of injury can cause paralysis or other forms of permanent disability, even if you are treated quickly. It all depends on the severity of the injury.
- Diffuse Axonal Injuries: Whenever you are in an auto accident, your brain might be powerfully jostled back and forth inside of your skull. Diffuse axonal injuries occur when the brain slams into the skull and internal bleeding results. This internal bleeding is caused by the blood vessels and nerves of the brain being torn as the brain strikes the skull. This is one of the most severe brain injuries that occurs in South Carolina auto accidents, and it frequently results in death or permanent disability. In fact, it is one of the leading causes of traumatic brain injury deaths in the United States.
The possibility of brain injuries such as the types discussed in this post is one reason that it is so important to seek immediate medical treatment after an auto accident. Like contusions and concussions, diffuse axonal injuries are not likely to be visible in the immediate aftermath of your collision. If you fail to seek prompt medical treatment after a South Carolina auto accident, you could die from a brain injury that you weren’t aware of. You could also become aware of the injury afterit is too late to prevent permanent disability. The best thing you can do for yourself after an auto accident is to get a full medical evaluation, even if you think you’re okay.
If you were in a South Carolina auto accident that resulted in a brain injury, contact a determined Greenville, SC auto accident lawyer at David R. Price, Jr. P.A. for guidance in seeking the compensation that you deserve.
David Price is a Personal Injury, Civil Litigation, Collections, and Criminal Defense Attorney who practices in Greenville, SC. He graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law, and has been practicing law for 12 years. David Price believes in helping those who have been injured. Learn more about his experience by clicking here.
