Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur because of a variety of reasons. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some of the leading causes of traumatic brain injuries include falls and violence, particularly firearm violence or assaults. Motor vehicle collisions are another leading cause of these injuries.
Car crashes can occur at any time, and anyone in an affected vehicle could potentially incur a TBI. The same is true for pedestrians or cyclists struck by a vehicle. Brain injuries can range from mild to severe. They can inspire a variety of different symptoms, from cognition and memory issues to changes in fine motor control and sensory perception. Car crashes actually cause brain injuries in an assortment of different ways. How might a motor vehicle collision lead to a brain injury?
Blunt force trauma
Perhaps the most common and also most obvious way that people hurt their brains in a car crash involves hitting their head on something. They might strike the dashboard, the steering wheel or a window. Those not in a vehicle or thrown from one could hit their head on anything in the surrounding environment. Blunt force trauma can cause massive bleeding and swelling of the brain that could lead to significant symptoms.
Violent shaking motions
Those who have raised young children are likely familiar with shaken baby syndrome. Frustrated parents who shake their infants can cause irreparable brain damage because of how the brain moves inside the skull. The same type of brain injury can occur in a car crash scenario. Vehicles that roll over or spin can shake someone violently enough to cause damage to their brains.
Penetrating injuries
Car crashes at higher speeds may lead to windows shattering and pieces of the vehicle flying through the air. That debris can sometimes strike someone’s head hard enough to penetrate the skull. Such injuries can be very serious and may require surgery to remove the foreign object.
Regardless of the mechanism that causes the injury, those who hurt their brains in a crash will likely incur major expenses. Not only will they have medical costs to cover, but they may also have lost wages to consider. Filing a personal injury lawsuit may be necessary in cases where a car crash causes an injury that results in serious financial consequences.