What’s a little bump on the head, right? A lot of car accident victims end up with concussions from whiplash or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) from hitting their head on the steering wheel or dashboard – but most people assume that anything that doesn’t knock you out isn’t that serious.
Unfortunately, research increasingly shows that head injuries – even when they don’t cause obvious long-term damage – can lead to serious problems later in life.
A single head injury ups the odds of dementia
In recent years, a lot of attention has been given to degenerative diseases linked to repeated head injuries, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – which is often associated with retired football players, boxers and other athletes who sustained head injuries during games.
However, research indicates that you don’t need to suffer repeated blows to the head to develop some form of dementia as you age. A single head injury increases the likelihood that you’ll develop dementia by 1.25 times, and two head injuries doubles the odds of a future diagnosis. In one study, 9.5% of the participants – or nearly one in 10 – had dementia diagnoses that could be tied back to a traumatic head injury.
That’s why it is so important for car accident victims to be on the alert for the signs of a concussion. There really is no such thing as a “mild” traumatic brain injury, so be on the lookout for:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Visual disturbances
- Difficulty concentrating
- Nausea or vomiting
- Memory issues
- Slurred speech
- Trouble sleeping
- Mood changes
Seek immediate medical attention so that you can get the physical and medical support that you need following a wreck. That will help your brain heal properly and lessen the chances that you’ll suffer from cognitive issues in the future.
If you’ve suffered a TBI in a wreck, don’t let the insurance company involved tell you that it isn’t serious simply because you didn’t end up in the hospital. You would be wisest to seek experienced legal guidance from someone who understands the real danger a TBI poses.