People involved in car wrecks can break bones, damage their spinal cords and even lose body parts because of the trauma they suffer. Catastrophic injuries typically cause permanent symptoms and massive financial consequences.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are among the most expensive and debilitating injuries people can develop because of collisions. Car crashes can cause brain injuries through multiple different mechanisms, with the three below being the most common.
1. Blunt force trauma
People who hit their heads during car crashes can sustain major injuries to their brains. The swelling or inflammation that follows blunt force trauma can cause irreparable damage to the brain that worsens over time without treatment. People who hit their heads may require evaluation and immediate medical care to prevent the pressure in their skull from worsening.
2. Violent movements during a crash
Vehicles sometimes spin or flip over during collisions. Those motions can shake people around inside the vehicle, causing their brains to move violently inside their skulls. Those motions can cause inflammation or bleeding in the skull that can produce debilitating symptoms without treatment.
3. Penetrating injuries
Collisions produce debris ranging from glass to metal shrapnel. The pieces of the vehicle and other objects flying through the air can potentially cut through the skull, causing damage to the brain. What seems like a minor injury on the surface could actually do significant damage.
Other, less common circumstances, such as protracted oxygen deprivation and percussive force from an explosion, could also injure the human brain. Understanding what causes catastrophic collision injuries can help people get the care they require. Prompt medical attention and appropriate compensation can reduce the harm generated by a car crash brain injury.
