If you or someone you know has experienced head trauma in a car accident, some health effects may be lurking undetected, under the surface. While you may have been in what seems like just a minor fender bender, even that can lead to an excessive force on your brain that may bring on serious health issues.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are at least 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries every year and a contributing factor in about a third of all injury-related deaths in the United States.
A traumatic brain injury may result in a subdural hematoma, which is when blood gathers between the dura and cerebral tissue. The hematoma formed by the collecting blood puts pressure on the brain, which can lead to serious injury or even death.
Symptoms of Subdural Hematomas
Sometimes the symptoms show up immediately, while other times they can remain hidden until many months down the road. Symptoms of subdural hematomas can include any of the following:
- Headache
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizures
- Slurred speech
- Feeling disoriented
- Apathy or irritabilityWhile the injuries may prove to be complex, the moral of the story is quite simple. Never take your condition immediately after a traffic accident at face value. If you don’t have symptoms now, you may in the coming days or weeks. Subdural hematomas can have lifelong, even fatal, consequences.
When the accident is traumatic enough to be escorted to an emergency room, you stand a greater chance of treatment for head injuries. It’s when you walk away seemingly unscathed that you have to really be vigilant about seeking help if any symptom arises (mentioned above or otherwise).
Your long-term outlook after experiencing a subdural hematoma depends on various factors, such as the type and location of the injury. One of the more important factors is how quickly you seek treatment.
The only part we encourage you to wait on is signing any legal waivers/documents before getting proper medical testing that will either detect or rule out traumatic brain injury. Remember, not all injuries are visible and on the surface. Often, it’s what happens on the inside that poses the most health problems, particularly since they may go undetected until the injuries progress further than they should.
If you have any questions or concerns about your legal rights after a serious traffic accident, please contact us today.
