Concussions & Car Accidents

September 23, 2021 | Car Accidents

Vehicle accidents often result in relatively minor injuries. However, we find that individuals often write concussions off as something minor, when the reality is that a concussion can lead to significant impacts on a crash victim’s life. Here, we want to discuss how often car accidents lead to concussions as well as the most common concussion symptoms that you need to be aware of. In many cases, concussions are the first sign that there is an underlying serious traumatic brain injury that needs to be dealt with.

What Should I Do if I Suspect a Concussion After an Auto Accident?

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that a concussion is a traumatic brain injury and can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body. When most people think of concussions, they think of the head actually striking a fixed object. Yes, this can certainly cause a concussion, but individuals can also sustain any injuries if their body is rapidly jerked back and forth, similar to the motion that occurs in a vehicle accident.

Often, the signs of a concussion are not immediately apparent after a vehicle accident occurs. No matter how an individual feels after an accident occurs, they need to seek medical care for an evaluation just in case. Additionally, any individual who begins to experience any of these following symptoms after an accident should suspect a concussion and seek medical care immediately:

• Headaches
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Fatigue or grogginess
• Blurry vision
• Dizziness
• Vomiting or nausea
• Slurred speech
• Trouble waking up
• Trouble sleeping
• Personality changes or mood swings
• Confusion or feeling dazed
• Delayed responses

In most situations, individuals who sustain a concussion will be able to make a full recovery after following a treatment plan from their doctor. However, when a concussion is untreated, this could lead to the worsening of a brain injury.

What Safety Options Exist to Help Prevent Concussions in Car Accidents?

Most modern vehicles have various safety features in place to prevent concussions from occurring in the event a collision does happen.

• Seatbelts. Seatbelts are the most effective way for individuals to prevent severe injuries from occurring in an accident. When an individual has a seatbelt on, they will be much less likely to strike their head on the steering wheel, the dash, or the windshield.
• Airbags. Every modern vehicle has airbags. In most cases, this includes airbags in the dash and the steering column. However, the newest vehicles also have side-impact airbags that run along the side frame of the inside of the vehicle as well as inside the seats of the vehicle. All of these airbags can work to prevent a concussion from occurring when a collision happens.
• Overall vehicle structure. The addition of interior padding in vehicles has saved thousands of lives since it was introduced in the late 1960s. Additionally, vehicles built today are more structurally sound than older vehicles.
• Child safety seats. It is imperative for children to be properly seated inside of a vehicle. Every state has laws pertaining to children and car safety seats. An adult must place their children in an appropriate child safety seat based on the child’s age and weight.

If you have sustained a concussion in a vehicle accident caused by the negligence of another driver, you need to contact a skilled Austin car accident attorney as soon as possible who can help you recover compensation for your medical bills, property damage, lost income, pain and suffering losses, and more.