Head injuries are some of the most common kinds of injuries sustained in automobile accidents. These types of injuries range in severity and might include the following:
Concussions
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) that happens when the brain strikes the inside of the skull due to a sudden change in movement or momentum during a car accident. Concussions can exhibit the following symptoms:
- Temporary loss of consciousness
- Headache
- Amnesia
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Slurred speech
- Confusion
- Tinnitus
- Fatigue
- Inability to concentrate
These symptoms are usually temporary but can be severe and debilitating.
Contusions
A contusion is a bruise on the brain that results from a direct impact to the head. In a car accident, this impact commonly occurs when someone is struck by an external object or hits their head on a fixed object like the steering wheel or a window. Some symptoms of contusions include:
- Numbness or tingling of the injured area
- Balance and coordination problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory problems
A contusion causes bleeding and swelling of the brain in the area where the head was hit and can range from mild to serious and potentially life-threatening.
Skull fractures
A skull fracture is a break in the skull bone. There are four major types of skull fractures, including:
- Linear skull fractures – a break with no movement of the bone.
- Depressed skull fractures – part of the skull is sunken in due to trauma and may require surgical intervention.
- Diastatic skull fractures – occurs along the suture lines of the skull (the areas that fuse during childhood).
- Basilar skull fractures – involves a break in the bone at the base of the skull.
Skull fractures can be extremely serious and have the ability to affect the life of someone injured in an automobile accident.
Contact an Elkhart County, Indiana Car Accident Lawyer Today
Did you suffer a serious head injury in an automobile accident caused by someone else’s negligence? Contact the injury lawyers at Kelly Law Offices, LLC online or call 1-800-859-8800 to set up your free initial case evaluation today.
