5 kinds of head injuries following a car accident

Cars provide seat belts and airbags so passengers are protected if the vehicle suffers from an accident. However, these protective features can only help so much.

People may still suffer injuries after a car accident. One place that is especially vulnerable to injuries is the head and brain. Here’s what could happen to your head and brain if you’re in a car accident:

1. Concussion

A concussion is possibly the most common head injury people may suffer after a car accident. This kind of medical injury can happen after someone suffers a blow, strike or hit to the head. This causes the victim’s brain to rattle and hit the inner walls of the skull. The result can lead to confusion, dizziness, memory loss and, more commonly, unconsciousness

2. Skull fracture

If a hit to the head is strong enough, it could fracture the skull. A fractured skull can leave a victim with a minor break or it could puncture through the skull, leaving skull fragments in the brain, and injuring the brain tissue. No matter what, a skull fracture can be seriously harmful to a person’s health.

3. Brain bleeding

Trauma to the brain may cause blood vessels to rupture, also called intracranial hemorrhage or brain bleeding. If this happens, the victim’s brain may suffer from too much pressure, which can damage the brain. Brain bleeding often occurs after the brain suffers a blow, which may cause bruising and swelling.

4. Coup-contrecoup injuries

The brain may suffer from two injuries even if the head was hit in one place. The side of the brain that was hit and injured is said to have a “coup” injury. Meanwhile, the opposite side of the brain where it may be injured from recoil is a “coup-contrecoup” injury.

5. Brain penetration

One of the deadliest injuries people may suffer from after a car accident is brain penetration. As mentioned above, this could happen because the skull was fractured and left bone fragments in the brain. However, the brain may also suffer a wound if, for example, a car part penetrates the skull and enters the brain.

Any kind of brain and head injury could lead to emergency medical procedures and treatments and still cause permanent disabilities. By understanding your legal right, you may be able to seek compensation for your trauma.