Every six seconds, someone in America is injured in a motor vehicle crash according to federal safety experts. Traffic accidents kill more than 40,000 people per year, with more than five million others suffering injuries.
In many crashes, the damage to vehicle occupants is external and obvious, while in other crashes injury symptoms might not affect victims until hours or days - sometimes even years - have passed.
Dangers of Internal Injuries
CNN reports that Dr. David Thurman of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the problem for many injury victims is that the damage isn't visible to the eye. Internal injuries, especially brain injuries, can take longer to make themselves known.
During a car crash, "the head suddenly stops, but inside the skull the brain for a split second can keep moving. It shifts inside the skull," Thurman said. The result is that brain tissue can be bruised and blood vessels torn, even in people involved in relatively low-speed crashes at 20 to 30 mph.
When the blood vessels in the brain are ruptured or torn, slow bleeding can begin, resulting in dangerous pressure on the brain (an injury called a subdural hematoma).
Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms
Symptoms of these traumatic brain and head injuries include the following:
- Headaches increasing in severity
- Blurred vision
- Confusion
- Drowsiness
- Vomiting
- Weakness; inability to walk
- Loss of consciousness
- Difficulty waking up
Tests Can Reveal Head Injuries
If medical personnel suspect someone has sustained a brain injury, they may order some of the following tests and procedures:
- CT scan: a variety of x-ray often used to look for severe brain injuries
- Angiography: giving doctors a look at the brain's blood vessels
- X-rays of the spine
- EEG (electroencephalograph): testing for electrical activity in the brain
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): an imaging system allowing a view of the brain without the radiation of an x-ray
After Treatment
Following medical treatment, accident victims should contact a Salt Lake City personal injury attorney experienced in successfully litigating motor vehicle crash injury cases. A personal injury lawyer assesses the facts of the case, guides clients through their legal options and helps them pursue full and fair compensation for damages.
