A person who is involved in a motor vehicle crash can sometimes suffer a brain injury. This can occur even if they don’t hit their head because the brain can slam into the skull. These injuries can be severe and can sometimes impact the rest of a person’s life.
Car crashes can lead to two types of brain injuries – closed and penetrating. A penetrating injury occurs if something breaks through the skull. For example, if a metal beam goes through the skull, it would be considered a penetrating injury.
A closed brain injury happens when the skull isn’t penetrated. These injuries are caused by the damage that’s done when the brain is shaken violently or slams against the skull. The damage can be done to the brain tissue or to the blood vessels in the brain.
How do closed brain injuries heal?
The healing of the brain depends on how and where the injury occurs. Some traumatic brain injuries can heal fully so the person is able to return to their normal way of life eventually. Others don’t have a very good chance of healing because the damage is too great or because of how it occurred.
It’s best to get immediate medical care when you realize that you have a possible brain injury. This might not occur right at the time of the crash, so watch for symptoms – such as a persistent headache – in the days and weeks following the crash.
Individuals who suffer a brain injury in a crash that’s someone else’s fault may opt to seek compensation for the financial damages they incur. Georgia law has time limits for all personal injury cases, so it’s best to get the matter filed as soon as you can after the incident. You need to give yourself time to heal, so work with someone who can assist you with the legal side of the matter.