Some people get tired of hearing about how important it is to be careful while driving. However, the average number of people that die from fatal car accidents every day in the United States alone is more than 100.
More than 38,000 people died in more than 35,000 fatal car crashes in the United States in 2020!
That may sound bad by itself, but things are even worse when you account for non-fatal injuries. In particular, some people receive damage to the brain from a car accident injury.
There is a lot to know about how to manage TBI car accident injuries. Read on to learn all about the most important things to understand about traumatic brain injuries caused by car accidents and what to do in the aftermath of them!
What Is a TBI?
TBI is an acronym that stands for traumatic brain injury. There are a lot of different ways that people can receive traumatic brain injuries. For example, some people receive traumatic brain injuries while playing football or other sports.
However, many people receive traumatic brain injuries due to car accidents as well. Depending on the severity of the injury, a TBI may display different symptoms.
For example, after a mild traumatic brain injury, you might display symptoms like fatigue or nausea. Many people offer also suffer from headaches and nausea. In some cases, people might find it difficult to keep their balance.
People may even find that their ability to speak is affected.
On top of that, people might find strange things happening with their senses. They might taste something in their mouth even when they are not eating anything. They might hear a constant ringing in their ears.
Some people cannot see clearly after a traumatic brain injury or are sensitive to light.
All of these symptoms may come after a short time spent unconscious. However, if someone spends more than a few minutes unconscious, the probability is higher that they are dealing with a more serious traumatic brain injury.
In those cases, people can experience all of the same symptoms mentioned above. However, they may also experience seizures. They may find that their fingers and toes do not work right, or they may be unable to wake up when they fall asleep.
In some cases, people even stay comatose for days or more after such an injury.
Who Are the Most Likely People to Suffer Traumatic Brain Injuries?
There are a few different factors that affect how likely someone is to receive a traumatic brain injury. Some of these factors have to do with sensitivity to damage.
For example, young children are susceptible to traumatic brain injuries because they have more vulnerable skulls. Adolescents have a higher chance of experiencing dramatic brain injuries, but that may have to do more with behavior than anything else.
Adolescents engage in risky behavior more often than people of other ages. That is also one of the reasons that males are more likely than females to suffer a traumatic brain injury. Males are more likely to engage in rough sports and other activities that may lead to a traumatic brain injury.
The last group that is susceptible to traumatic brain injuries is adults over the age of 65. In these cases, people may be more likely to sustain a traumatic brain injury because of weakened bones. They may also have more difficulty recovering from an injury.
On top of that, they may already be dealing with health problems that can make sustaining a traumatic brain injury worse.
Can You Prevent a Traumatic Brain Injury?
There are a few things that people can do to prevent traumatic brain injuries. Some preventative measures are more difficult to use than others.
For example, you can decrease your chance of a traumatic brain injury by not playing American football. However, people may be unwilling to give up a sport or hobby. On the other hand, they can continue to enjoy their sport and still decrease their chance of a traumatic brain injury if they wear a helmet.
Wearing a helmet during appropriate activities of all kinds is a great way to decrease the chance of sustaining a traumatic brain injury. Because traumatic brain injuries are so often the result of car accidents, another great way to prevent them is by always wearing a seatbelt.
Being Careful After a Car Accident
After you receive one traumatic brain injury, receiving a second one can be much worse. Some people receive a long series of tiny brain injuries while playing football. That is one reason that the rules of the game were changed to protect players.
However, the important thing to remember is to be as safe as possible after you have received a single traumatic brain injury. It may require being extra careful while driving, but that is more than worth it to avoid the chance of developing a second traumatic brain injury.
Managing the Legal Situation After a Car Accident
Many people don’t realize that they may be able to receive compensation for their suffering after a car accident that led to a traumatic brain injury. After all, if the other driver is responsible, then they are responsible for a medical condition that can seriously affect someone’s quality of life.
But how can you know if you should be taking someone to court to win compensation? Speaking with the right TBI lawyer is a great way to find out if you have a viable case or not. As difficult as managing a TBI can be, winning compensation can help ease the difficulty of healing.
Understand How to Respond to a Traumatic Car Accident Injury
Most people are dealing with a lot when they receive brain damage from a car accident injury. In many cases, it is essential to find the right legal counsel to help manage the situation. Although that can require a little extra work in the beginning to find an attorney, it can decrease work later on as their attorney takes care of their legal situation.
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