Car Accidents – Head and Brain Injury

Over one million people in the United States every year receive some kind of head and brain injury. Although the most common cause of head and brain injuries is car accidents, other accidents such as falls and sports-related accidents can cause just as severe injuries or even death. Head and brain injuries need to be taken seriously, even if they seem minor. Untreated injuries could lead to permanent brain damage, paralysis, memory loss or even death.

There are two types of brain injuries: closed head and penetrating head injuries. In a closed head injury, the brain is bruised due to physical force – imagine a boxer being hit in the head; in most cases there is no sign of an injury on the outside, but inside the brain there can be severe bruising, bleeding and/or swelling. These injuries are the most dangerous, because outwardly there are no signs of injury, but internally the victim could be bleeding to death. Penetrating head injuries usually involve blunt force trauma – violence or a bad sports fall.

Those suffering from a head and brain injury may have a personal injury case against anyone whose negligence or dangerous behavior caused their injuries. Compensation levels would be determined by the level of negligence as well as the severity of injuries to the plaintiff. Some head and brain injury cases may become criminal cases or wrongful death suits, if the injured person dies of the injuries they sustained.