In the immediate aftermath of a serious car accident, you’re probably going to experience severe and immediate injuries. While you certainly need to seek out medical attention as quickly as possible for these harms, you need to make sure that you continue to be aware of symptoms that may be indicative of an even more significant injury that is simply taking longer to present. This is often what happens to those who suffer traumatic brain injury, which could result in devastating effects to your live.
Traumatic brain injury basics
In its simplest terms, traumatic brain injuries occur when something strikes your head with such force that it damages your brain, oftentimes due to your brain’s impact with your skull. Generally speaking, those who suffer traumatic brain injuries experience readily apparent symptoms, which can include any of the following:
- Chronic headaches
- Trouble keeping balance
- Nausea
- Speech difficulties
- Excessive confusion
Those with the most severe forms of traumatic brain injury can become unconscious or otherwise immobile.
But not all brain injuries are so severe that they’re readily apparent. In fact, many of these injuries take days or even weeks to present. So how can you tell if you’ve really experienced a traumatic brain injury?
Looking for the subtle signs of a traumatic brain injury
To ensure that you receive proper medical care, you have to monitor your symptoms. If you experience any of the following, then you might’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury and need to follow up with your medical provider as quickly as possible:
- Personality changes: Brain damage can affect your personality to a great extent. You might become more irritable or be more susceptible to risky behaviors. The specific change really depends on where your brain is injured. If you notice any consistent changes, then, consider consulting with your doctor.
- Increased lethargy: Your accident is going to leave you tired and exhausted. That’s normal. But if you find that you’re overly tired and exhausted for a significant period of time, even after your other injuries heal, then you might want to consider a more in-depth examination to determine if your experiences are consistent with a traumatic brain injury.
- Vision changes: A lot of people who experience minor vision issues after an accident write them off as normal changes to their vision. But this may not be the case. Changes to your field of vision, your ability to see long distances, and your ability to read words that are close to you can all be signs of a brain injury.
- A pins and needles sensation: Although numbness and a tingling sensation can be indicative of nerve damage, it can also be a sign of a brain injury. So, it’s best to get this issue checked out as soon as you can.
- Memory issues: A blow to the head and its resulting damage to your brain can leave you with difficulty recalling events. While that’s normal to a certain extent, if you find your memory issues lingering long after your wreck, then it might be a sign that you’ve suffered a more extensive brain injury.
Take action to secure the resources that you need
There are other subtle signs of a traumatic brain injury. If you want to avoid suffering more extensive harm and protect your ability to secure the treatment that you need, then you’re probably going to need extensive financial resources.
That’s where legal action can come into play. If you can successfully pursue a personal injury lawsuit, then you might be able to obtain the compensation that you need to advance your recovery and protect your health.
The process is rarely easy, though, which is why if you suspect that you’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury in your crash, then you might want to reach out to a legal professional for the help that you need in building and presenting your case.