Motor vehicle crashes can cause the occupants of involved vehicles to suffer considerable damage to every area of each victim’s bodies. One area that’s particularly susceptible to damage is the brain.
Traumatic brain injuries are catastrophic, which means they can impact every area of the victim’s life for an entire lifetime. Understanding how these brain injuries occur may be beneficial for the victims who are dealing with them.
Direct strike to the head
The impact of the motor vehicle crash may lead to an occupant hitting their head on a window, steering wheel or other object. The force of that hit may lead to the brain suffering damage in that part of the head.
Sudden movements of the head
Not all brain injuries require a direct hit to the head. The force of a motor vehicle wreck can lead to the head flinging forward and backward or side to side. That motion can fling the brain against the skull, which can lead to significant damage.
These brain injuries can be severe because the brain will strike the skull in more than one spot, sometimes on opposite sides of the brain. This is known as a contrecoup brain injury. The area where the brain first strikes is known as the site of impact. The area on the opposing side of the brain is known as the rebound.
Victims of motor vehicle crashes often need urgent medical attention, which can be costly. If the injury is catastrophic, such as a traumatic brain injury, the cost might be more than the victim can handle. Those victims may opt to pursue a compensation claim in an attempt to recover those damages. Working with someone who can assist with this case enables the victim to focus on healing.
