When two or more vehicles collide on a Texas roadway, it often has disastrous results. Thousands of people are killed every year in motor vehicle accidents throughout the state. Those who survive often experience catastrophic injuries that require specialized medical treatments for months and, sometimes, daily living assistance for a lifetime. A brain injury is often catastrophic and is usually preceded by some telltale symptoms.
It’s possible to suffer a brain injury in a car accident but not know it right away. In fact, sometimes this type of injury is diagnosed days later. This is why it is so important to return to the emergency room or schedule an immediate appointment with a primary care physician if new symptoms arise in the hours or days that follow an accident.
Being conscious and able to talk does not necessarily rule out brain injury
A car accident victim might be conscious and able to have a conversation, but that does not necessarily rule out a brain injury. There are symptoms that might develop hours, days or even weeks later that suggest trauma has occurred in the brain:
- Aggression toward others or extreme irritability
- Vomiting
- Confusion or lapses in memory
- Vision disturbances
- Clear or blood-tinged fluid leaking from an orifice
- Loss of hearing, taste or smell
- Sensitivity to light or sounds
An MRI or CT scan is most often used to diagnose a brain injury. The symptoms mentioned here would likely alert any physician or neurosurgeon to possible brain trauma, especially when the symptoms arise after a recent motor vehicle collision.
Dealing with the financial implications of a collision-related brain injury
A brain injury victim is looking at weeks or months of recovery, if not longer. Sometimes such injuries affect a person for a lifetime. Medical treatment, physical therapy, perhaps counseling and rehabilitation, home health care and other treatment options can cause significant financial distress. Texas law allows a recovering accident victim to file a claim for monetary damages against the person whose negligence appears to have caused the accident and resulting injuries.