A vehicle accident in North Adams, Massachusetts may cause several types of injuries which the driver notices, such as lacerations and broken bones. However, some injuries do not show immediately, so drivers think they aren’t injured. Traumatic brain injury is among common accident injuries not always apparent.
Overview of TBI
A traumatic brain injury occurs when the head forcibly hits a hard surface from an accident. The severity of the TBI depends on the type of car accident, such as front or side impact. TBIs are classified as open TBI and closed TBI and range from mild to severe.
An open TBI penetrates or breaks the skull, and a closed TBI does not break the skull.
A concussion is an example of a closed TBI, which may cause blurred vision, dizziness, headaches, and confusion. A concussion doesn’t always cause a loss of consciousness, and symptoms rarely cause long-term issues.
Whiplash is a common TBI occurring when the head jerks back and forth, forcing the neck out of alignment. A more serious injury is a hematoma or blood clotting from a ruptured blood vessel.
TBI stats
Stats from the CDC show TBIs make up 30% of injury-related fatalities, and they caused around 61,000 deaths in 2019. Around 14% of TBIs derive from motor vehicle accidents, which cause the most deaths in young adults. Males have a 1.5 greater risk of a TBI than females because they tend to work in more dangerous fields.
Other stats indicate over 5 million Americans have an ongoing disability from a TBI. A lifetime survivor of a TBI can expect to pay around $4 million in treatment costs.
Drivers injured in vehicle accidents should not delay getting medical treatment. The lack of visible symptoms doesn’t mean they aren’t injured, and they may seek compensation.
