Understanding Brain Injury After a Chicago Car Accident

Suffering a serious injury in a Chicago car accident is frightening, and an unfortunate reality for many. One of the most severe types of accident injuries are traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs. Car accidents are one of the leading causes of TBIs.

Brain injuries can have a lifelong impact on your way of living. A Chicago car accident lawyer can help you identify your symptoms and link the cause to your car accident. Learn more about the dangers brain injuries pose, and how to get compensation for your personal injury.

The Dangers of Brain Injuries

According to the Illinois Department of Health, more than half of emergency department visits for brain injuries in 2021 were linked to auto accidents. Timely diagnosis and treatment are crucial for mitigating the damage of a TBI.

Without a diagnosis, sufferers are prone to reinjuring the already overwhelmed brain tissue, which can greatly exacerbate the reach, effects, and complications of brain damage.

If you’ve been in an Illinois car accident, it’s important to talk to a medical professional as soon as possible to assess a potential injury.

Brain Injury Symptoms after a Car Accident

Brain damage can result from a closed head injury. That means you could have a serious or even fatal injury even without any visible wounds.

There are many different symptoms, both physical and cognitive, that could indicate the existence of a TBI, including:

• Seizures – Seizures indicated a disturbance in your brain’s activity. There are many different types of seizures, any of which could indicate a traumatic brain injury. Seizures could include convulsions, lapses into unconsciousness, muscle rigidity, muscle spasms, and other uncontrollable movements or outbursts.
• Double Vision – Trouble with your vision or other senses, like smell or taste, could indicate a problem with your brain’s ability to process sensory input. If you’re experiencing double vision, blurred vision, having trouble seeing, or sudden blindness, loss of smell or taste, you could be experiencing symptoms of a traumatic brain injury.
• Speech Impairments – Damage to language centers in your brain could cause the sudden onset of a speech impediment. You could experience symptoms such as slow or slurred speech.
• Memory Loss – If you’re having trouble with your short- or long-term memory, it could be indicative of a brain injury.
• Trouble Processing Information – Is your brain not functioning the way it usually does? If you’re having trouble processing information, understanding concepts, or find it uncharacteristically difficult to concentrate, you could have damage to your brain.

Some of these symptoms can be corrected with bed rest, but many of them can impact your usual way of life. You may not be able to return to your job, or you might not be able to care for yourself.

Getting diagnosed and treated is critical to returning to your way of life.

Diagnosing and Treating Brain Injuries

Your symptoms may take some time to appear after your injury. A doctor can evaluate any presenting symptoms, or check to see if there are any visual indications you’ve suffered a TBI. Know what to look for, and what to ask your doctor.

What Kinds of TBIs Happen After Car Accidents?

Traumatic brain injuries vary in levels of damage: mild, moderate, or severe. A car crash victim’s symptoms will differ on a case-by-case basis, but without the proper treatment, their lives could be irreparably changed.

Some examples of brain injuries include:

• Concussions
• Brain hemorrhages
• Contusions
• Diffuse axonal injury
• Hematomas
• Second impact syndrome

How Can Your Doctor Tell if You Have a Brain Injury after a Car Accident?

When you visit your doctor after a car accident, they should know what kind of injuries you might have suffered in your crash. There are also tests they can use to check for internal injuries. They may use X-rays, CT scans, MRIS, or EEGs.

What Kind of Treatments can Help with Brain Injuries?

Once your injury has been diagnosed, your doctor can suggest treatment options. Some TBIs don’t require invasive procedures: many mild brain injuries can be treated with bed rest. The more severe injuries will require more intense treatments.

You could need:

• Surgery
• Medicine
• Physical therapy
• Psychological counseling
• Occupational therapy
• Cognitive therapy

Following your doctor’s recommendations can help you return to a normal life. A personal injury claim against party who caused your injury can help you pay for your treatment.

The Importance of Legal Representation

If you’ve suffered a brain injury in a car accident, contact a Chicago brain injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your case.

A lawyer can help you navigate the complex legal system, ensure you receive the medical care you need, and fight for the compensation you deserve to cover medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.

Any traumatic brain injury could have long-lasting repercussions. In some cases, a car crash victim may not be able to care for themselves. They may require a live-in caretaker, or they may need to modify their home to aid their mobility. These expenses could be covered in a personal injury claim.

Your attorney can help you identify evidence to use in your claim, find any liable parties, and even help build your case so the insurance company is held accountable for your losses.

How a Chicago Personal Injury Attorney Can Help After an Illinois Car Accident

If you’ve suffered a brain injury in a car accident, contact a brain injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your case. Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. is ready to help you fight for the compensation you deserve.

Our car accident attorneys serve clients throughout the Chicago area, including Aurora, Elgin, Hinsdale, Joliet, Naperville, and Waukegan. Call us today at (312) 236-2900 to schedule your free consultation.