Automobile Accidents and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – A Hidden Danger

According to the Brain Association of Ohio, an estimated 1.7 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year, resulting in some 50,000 deaths annually.   While 1.1 million people with TBI are treated annually in emergency rooms, the number of automobile accident victims who do not seek medical treatment for this condition is unknown. In Ohio, and throughout the United States, the second leading cause of TBI is automobile accidents.

When an individual is in a car accident, a TBI can result when his or her head moves back and forth quickly, bruising the brain as it impacts the skull.  What makes this particularly dangerous is that a TBI can occur without any obvious signs of injury, such as a cut, bruise, or loss of consciousness.  Thus, the person who experiences symptoms of a TBI -- such as memory loss, confusion, or inability to control emotions -- might not realize he or she has been injured, and fail to obtain the necessary medical help.

If the connection between a TBI and a traumatic injury is not known, victims of automobile accidents tend to blame themselves for their own shortcomings rather than realizing they have a medical problem needing treatment.  Often they become depressed, with devastating results to both themselves and their loved ones.

During my many years of personal injury practice, I have seen the problems facing victims diagnosed with TBI as well as those suffering the signs and symptoms of a TBI who have failed to seek necessary medical treatment.  The latter group of clients tend to blame themselves for their depression, loss of memory or anger towards family members without seeking the help they need.  If you are the victim of a recent automobile accident, read more about TBI, and get the medical care needed to treat your symptoms.

Related Posts