Among the many different injuries that someone can suffer from following an auto accident, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be one of those most life-altering. A TBI occurs when the normal function of the brain is disrupted by a head injury; this head injury does not always penetrate the head and can simply come in the form of a bump or blow.
TBIs happen in a variety of situations—falls, sports injuries, illnesses—but the largest number of TBI-related deaths can be attributed to motor vehicle accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes and traffic-related incidents were the second leading cause of TBI among all age groups.
Some TBI symptoms are immediately obvious following a car accident, but sometimes it can take days for the signs to start appearing. If you or someone you love was in an auto accident, keep an eye out for any of these symptoms, provided by the Brain Injury Association of Illinois, in the days and weeks after the crash:
- Physical symptoms of a brain injury: Trouble with speech, hearing, or vision; headaches, seizures, muscle spasms, paralysis, or reduced endurance.
- Cognitive symptoms of a brain injury: Difficulty with concentration, attention, perception, planning, communication, writing skills, judgment, sequencing, or reading; memory loss, either short-term or long-term.
- Behavioral and emotional symptoms of a brain injury: Fatigue, anxiety, restlessness, agitation, mood swings, depression, lack of motivation, or low self-esteem.
If any of the symptoms listed above are experienced after being involved in an Illinois auto accident, seek immediate medical attention. Do not delay. When it comes to brain injuries, it is much better to be safe than sorry.
Please share this article with your close friends and family members. Nearly everyone will be involved in an auto accident at some point, and learning about traumatic brain injuries before a crash happens can save someone's life.
