What you need to know about head trauma in car and truck accidents

Serious car and truck accidents in Georgia can result in severe, life-changing injures. Injures like head trauma, severe burns, whiplash, spinal cord injury, broken or fractured bones, or a broken back or neck happen every day to men, women and children involved in Atlanta area traffic crashes. One of these types of injures has received a great deal of attention in the media lately, and for good reason.

According to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are responsible for 50,000 deaths every year in the United States. It is estimated that 1.4 million people will sustain a TBI each year, resulting in 235,000 hospitalizations and 1.1 million emergency room visits. Motor vehicle crashes are responsible for 20% of all TBI injures every year, making these kinds of accidents the second leading cause of brain injury in the US.

If you or someone you love is injured in a car or truck accident, it is very important that you be on the lookout for symptoms of a head injury. Better yet, seek immediate medical attention for your injuries. As the recent tragic death of Natasha Richardson shows, a brain injury may not be immediately apparent, and by the time you realize something is wrong it could be too late. The type of injury sustained by Ms. Richardson – an epidural hematoma – can easily happen in a traffic crash, with similarly devastating results.

Brain injuries are serious because the brain can swell in response to damage, but there is no room in the skull for swelling. Swelling can lead to brain compression, and this increased pressure can lead to reduced blood pressure in the brain. This reduced blood pressure leads to common symptoms of TBI. If you or someone you know is injured in an accident and does not receive immediate medical attention, there are several common signs of brain injury to watch for:

• Nausea
• Severe headache
• Glossy eyes
• Sudden sleepiness

Even if the victim feels fine, if there is any doubt that a head injury could have occurred, get to the hospital as soon as possible. Immediate treatment in the form of surgery may be the key to survival. If treatment is delayed, brain swelling can result in irreversible brain damage or even death. Being involved in a serious car or truck accident is bad enough, but the aftermath of a severe brain injury could ruin your life.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a serious car or truck accident in the Atlanta area and you need help bringing your case to justice, we can help. You deserve fair compensation for your injuries and suffering. Please contact the law offices of Kaufman Law, and let us put our over 30 years of experience to work for you.

Kaufman Law, P.C.

12 Beck Street, N.W.

Atlanta, GA. 30318

Toll Free: (888) 973-2540

Phone: (404) 355-4000