Brain damage can literally ruin a person’s life. Someone who gets brain damage from a car accident will probably need extensive medical treatment and in the end might still walk away with a permanent disability. For example, brain damage patients might experience personality changes or memory loss and can make someone seem like a completely different person.

Even if a person takes all the precautions to protect themselves on the road, a negligent driver can come along and change their lives in an instant. Brain injuries are common after severe car crashes and may not always seem that bad – at first. But after a while, you might realize your loved one is experiencing anxiety, irritability, anger, mood swings or depression. These are all potential side effects of brain damage. You might feel like you lost your loved one if they experience side effects of brain damage after a car accident.

However, you don’t have to feel hopeless. You or your loved one may be able to treat symptoms with the appropriate medical care. Additionally with a good Florida car accident lawyer, you may be able to hold the responsible party accountable for your injuries. Part of that includes getting a financial settlement for all the inconveniences you suffered due to their negligence.

Read on to learn more about the symptoms of brain damage after a car accident and some signs that you might need to get legal help.

What Is the Definition of Brain Damage?

Brain damage is defined as an injury to the brain that can be caused by trauma, lack of oxygen, infection, or brain hemorrhaging.

Brain damage can result in behavioral or functioning disabilities and changes. Damage to the brain can range in type and severity; it will depend on the location of the injury in the brain. Finally, brain damage can lead to disability or even death.

Is Brain Damage the Same as a Traumatic Brain Injury?

Brain damage and brain injuries can be used interchangeably. A traumatic brain injury occurs from external trauma or a blow to the head. It can also occur when your head snaps rapidly back and forth, such as during whiplash. In a frantic motion like whiplash, the brain hits the skull, causing bruising, tearing, or other damage.

Brain damage, which can also be called brain trauma or neurotrauma, destructor regenerates brain cells. Common forms of a traumatic brain injury include:

• Brain bruises
• Lack of oxygen to the brain (hypoxia)
• Stretching of brain tissue, also known as diffuse axonal injury
• Penetrating injury when something pierces through the skill and physically cuts through the brain

How Dangerous is Brain Damage for Car Accident Victims?

Brain damage is pretty dangerous; it’s one of the leading causes of death and disability in the US, with over 155 people dying every day from a brain injury. Florida accounted for deaths from traumatic brain injury in 2021. Those who do survive may experience permanent damage or long-term consequences. That means the victim and their families will struggle with this for the rest of their lives.

In medical terms, a traumatic brain injury is called craniocerebral trauma. Aside from car accidents, falls and sports trauma are the other top causes of brain injuries. Unlike most other cases of brain injury that occur mostly in elderly and younger age groups, a car accident brain injury can happen to anyone since it’s a matter of chance.

No form of brain injury or damage should be taken lightly. IF you or someone you love has sustained a brain injury or head trauma, get immediate medical attention. A medical professional can then administer appropriate testing to assess the damage. For example,they might use MRI, CT-scan, or other brain imaging tests to pinpoint and diagnose the damage.

The reason brain injuries are so dangerous is because they don’t have obvious external symptoms. Since we can’t see the brain, it’s impossible to know if someone has brain damage from an injury without proper testing and assessment. What’s even worse is that if left untreated, the injury victim can experience permanent disability, death, or other consequences that can drastically change their lives, including:

• Speech difficulties
• Memory changes
• Hearing and vision challenges
• Limited mobility, lack of balance or coordination
• Lacking fine motor control
• Paralysis
• Inability to regulate or control Emotions
• Coma

Signs and Symptoms of Brain Damage After an Accident

Brain damage from a brain injury can take time. Only the most severe cases show signs right away. Additionally, brain damage can often get confused with other things for example, oftentimes people have a concussion and walk away thinking they simply had very bad headaches. They may go on to use painkillers or other over the counter medication to treat what was actually a traumatic brain injury.

Without taking immediate action and getting appropriate medical care, a brain injury can worsen and potentially result in permanent damage. Here are some telltale signs to watch out for that suggest brain damage.

Difficulty Thinking, Concentrating , and Remembering

Brain damage can cause the patient to experience slow thinking or memory loss. Some may even find it hard to concentrate if the brain parts responsible for attention and focus get incapacitated.

Sudden Onset of Seizures Accompanied By Severe Headaches that didn’t happen before

A very severe brain injury will cause severe symptoms,like seizures. On the other hand, headaches indicate less severe injury. But, if you have any inkling whatsoever of a brain injury, you need to get checked out for a medical professional. That’s the only way to ensure you don’t have brain damage, which is impossible to rule out without proper testing.

Another sign of brain damage is if you have headaches that do not get better with medication or drugs.

Lack of Ability to Regulate Emotions

Our brain has different compartments that are responsible for different executive functions. One of those functions is emotional regulation, which is controlled by the límbic system. The location of the brain responsible for emotional control is in the center, just behind the eyes.

A traumatic blow or strike to the head that hits that part of the brain can cause emotional challenges and make it difficult for the injured person to control their emotions.

Losing Consciousness After the Accident (Concussion)

A concussion is a mildly traumatic form of brain injury where you lose consciousness. People often fall out and then come back to and not know where they are or how long they were out. While a single event of a concussion doesn’t usually cause permanent brain damage, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. A very severe concussion has the potential to cause long-term damage.

In addition, a person who has a history of head injuries and gets injured in a car accident has a higher likelihood of experiencing long-term brain damage from an accident-induced concussion. Brain damage that results from several, repetitive trauma is known as CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy).

Some people may also experience post-concussion syndrome, which can last months or more after an incident. Symptoms usually include dizziness and headaches. If you get a concussion from a car accident, do not wait to get medical attention. Here are some additions signs that you may have had a concussion and need to get immediate medical care:

• Confusion
• Nausea
• Numbness in the limbs
• Dilated pupils
• Sensitivity to light and sound
• Imbalance
• Lack of coordination
• Not seeming very alert
• Appearing very sleepy

How Serious Are Concussions From A Car Accident?

Concussions are not life-threatening but they also should not be falsely mistaken as a minor brain injury. They can cause serious conditions if they are not treated right away. For instance, if you did have a concussion in the accident and don’t get medical treatment, you might experience faintness and dizziness. This can lead to you fainting and hitting your head again would result in a more serious outcome than just having the first concussion alone/ The results might resemble CTE that we discussed above.

Car accident victims are generally advised to rest under close observation by a medical professional in the moments following a crash.

Not Matter What, It’s Best to Get Immediate Medical Treatment After a Car Accident

If you experience any of the above symptoms of brain damage, go to the hospital right away. Hopefully you haven’t waited long enough to be reading this and went to get medical care right after the accident.

There is no room for guesswork when dealing with the magnitude of brain damage or brain injury. Another caveat with brain damage is that sometimes, symptoms can shoot up later. And when they do present, they are often severe or debilitating. So, when it comes to brain injuries, the earlier you can get treatment or medical intervention, the better. Earlier treatment also means drastically increasing your odds of avoiding severe effects like mental illness or memory loss.;

How to Spot a Brain Injury As Friend, Family Member or Loved One

Oftentimes the injury victims themselves don’t even realize their own symptoms. Instead, a friend or family member may notice that their behavior has changed. People often want to avoid facing the reality of such a severe injury like brain damage, but in some cases, the person’s actual injury may impede them from being able to notice their symptoms.

Even without brain damage, people can sometimes struggle to realize their own mood swings, hearing issues, or memory loss. But a friend of a family member may notice these changes. If they do, it’s crucial to help the injured loved one or family member get medical attention ASAP.

Loved ones and family members can educate themselves on the signs and symptoms of brain damage so they can help their loved ones treat and overcome. Brain damage or injury is generally divided into four categories: emotional, physical, cognitive, and sleep-related difficulties.

Get Professional Legal Help for Car Accident Related Brain Damage in Florida

If you find yourself having difficulty coping with a loved one’s brain injury, one of the greatest sources of relief you might find is through professional legal help. That will help you recover financially. You’ve probably already been through enough dealing with your or your loved one’s injuries. The last thing you need is financial hardship to make matters worse.

Call our Florida brain damage attorneys today to get started on your case. Car accidents can cause trauma that leave individuals with severe or lasting brain damage. That’s not all – it often causes the injury victim to miss work, experience life-long challenges, and have to re-learn basic life skills.

Call us today for a free initial case review.