Thankfully, out of the thousands of car accidents that occur nationwide every day, the majority of them are simple fender benders that result in little to no injuries. However, occasionally a motor vehicle accident is so serious that it results in severe brain trauma, and all of the adverse effects that come with it. Here are some of the ways that a traumatic brain injury can change your life forever.
The full scope of brain injuries
In the context of a car accident, brain injuries most often occur when your head whips forward and collides with the steering wheel, or when a dislodged piece of debris strikes you in the head. When this happens, the impact jars your brain and can cause it to strike the inside of your skull, resulting in bruising, torn tissue, a contusion and other harm.
The severity of brain injuries varies widely. In some of the milder cases, an impact could result in a concussion, dizziness and nausea which will resolve themselves after a few days of healing. In more serious cases, the damage that the impact causes could be permanent, and could lead to problems in other parts of the body.
Long-term effects
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a traumatic brain injury decreases its victim’s life expectancy by 9 years on average. This is largely due to the fact that traumatic brain injuries often increase the likelihood that the victim will develop other dangerous conditions related to the injury.
For example, after a brain injury, you are up to fifty times more likely to suffer from seizures. You are also 9 times more likely to suffer bacterial infections, and 6 times more likely to contract pneumonia. Brain injuries could also increase the likelihood that you will develop a dependency on drugs or alcohol, which can further shorten your life expectancy considerably.
It is tragic to think that you can suffer such serious consequences due to the negligence of another driver. With luck, you will be able to recover the compensation that you need from them in order to cover your costs and return, if possible, to a stable life despite your injury.