Automobile accidents are traumatic experiences. In addition to psychological and emotional damage—such as anxiety and fear of driving—they can result in minor, severe, and sometimes life-threatening head injuries.
As with other personal injuries caused by accidents, you may be eligible for compensation. But the first and most important step to making a claim is seeking the appropriate medical attention—which treats any injuries you may have and documents them to support your claim.
Focus on the Details
To effectively record your injury, provide your doctor as much detail as you can remember. Who was in the car? Where were you going? Was your car hit in the front, rear, or side? Did your head make contact with any part of the car or a loose object?
Statistics show that side-impact collisions have the strongest link to head injuries, causing the driver’s and passengers’ heads to shift side-to-side, often into windows and car frames. But head-on and rear-end collisions can also result in cranial injury, sometimes throwing unbelted passengers from the vehicle.
When in an accident, you may experience a closed head injury or an open head injury—both of which range in severity.
The most common type of closed damage is a concussion, or a brain injury caused by violent shaking. You may not notice symptoms right away, and sometimes, these delayed effects can be even more serious—leading to headaches, fatigue, temporary loss of senses, and depression.
Open head injuries are normally easier to diagnose on-the-spot, including lacerations and different types of skull fractures. This damage can be life-threatening, possibly leading to seizures and paralysis.
Filing Your Personal Injury Claim
To obtain compensation for your claim, you must provide evidence of loss. Your doctor’s diagnosis, photographs, police reports, and testimonials from witnesses must all show that the other driver’s negligence directly caused the accident.
In addition, these materials must also prove that the accident directly caused your head injury. This can be more difficult with concussions and closed damage, especially if you wait to seek medical attention.
If you’ve been involved in a car accident and have sustained any type of head injury, please visit a doctor immediately. Once you are safe, reach out for a free consultation to discuss the next steps for filing your claim.