When the West Virginia emergency service attends a severe car crash, they have been trained not to be distracted by the people that shout the loudest. They also know that people covered in blood are not necessarily the worst injured. Some injuries are not immediately apparent but could have much more severe long-term effects. One of those is an injury to the head.
Bleeding from the scalp can look bad, as many blood vessels run close to the surface. However, the most severe head injuries are those that damage what is inside it. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) may not show until days or weeks later. TBIs are caused by a blow or jolt to the head, such as when your head is thrown forward against the steering wheel or window in a car crash. They are a result of the soft brain tissue impacting against your skull.
These are some of the effects a TBI can have:
- Cognitive damage: Brain damage may cause you problems with mental tasks. It may also affect your speech.
- Physical damage: Your brain controls the rest of your body. If a section of the brain is damaged, it may affect its ability to send messages to specific body parts for them to function.
- Emotional harm: A TBI could directly change your emotions, causing mood swings or depression. Or these could be secondary, as a result of your struggle to adapt to physical or cognitive injuries sustained.
If you have suffered a TBI in a West Virginia car crash, you may face considerable medical expenses and be unable to return to work. Seek legal help to fight for the compensation you need.