When you think of a traumatic brain injury, football, soccer or some other contact sport may come to mind. But did you know that this kind of injury is relatively uncommon in the sports world? A car crash is a far more common place for someone to walk away with a serious head injury, which is why a San Antonio car accident brain injury lawyer sees this type of claim so often.
How Common are Brain Injuries After Car Accidents?
People suffer brain injuries in vehicle accidents more often than you may think, even those that are minor, such as rear-end collisions. The CDC indicates that auto accidents account for around 17% of traumatic brain injury deaths. On average, this totals over 10,000 fatalities per year. Additionally, the CDC separately found that crashes are a leading cause of brain injury hospitalizations across the United States. Because car accident injuries can be delayed, many crash reports filed at the scene never mention a brain injury whatsoever.
Bexar County adds weight to that risk. Texas Department of Transportation data for 2024 shows that Bexar County reported 48,522 total crashes, including 897 suspected serious-injury crashes and 215 traffic fatalities. It gave San Antonio the second-highest crash total of any county in the state.
Every one of those collisions is a chance for an occupant’s head to strike a steering wheel, window, or headrest hard enough to cause permanent brain damage.
Open and Closed Brain Injury After a Car Wreck
Una lesión cerebral traumática toma dos formas: abierto y cerrado.
A closed TBI is more common after car accidents and results from a blow to the head rather than a wound that breaks the skull. This is exactly what happens in many rear-end and T-bone collisions, when the sudden change in speed throws the head into the steering wheel, dashboard, or window.
An open TBI after a wreck is the more critical form, caused when an object actually penetrates the skull and reaches the brain tissue underneath. Typically, this is more associated with motorcycle accident injuries in Bexar County.
Warning Signs of a Brain Injury After a Crash
Es posible que pueda salir caminando de un accidente automovilístico y sentirse bien físicamente. Sin embargo, en uno o dos días, podría experimentar dolores de cabeza o ataques de náuseas. Puede sentirse mareado, confundido o inusualmente cansado. Es posible que descubra que tiene sensibilidad a la luz o a los ruidos fuertes, y puede tener problemas para concentrarse o recordar cosas.
Why Seek Immediate Medical Attention for a Concussion After a Car Accident
Síntomas como estos pueden indicar una conmoción cerebral o una lesión en la cabeza más grave, como una TBI. Es por eso que no debe dudar en consultar a un médico incluso después de un accidente automovilístico menor. Tu bienestar está en juego; TBI puede ser un lesión que cambia la vida que requieren tratamiento médico a largo plazo. Además, el informe de un médico vincula su lesión con el accidente automovilístico y sirve como evidencia fundamental si su reclamo de compensación del seguro se convierte en una disputa legal.
Where San Antonio Crash Victims Are Treated For Head Trauma
San Antonio is served by two Level I trauma centers: University Hospital, the region’s lead trauma facility for a 22-county area of South Texas, and Brooke Army Medical Center, the Department of Defense’s only Level I trauma center.
Both are equipped around the clock to treat the kind of head trauma that shows up after a serious wreck on I-35, Loop 410, or any of Bexar County’s busy corridors, which is part of why prompt evaluation after any crash in the area is so important.
Texas Law on Car Accident Brain Injury Claims
Texas gives injury victims two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit, so waiting too long to see a doctor or contact a lawyer can cost you your claim entirely. Texas also follows a modified comparative fault rule: you can still recover damages as long as you’re found less than 51 percent responsible for the crash, though your award is reduced by your share of fault. A San Antonio car accident brain injury lawyer can help make sure a low initial fault assessment from the insurance company doesn’t undervalue your case.
Brain and Head Injuries After Car Accidents in San Antonio: Claims We Handle
Brain injuries from car accidents show up in different forms, and each carries its own long-term risks. We also represent clients dealing with síndrome posconmoción cerebral, hematoma subdural, y coup-contrecoup injuries, and we’ve written about the memory problems that often follow a TBI diagnosis. If you’re not sure whether your symptoms fit one of these patterns, our Abogados de lesiones cerebrales traumáticas en San Antonio can walk you through what to expect.
Suffering a TBI After A Car Accident in San Antonio? Our Attorneys Can Help
If you or a loved one is showing any signs of a brain injury after a car accident in San Antonio, don’t wait for TBI symptoms to get worse before getting help. A San Antonio car accident brain injury lawyer at Janicek Law can connect you with the right medical evaluation and start building the record you’ll need if your claim becomes a legal dispute. Contáctenos or call 210-366-4949 para una consulta gratuita.
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