Did you know that you could have a brain injury following a car crash even if you didn’t hit your head? There are some kinds of brain injuries, such as coup contra-coupe injuries, that don’t require you to physically hit your head or damage the outer skull in any way to occur.
With coup contra-coupe injuries, the brain moves within the skull in a way that damages it. It may impact the inside of the skull as your head is thrown forward and back, for example. This kind of injury is usually suspected when an MRI or other imaging scan sees two areas of injuries to the brain on either side.
Brain injuries can develop slowly, so don’t ignore a headache
Since brain injuries can develop slowly over time, you shouldn’t ignore headaches after you’ve been in a crash. Even if you didn’t hit your head, that headache could be a sign that you have bruising or other damage to the brain.
Other symptoms that may start to develop as the brain injury goes untreated could include changes in memory, concentration problems, trouble making decisions, language difficulties and others. If you begin to have unusual symptoms, like slurring your speech, along with a headache, go to the emergency room to see what the underlying cause is.
After a crash, you deserve appropriate medical care
After you are involved in a crash, you should go to the hospital. Though you may not feel that you have an injury right away, they can develop over time. Even if you only have a minor headache or feel a little disoriented after a collision, it’s appropriate to go to the hospital for a physical exam.
If you don’t go to the hospital and begin to have symptoms later, go at that point. You need to have the right care to help prevent the injury from worsening or causing complications that could lead to further problems.
After you’re medically stable, it’s possible to talk to your attorney about making a claim against the at-fault driver for any medical care you need and any financial losses you suffer.