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There are numerous symptoms that might indicate internal brain bleeding after impact to the head in a car accident or other mishap, but the symptoms are not the same for every victim who has suffered a blow to the skull. Even a minor impact to the head can rupture blood vessels and cause bleeding inside the brain or between the brain and the skull, especially in older people. If your brain bleed injury is caused by another driver in a vehicle crash, you’re entitled to compensation from the at-fault party for your medical expenses, as well as your property damage, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Causes of Internal Brain Bleed Injuries
Brain bleeds are commonly sustained in motor vehicle accidents when the head of a driver or passenger hits a dashboard, windshield, headrest, or airbag. Even if you’re wearing a seat belt and don’t actually hit your head, severe whiplash from the impact of the crash can slam your brain against the inside of your skull and cause it to hemorrhage. Other causes of brain bleed injuries include:
- Slip-and-fall mishaps
- Contact sports collisions
- Assaults
- Construction site or other workplace accidents
If you suffer a brain bleed after impact to the head in any of the scenarios above, you might also have a concussion or a more serious traumatic brain injury (TBI), which requires immediate medical diagnosis and treatment.
Symptoms of Intracranial Hematoma
The symptoms of a subdural, epidural, or intracerebral intracranial hematoma (bruising or hemorrhaging of the brain) include:
- Hypersensitivity to sound or light
- Headaches that become more severe over time
- Light-headedness
- Disorientation
- Unequal dilation of pupils
- Nausea and vomiting
- Trouble with swallowing
- Loss of coordination or balance
- Slurred speech
- Fatigue or drowsiness
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Inability to communicate clearly
- Numbness or temporary paralysis of extremities
Loss of consciousness for less than a minute after impact to the head can also be symptomatic of a brain bleed, but not all brain bleed victims pass out. A brain bleed that is not quickly diagnosed and treated can put pressure on the brain and lead to seizures or unconsciousness at an unspecified time after the accident or other impact to the head.
Always Seek Immediate Treatment After Head Trauma
Even if you don’t have any of the symptoms listed above, you should see a doctor for diagnostic testing after sustaining any impact to your head in a car accident or other mishap. It’s impossible to overemphasize the importance of immediate diagnosis and treatment of a brain bleed. Even if you don’t have so much as a bump on your head, unseen damage to cranial blood vessels can lead to swelling that affects other blood vessels, causing more bleeding and putting even more pressure on the brain. The resulting hematomas can reduce the flow of oxygenated blood, kill brain cells, and cause strokes.
If you’re not transported to a hospital for an exam after an accident in which you hit your head, you should seek medical care on your own right away. Diagnostic tests in the form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a CT scan, or a brain magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) can reveal a brain bleed, which can only get worse, cause brain damage, and possibly become life-threatening if left untreated. Immediate diagnosis of a brain bleed also provides you with documentation that your injury resulted from your vehicle or other accident. This documentation is vital to your claim for damages or a lawsuit (if necessary) against the at-fault party’s insurance company.
Treatment for Internal Brain Bleed
Once your brain bleed injury is diagnosed, emergency surgery could be necessary to prevent brain damage or to save your life. In some cases, brain bleeding can be stopped and damage repaired through a tube inserted into a blood vessel. Other procedures include the drilling of a hole in the skull through which blood can be drained to reduce pressure on the brain. The most radical surgery you might require is a craniotomy, which entails the removal of a section of the skull, suctioning of pooled blood, and replacement of the part of the skull that’s been cut away.
Have You Suffered a Brain Bleed Head Injury in VA?
If your injury was caused by someone else, you should not accept a quick settlement from the at-fault party’s insurer for your damages. You cannot yet know what your long-term medical expenses will be or how your injury will affect your ability to work and carry out normal activities in the future. An experienced car accident lawyer can consult with your doctors to properly evaluate your case and help you fight for a fair award. Contact us online or call us at 540-341-0007 to schedule your free consultation. You pay no attorney fees until we win your case.
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