After your car accident, you just wanted to go home. You refused help and insisted you were okay—after all, you could remember your parents’ names and where you lived, so you didn’t suffer any brain damage, right? But a few days later, you’re starting to wonder: how much do you really know about head injuries from crashes—and how much do you just think you know?

Seven Brain Injury Myths to Remember After a Car Accident

  • “I felt fine when the cops arrived, so I don’t need to go to the hospital.” Many people make the mistake of refusing medical treatment because they feel okay in the moments after a crash. However, these victims can start to worsen over the next few days when the adrenaline subsides.
  • “I don’t have any external injuries, so I’m okay.” You should always be checked for internal injuries after a crash, including damage to your brain and spinal cord, even if you have not sustained any other trauma.
  • “I’m okay because I never lost consciousness.” Despite what you may have heard, many brain injury victims have remained conscious during and after a car accident.
  • “My head must be fine, since we were only going 30 miles per hour.” Victims can suffer a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, at any speed. If you were struck while waiting at a stoplight, you could still suffer a brain injury even though you were not in motion at all.
  • “I hit the airbag, so my head was protected.” Even if you did not hit your head on the window, dashboard, or steering wheel, an airbag deployment has considerable force and can cause a concussion or more serious brain injury.
  • “My medical records say that I don’t have a head injury.” The brain is a delicate organ, and it can take days or weeks for TBI symptoms to fully appear. In addition, many forms of head trauma cannot be confirmed by an MRI or CT scan, so it may take additional testing to determine the outcome of your condition.
  • “I can’t remember what happened, so I don’t have a case.” It is common for head injury victims not to remember the details of the accident. An experienced attorney should investigate the accident scene and details of the crash for you, gathering evidence on your behalf.

If you have suffered a head injury as a result of a car accident, you should always get advice from an attorney before accepting a settlement. Brain injuries are notoriously unpredictable, and you only get one chance to get compensation for an injury that may cost you for the rest of your life. Click the link on this page to ask us if your settlement is fair, or check out our testimonials page to see how we have helped brain injury victims just like you in the past.

 

Peter Steinberg
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Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney Since 1982