Despite the advent of seat belts and airbags, head injuries are very common in auto and truck wrecks. Any part of the head can be affected, including the skull, the brain, the eyes, the facial bones, the ears, mouth, and nose. When the skull suffers an impact, but does not fracture you may sustain what's known as a closed head injury. These injuries can be quite severe and sometimes difficult to diagnose or treat. Closed head injuries include contusion, concussion, subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, epidural hematoma, and intracerebral hemorrhage.
The early signs of these injuries are not easily identified and may not be found with typical imaging studies such as x-rays, MRIs and CT scans. You may not experience symptoms from these injuries for days or weeks after the accident. All victims of auto and truck wrecks who sustain any head injury need to be seen in an emergency room as soon as possible.
If you are in a wreck, think you are uninjured, and then begin to feel worse after a period of time, it is best that you return to the emergency room. Symptoms to watch out for include:
- drowsiness
- confusion
- memory loss
- a weakness or numbness anywhere in your body
- difficulty speaking
- headaches
- irritability
- nausea
- dizziness
- restlessness
- visual changes
- problems with hearing
- difficulty with coordination
- an inability to concentrate.
It's a good idea to speak with an experienced Atlanta car wreck attorney if you've suffered a head injury as a result of an accident.