When a Texas motor vehicle accident occurs, it is important for rescuers to provide assistance and to help those in need seek medical attention. It is equally important for recovering victims to closely monitor their conditions in the following weeks. If new symptoms arise or a person’s condition does not improve or worsens, it is always best to return to the emergency room or follow up with a primary care physician, especially if symptoms suggest a possible brain injury.
If the force of impact in a collision has rendered a person unconscious, it is assumed that he or she has suffered a brain injury. However, there are numerous other symptoms that are cause for concern, which may or may not be immediately apparent. This is why close monitoring is necessary in the hours and days that follow a car accident.
Always report these symptoms to a doctor
The following list includes numerous symptoms that a person might experience following a motor vehicle collision, which suggest that he or she might have suffered a brain injury:
- Sensitivity to light or noise
- Nausea or vomiting
- Ringing in the ear
- Dramatic mood or behavior changes
- Sleepiness
- Lack of appetite
- Slurred speech
- Unsteady gait when walking
- Headache or pain in facial area
When seeking medical attention regarding these symptoms, it is important that the attending physician be informed that the patient was recently involved in a motor vehicle collision. The doctor will know what types of tests to run to rule out or diagnose a brain injury.
If another person’s negligence has caused a brain injury
A brain injury can range in severity from a mild concussion to an injury that causes permanent damage to the brain. Medical care and treatment for brain injury patients is expensive, even if the patient in question has good health insurance coverage. If another person’s negligence was responsible for the collision, a recovering victim may file a personal injury claim to seek restitution.