When Brain Bleeds Are Caused by Car Accidents
One of the most misunderstood injuries that may result from a car accident is getting hit on the head. Although you may feel fine at the time, it can be impossible to know just how much damage your brain has actually endured. Your blood vessels may have burst and put additional pressure on your brain.
If you experience brain bleeding, you may suffer permanent or even deadly injury. If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury as the result of a car accident, reach out to a Los Angeles car accident lawyer at McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP.
How does a car accident cause brain injury?
The impact from a car accident may cause serious damage to your head and brain. Depending on how your car was hit, the impact may be so severe that your cerebrum whips back and forth. This movement may cause your brain to violently collide with your skull, leading to a rupture of blood vessels. Once the blood vessels are ruptured, the blood surrounding the brain pools around a particular area and creates additional pressure around it.
What are the different types of brain bleeds?
One of the most common brain bleed injuries is an intracranial hematoma. This injury occurs when blood vessels within the brain burst. The blood may either collect within the brain tissue or underneath the skull. Intracranial hematoma injuries may be life-threatening if they are not treated immediately.
Another common brain injury is a subarachnoid hemorrhage. This injury happens when bleeding occurs on the brain’s surface, and is also known as an aneurysm. When you experience a subarachnoid hemorrhage, it can feel as if you are experiencing the worst headache of your life.
Cerebral aneurysms are another type of brain injury that may result from a car accident. Cerebral aneurysms occur when a blood vessel within the brain weakens and begins bulging out of the vessel wall. This injury can occur as a result of serious head trauma.
What are the symptoms of brain bleeds?
Brain bleeding injuries are so dangerous because their symptoms are not as detectable as other injuries. You may walk away feeling fine. and not know that there is blood pooling around your brain. You may be experiencing a brain injury if you experience some of the following symptoms:
- Slurred speech
- Severe headaches
- Numbness
- Loss of movement
- Mood or personality changes
- Vision problems
- Seizures
- Sensitivities with light
The most accurate way to diagnose a brain bleeding injury is through one or several diagnostic tests.
What are the complications of brain bleeds?
Brain bleeding is an often-undetectable injury that can cause serious health complications. When your injury is not treated immediately, you run the risk of suffering from a traumatic brain injury. You may drift into unconsciousness, suffer from oxygen deprivation, or experience sudden death. The longer you wait to receive medical attention, the more dire the consequences. Even if you’re able to walk away at the time, you should still seek immediate medical attention and follow up with your physician after the car accident.
Filing a claim after a Los Angeles brain bleed injury
When you have suffered brain bleeding from a car accident that was not your fault, you have the right to seek compensation for your injuries. The medical tests and procedures that you will need for your injury may be expensive. You should not be responsible for paying for an injury that happened because of another person’s negligence. The best way to recover compensation for your injury is to file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company.
You don’t have to know the at-fault driver’s insurance policy to know that they can cover the costs of your expenses. At the very least, every driver is required to carry liability coverage in case of an accident. The different liability coverage policies are bodily injury and property damage. The other driver’s bodily injury coverage will cover the costs of your medical expenses and lost wages.
Experienced legal representation from a Los Angeles car accident lawyer
Going up against an insurance company can be intimidating. Even though a driver has the ability to cover your damages, insurance agents may outright lie and pretend as if they don’t have enough coverage. One of the most common reasons why insurance companies deny claims is because the claimant’s damages exceed the amount of coverage. This reason is used against claimants with catastrophic injuries, which is what your brain injury could ultimately become.
When you file a claim, insurance agents may use several different tactics in order to find flaws within your claim. One of the most common tactics used is a request to release copies of your medical records. Insurance adjusters may try to blame your brain bleed injury on pre-existing conditions. If they can’t do that, they may argue that some other incident was the cause of your injury instead of the car accident.
There are many tricks that insurance companies may use to avoid paying out claims. To stop the insurance agents from taking advantage of you, seek the help of a skilled car accident lawyer, who can protect you.
A car accident lawyer can stop the insurance agents if they try to seek any additional information from you. Your lawyer can communicate with the insurance adjusters and serve as a middleman between the two of you. You can rely on your lawyer to represent your best interests each time they speak with an insurance adjuster.
When your claim has been denied, your lawyer can negotiate with the insurance companies about reconsidering a settlement. Your lawyer may also increase your chances of getting an approval if you go through the appeals process. Your lawyer can gather the best evidence that can prove the other driver’s negligence – and, the greater your chances of proving the other driver’s negligence, the greater your chances of securing an approval or a settlement.
At McNicholas & McNicholas, we put our focus on you. We are a family-owned law firm, and understand how important justice is for you and your family. Call our office today at 310-474-1582, or fill out our contact form to find out how we can help you with a free consultation.
Please note that this blog is not to be construed as legal advice. Because every case is fact-specific, you should consult directly with an attorney to obtain legal advice specific to your situation.
As one of the leading trial lawyers in California, Partner Matthew McNicholas represents victims in a range of areas, including personal injury, wrongful death, employment law, product liability, sexual assault and other consumer-oriented matters. Learn more about his professional background here.