If another vehicle hits you while driving in Ohio, the hours, days and weeks that follow the incident necessitate close monitoring of your health. Lacerations, swelling, contusions or loss of consciousness are often noticeable right away in the immediate aftermath of a car accident. However, you may also experience delayed symptoms after a collision that may not surface until much later.
There are several symptoms, in fact, that may occur while you are recovering at home, all of which suggest that you may have suffered a traumatic brain injury. If such symptoms arise, it is always best to return to the hospital or contact your primary care physician, making sure that the doctor you speak with knows that you were recently involved in a motor vehicle accident. Prompt medical care can have a significant impact on the level of recovery you are able to achieve.
Mood swings following a collision signify possible brain injury
It’s understandable that you might feel emotionally unsettled for days or weeks following a motor vehicle collision. Abrupt mood swings, however, are often a symptom of traumatic brain injury. If you feel like, or your family members notice, that your moods are out of control, it may be a good idea to consult a licensed physician who can schedule further testing.
Additional symptoms that often accompany brain trauma
The fact that certain symptoms arise hours or days later in no way rules out the possibility that you have suffered a brain injury in connection with a car accident. In fact, it often means just the opposite — that a possible brain injury has occurred. The following list includes several additional symptoms that may experience a delay after a motor vehicle collision:
- Difficulty forming coherent speech
- Changes in vision quality
- Feeling sick to your stomach or vomiting
The impact of a collision may cause brain trauma that presents any or all of these symptoms. There may be a tiny fracture in the skull or swelling or bleeding on the brain, which can all be life-threatening conditions. A physician can order a CT scan or MRI to determine whether brain trauma has occurred.
When driver negligence has caused a collision that resulted in a brain injury
If an Ohio motorist blows through a stop sign, fails to stop at a red light or veers over the yellow line into your lane and hits you, he or she may be liable for damages, especially if negligence or recklessness was a causal factor in the collision. Why should you face financial distress from medical bills, car repairs, lost wages or other issues if you were not at fault in the accident that resulted in your injuries?
Many recovering accident victims have been able to obtain financial recovery for their losses by seeking restitution in a civil court against the party or parties deemed liable for collision-related damages. A brain injury often has far-reaching implications, and you deserve any and all support available to sustain quality of life as much as possible.