Summer has ended and Ohio residents are once again preparing for a cold winter ahead. If you’re new to the state, you’ll want to learn all you can about road safety, especially during winter. It’s not uncommon for there to be a foot or more of snow and ice on the ground when cold weather months come around. The risk for a motor vehicle collision is high, which may result in severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI).
People often suffer TBI without knowing it, especially in a car accident. That’s why it’s imperative that you closely monitor your health in the weeks following a collision. There are specific symptoms you should never ignore because TBI often causes them.
Ringing in your ear is a common brain injury symptom
The medical term for ringing in your ear is “tinnitus.” It is often present in patients who have hit their head against a hard surface. Even if several days have gone by since you were involved in a motor vehicle collision, if you start to hear ringing in your ear, you’ll want to seek immediate medical attention as this is a common symptom of TBI.
You shouldn’t feel confused or nauseous days after a car accident
In the immediate aftermath of a collision, it’s not unusual to feel stunned and confused. However, with proper care and treatment, those feelings should begin to subside. If you have suffered a brain injury, you might continue to feel confused or “foggy-brained.” You might also feel sick to your stomach and may even vomit. If these symptoms arise, it is important to report them to a physician right away.
Slurred speech is a red flag for brain injury
It can be quite startling to attempt to speak a simple sentence and have a string of slurred speech come out. When a motor vehicle collision has resulted in a TBI, the person affected may have slurred speech. It is also true that a TBI can cause you to forget the right words to say or to invert words in a sentence.
Trouble controlling your emotions
You might experience many emotions following a car accident, such as fear, anxiety, sorrow, anger or, perhaps, relief that you’re still alive. If you feel like you have no control over your emotions — you’re laughing one minute and crying the next, then having an angry outburst — it is possible that these are symptoms of a brain injury.
Here’s a recap of five brain injury symptoms
Keeping these brain injury symptoms in mind may help you seek medical attention in a timely manner if you experience these issues after a car accident:
- Tinnitus
- Confusion
- Nausea or vomiting
- Slurred speech
- Erratic mood swings
If an Ohio physician diagnoses you with a brain injury after a motor vehicle collision caused by another driver’s negligence, you can seek restitution in civil court. You can include all your physical injuries, as well as emotional and economic distress, in a list of damages. Because such litigation is complex and stressful, it’s helpful to seek guidance and support from someone with this type of courtroom experience.