Studies Show Motor Vehicle Crashes Cause One in Five Traumatic Brain Injuries
According to statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 20% of all hospitalizations related to traumatic brain injury involve patients hurt in motor vehicle accidents. Car wrecks are the second-leading cause of TBI (falls are first), accounting for 52% of all TBI-related hospital admissions.
Traumatic brain injuries often are difficult to observe. In rare instances, TBI may involve an open wound, but the vast majority are so-called “closed head” wounds. A motor vehicle collision can cause TBI in a number of different ways:
- Your head may strike a solid object in your vehicle, such as a steering wheel, dashboard, door, or window. When that happens, your brain can be violently hurled against the hard bone of your skull, causing bruising, tearing, bleeding, and/or swelling.
- Safety restraints, such as seatbelts or airbags, can minimize external impact but also can result in whiplash. When you suffer whiplash, your head snaps violently forward upon initial impact, and then just as violently snaps backward. Again, the force of your brain hitting your skull can cause significant injury.
- You can be thrown from the vehicle, landing on your head (the most likely cause of an open-head injury).
You don’t need to be traveling at a high rate of speed upon impact to suffer a traumatic brain injury. With any type of collision, you are at risk of internal trauma to your brain. If you’re involved in any crash, from a fender-bender to a head-on collision, you should immediately seek care from a knowledgeable medical professional.
Contact Us to Set Up an Appointment
At Advantage Healthcare Systems, we have extensive experience working successfully with individuals who suffer a concussion or other type of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Call us toll-free at 1-877-487-8289 or fill out the form provided below to schedule an assessment. We offer locations across Texas, including Fort Worth, Dallas, and San Antonio.
