Traumatic Brain Injuries Sustained in a Virginia Trucking Wreck

The injuries suffered by the victims of a trucking wreck are often severe. One of the worst scenarios possible is traumatic brain injuries sustained in a Virginia trucking wreck.

Traumatic brain injuries, also known as TBIs, may be irreversible. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may need medical care for the rest of your life. It’s vital in these tragic cases to secure as much money as possible for the long-term health care needs of victims.

The sheer weight and size of big rigs mean injuries are more likely to be catastrophic when a tractor-trailer is involved in an accident in Virginia. Smaller vehicles frequently end up badly mangled and victims have to be cut out of their cars by first responders. Injuries often involve broken bones, damage to internal organs, spinal injuries and traumatic brain injuries.

What Are the Types of Brain Injuries Sustained After a Virginia Trucking Wreck?

Closed head injuries are the most common type of brain injury sustained in an 18-wheeler crash. They can be difficult to diagnose due to the fact they are internal. The following type of injuries may be experienced.

• Closed Head Injuries: A closed head injury is caused when the brain hits the inside of the skull. If your car, pickup or SUV experienced a sudden impact from being rear-ended by a big rig, your head may be suddenly jolted forward. The brain is forced against the hard skull. This kind of injury may cause internal bleeding, swelling, tissue damage, and a buildup of fluid in the brain and skull.
• Anoxic injuries: If the brain is deprived of oxygen, cells will die. This kind of injury can be devastating for multiple parts of the brain.
• Penetrating injuries: On occasions, an object can enter the brain in a car, truck or a motorcycle wreck. The impact of a Virginia trucking wreck might push your head into the wreckage of your car or another object like a road sign. Puncture wounds or a foreign object can cause serious brain damage.
• Toxic injuries: Toxic injuries are caused by exposure to dangerous chemicals that damage the blood and tissue of the brain. These kinds of brain injuries are unlikely in a truck wreck unless a hazardous chemical leaks from a tanker truck following damage in the crash.

What Are the Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injuries from a Virginia Trucking Wreck?

The brain is very complicated. Even a concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury, can cause lasting effects on the sufferer. Symptoms of a TBI include:

• Short-term memory loss;
• Long-term memory loss;
• Coma;
• Depression and mood swings;
• Hypersensitivity to light and sound;
• Anger and other cognitive impairments;
• Loss of long-term ability to function and work;
• Internal brain bleeding.

Traumatic brain injuries after a Virginia trucking wreck are not always obvious because this is an internal injury. On occasions, a doctor fails to diagnose the symptoms of a TBI.

However, the victim of a truck wreck will often realize something is wrong. Changes in personality and mood, depression and new symptoms are among the telltale signs of a mild traumatic brain injury.

How is a Severe Brain Injury After a Virginia Trucking Accident Assessed?

When the victim of a trucking wreck or another accident like a slip and fall or a sporting incident suffers a severe head injury, there is little danger of the problem going undiagnosed.

Medical professionals use the Glasgow Coma Scale to describe the level of consciousness and hence give an indication of the severity of the brain injury.

The GCS is an objective and reliable way of recording the initial and ongoing level of consciousness in a person after a brain injury. The medical staff who attend the scene of a trucking crash on the I-81 in Roanoke or the I-664 in Newport News are trained in the use of the Glasgow Coma Scale. Eye opening and verbal responses are used.

The scale provides a rating based on the following factors. A lower number denotes a more serious diagnosis with less chance of the patient making a recovery. The scale is as follows states Brainline.

Eye Opening (E)

• 4 = spontaneous
• 3 = to sound
• 2 = to pressure
• 1 = none
• NT = not testable

Verbal Response (V)

• 5 = orientated
• 4 = confused
• 3 = words, but not coherent
• 2 = sounds, but no words
• 1 = none
• NT = not testable

Motor Response (M)

• 6 = obeys command
• 5 = localizing
• 4 = normal flexion
• 3 = abnormal flexion
• 2 = extension
• 1 = none

In the days and weeks after a serious trucking accident in Virginia, our attorneys will collect a large dossier of medical information on a client including Glasgow Coma Scale scores.

How Much Can Victims Recover for Brain Injuries Sustained in a Virginia Trucking Wreck?

There is no hard and fast formula for recovery but these cases often lead to higher payouts when a trucker is at-fault for your injury. Trucking companies have larger insurance policies than private car owners. Variables include the level of pain and suffering, the severity of the brain injury, and the lasting impact on your future.

Recently, Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers secured $1.15 million for a grandmother hit by a truck in Hampton Roads. She suffered from bleeding on the brain indicative of a traumatic brain injury.

If you believe you suffered a traumatic brain injury after a trucking wreck or any other type of auto accident in Virginia, please contact our trucking accident team at (757) 455-0077. When a trucker causes serious injuries of this nature you should never deal with the insurance company alone. It’s vital that your payout meets your acute medical needs.