Traumatic brain injuries are a common diagnosis in Texas in emergency rooms. Motor vehicle crashes are a common cause of these brain injuries. Research from the CDC indicates that for people ages 15 to 34, car crashes are the leading cause of brain injuries that lead to hospitalizations and death. Unfortunately, the majority of the research into traumatic brain injuries has been focused on sports injuries and injuries caused by military service.
Research published in the Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering journal looked into the link between car accidents and the risk of individuals involved experiencing a traumatic brain injury. By using computational and experimental data, the researchers were able to make a model of how different accidents affect various parts of the brain.
The research team is hoping to input data from car accidents into their model to help predict if or how the brain will be injured. This information may then be taught to first responders who can input the accident information into the model. If the model determines that a traumatic brain injury is likely, the injured parties can be treated immediately. This may help change the outcome and long-term effects of the injury.
Traumatic brain injuries can cause death or severe lifelong effects, including personality changes, loss of speech or motor skills, seizures, short-term memory loss, problems in judgment and severe headaches. These effects may last for decades. Those who experience a brain injury due to a car accident might need years of costly medical treatments. A lawyer may be able to help the injured party pay for their medical bills and receive money from lost wages during recovery by filing a lawsuit. To be awarded damages, the lawyer will need to show that the driver who caused the accident behaved negligently. If they did, medical and compensatory damages may be awarded.