Let’s take a look at coup and contrecoup TBI-related injuries and how you can seek compensation after a car accident.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs). Sadly, these injuries affect the brain’s normal functioning, cause long-term health conditions, and in severe cases, death. Let’s take a look at coup and contrecoup TBI-related injuries and how you can seek compensation after a car accident.
Coup Injuries
Coup injuries occur when a moving object or outside force comes into contact with the head. They may also arise when the head hits something stationary with force, resulting in both internal and external injuries at the point of contact. A good example is when one is hit with a blunt object, falls, or bumps into a wall resulting in bruises, contusion, bumps, skull trauma, and lacerations.
Contrecoup Injuries
Contrecoup injuries generally occur at the impact point or directly opposite where the force came into contact with the head. A common cause of contrecoup injuries is driving at full speed or getting involved in a head-on collision. The head may hit the steering wheel or the dashboard, leading to a coup injury, while the brain will swing in the opposite direction hitting the other side of the head.
Sometimes, contrecoup brain injuries are overlooked, which is why you should see a doctor immediately after a car accident, even if you feel alright.
What to Do After a Coup or Contrecoup Injury Caused by a Negligent Driver?
Head injuries can have lifelong effects like infections, paralysis, impaired speech, persistent headaches, coma, brain death, and other side effects that you have to manage for the rest of your life. As a result, you may have to miss work and use a significant amount of money for your treatment.
Fortunately, you can generally file a car accident claim against the negligent driver and get compensation for the medical procedures, loss of livelihood, pain and suffering, and any other damage you may have suffered.
However, it’s not advisable to pursue a car accident claim on your own. For starters, you’ll have to deal with insurance adjusters who will probably bombard you with questions, threats, and substandard offers to minimize your compensation. Also, the claim process is long, complex, and involves a lot of paperwork, so pursuing it on your own will only add stress to your recovery. Instead, your best chance of a fair case is to work with an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney.
St. Louis Brain Injury Lawyer
Have you or a loved one suffered a brain injury due to someone else’s negligence and need legal assistance seeking compensation? The experienced car accident attorneys at The Hoffman Law Firm can help. Give us a call 24/7 for a free case evaluation.