Last updated November 12, 2022

While federal agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration compile statistics on motor vehicle accidents and the number of people killed or injured, there is no national database that specifically tracks head injuries and resulting traumatic brain injuries. Here are some things we do know, however, from government statistics, neuroscientists, and consumer safety studies regarding head injuries caused from auto collisions:

• Millions of people suffer head injuries each year, most of which are minor because of the protection the skull provides the brain. The symptoms of these minor injuries usually disappear on their own.

• Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of all head injuries. These accidents cause about 28% of traumatic brain injuries.
  
• Traffic accidents account for half (49%) of the 500,000 head injuries serious enough to require hospitalization each year.
  
• Traumatic brain injuries cause about a third (34%) of all injury deaths in the United States.
  
• There is increasing scientific evidence that brain damage can be caused by head injuries even when there has been no loss of consciousness. The result can be not only long-term physical disability, but emotional, intellectual, and social trauma. 

South Carolina Head Injury Classifications

Generally, head injuries are classified as either open or closed:

• Open Injuries:  Open head injuries are those incurred when an object fractures and goes into the skull. In a traffic wreck, for example, this can happen when a driver or passenger goes through the windshield.
  
• Closed Injuries: A closed head injury is one where an accident or object causes a strong blow to the head, but the skull is not broken. For example, this could happen to a driver who hits the steering wheel or another hard component of a car.  Perhaps the most common kind of traumatic brain injury is a concussion, a closed-head injury that occurs when the brain is shaken back and forth in the skull by the impact of a motor vehicle accident.

Diagnosis of a Serious Head Injury Following a Car Wreck

If you hit your head in a car collision, do not be tempted to dismiss the possibility of a traumatic brain injury without being checked by a medical professional. You should get medical help immediately if you or anyone else in the accident:

• Becomes drowsy
• Behaves abnormally
• Has a stiff neck
• Develops a severe headache
• Loses consciousness – even briefly
• Vomits

According to the National Institutes of Health Medline Plus, you require emergency treatment if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Loss of consciousness or drowsiness
• Convulsions
• Impaired hearing, smell, taste, or vision
• Clear or bloody fluid running from your nose, ears, or mouth
• Changes in size of your pupils
• Skull fracture or swelling, or scalp wound
• Facial fracture or bruising
• Inability to move arms or legs or lack of coordination
• Low blood pressure or rate of breathing
• Severe headache or stiff neck
• Slurred speech or blurred vision
• Vomiting
• Confusion or irritability

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list. If you have any unexpected or worsening symptoms, you should contact your doctor or visit an emergency room or urgent care facility.

Call a North Charleston Auto Collision Attorney

If you or a passenger sustained a serious head injury after a South Carolina car wreck, you need to speak to an experienced North Charleston auto collision attorney as soon as possible.  The attorneys at the Hartman Law Firm L.L.C. are prepared to review your case today and to assist you in negotiating an insurance settlement or, if no agreement can be reached, to file a lawsuit on your behalf under South Carolina law.  Call us today for a free, no-obligation evaluation of your case at 843-300-7600.

Serious Head Injuries Caused by Charleston Auto Crashes

While federal agencies such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration compile statistics on motor vehicle accidents and the number of people killed or injured, there is no national database that specifically quantifies head injuries and resulting traumatic brain injuries. Here are some things we do know, however, from government statistics, neuroscientists, and consumer safety studies regarding head injuries caused from auto collisions:

• Millions of people suffer head injuries each year, most of which are minor because of the protection the skull provides the brain. The symptoms of these minor injuries usually disappear on their own.
  

• Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of all head injuries. These accidents cause about 28% of traumatic brain injuries.
  
• Traffic accidents account for half (49%) of the 500,000 head injuries serious enough to require hospitalization each year.
  
• Traumatic brain injuries cause about a third (34%) of all injury deaths in the United States.
  
• There is increasing scientific evidence that brain damage can be caused by head injuries even when there has been no loss of consciousness. The result can be not only long-term physical disability, but emotional, intellectual, and social trauma. 

South Carolina Head Injury Classifications

Generally, head injuries are classified as either open or closed:

• Open Injuries:  Open head injuries are those incurred when an object fractures and goes into the skull. In a traffic wreck, for example, this can happen when a driver or passenger goes through the windshield.
  
• Closed Injuries: A closed head injury is one where an accident or object causes a strong blow to the head, but the skull is not broken. For example, this could happen to a driver who hits the steering wheel or another hard component of a car.  Perhaps the most common kind of traumatic brain injury is a concussion, a closed-head injury that occurs when the brain is shaken back and forth in the skull by the impact of a motor vehicle accident.

Diagnosis of a Serious Head Injury Following a Car Wreck

If you hit your head in a car collision, do not be tempted to dismiss the possibility of a traumatic brain injury without being checked by a medical professional. You should get medical help immediately if you or anyone else in the accident:

• Becomes drowsy
• Behaves abnormally
• Has a stiff neck
• Develops a severe headache
• Loses consciousness – even briefly
• Vomits

According to the National Institutes of Health Medline Plus, you require emergency treatment if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Loss of consciousness or drowsiness
• Convulsions
• Impaired hearing, smell, taste, or vision
• Clear or bloody fluid running from your nose, ears, or mouth
• Changes in size of your pupils
• Skull fracture or swelling, or scalp wound
• Facial fracture or bruising
• Inability to move arms or legs or lack of coordination
• Low blood pressure or rate of breathing
• Severe headache or stiff neck
• Slurred speech or blurred vision
• Vomiting

• Confusion or irritability

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list. If you have any unexpected or worsening symptoms, you should contact your doctor or visit an emergency room or urgent care facility.

Call a North Charleston Auto Collision Attorney

If you or a passenger sustained a serious head injury after a South Carolina car wreck, you need to speak to an experienced North Charleston auto collision attorney as soon as possible.  The attorneys at the Hartman Law Firm L.L.C. are prepared to review your case today and to assist you in negotiating an insurance settlement or, if no agreement can be reached, to file a lawsuit on your behalf under South Carolina law.  Call us today for a free, no-obligation evaluation of your case at 843-300-7600.