Sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a car accident can result in numerous challenges that accident survivors may not anticipate. Depending on the severity of one’s TBI, survivors may face a challenging road to recovery, filled with uncertainties about the future.
Survivors may require a combination of medical intervention, rehabilitation and ongoing care to regain function after a car accident. Survivors and their families can benefit from exploring the treatment options available for TBIs.
Immediate medical care
In the aftermath of a car accident, survivors should prioritize their well-being, even if they feel fine. By seeking immediate medical attention, TBIs can quickly be diagnosed and managed before they start to worsen.
At an accident scene, emergency responders will stabilize survivors who they suspect to have TBIs to prevent further complications. Once survivors are transported to an appropriate facility, healthcare providers will focus on:
- Stabilizing their vital functions
- Mitigating further brain damage
- Minimizing swelling in the brain
Healthcare providers may need to administer medication to reduce inflammation. However, in severe cases, healthcare providers may need to do surgery on some survivors to:
- Relieve the pressure build-up in the brain
- Remove blood clots
- Repair skull fractures
Once a patient is stabilized, healthcare providers continue to assess the acuteness of the TBI to determine a suitable treatment plan.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is a crucial element of recovery from a TBI because it helps survivors to – when possible – regain functionality that was lost in the accident. Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary approach that targets limitations in:
- Physical mobility
- Cognitive capacity
- Emotional regulation
- Social engagements
Through tried and tested therapies, survivors can work towards reclaiming as much independence as possible. For example, speech therapy helps survivors relearn how to swallow and use language to express their thoughts. Other therapies that accident survivors may need to explore include:
- Physical therapy for mobility, balance and coordination
- Occupational therapy for self-care
- Cognitive rehabilitation for decision-making skills and memory retention
- Emotional support to manage the emotional impact of the accident
The key to success is consistency and patience because the brain needs time to rebuild the communication pathways it lost in an accident.
The road to recovery from a TBI can be long and challenging for car accident survivors. With support from a trusted legal team, survivors can potentially secure compensation from at-fault parties in order to serve their medical needs during their recovery.