The brain is an incredibly powerful organ, but it is also quite vulnerable. Despite having the skull to protect it during traumatic incidents, like car crashes, the brain is at risk of severe injury when people fall, get struck or otherwise experience severe physical trauma.
Motor vehicle collisions are among the top causes of brain injuries, in part because there are so many different ways for a crash to injure someone’s brain. Those who understand the mechanisms through which collisions injure the human brain can better recognize when someone might be at risk of a brain injury. The following are the most common ways that car crashes lead to brain injuries.
Through immediate physical trauma
The average person understands that someone who hits their head during a crash could develop major injury symptoms. Bruising or swelling of the brain that occurs after a high-speed collision could cause dangerous levels of pressure on the brain which then cause concerning symptoms. People may initially seem okay after hitting their heads, only to develop worse symptoms a few days after the initial crash. Anyone who hits their head on the steering column, dashboard or window of a vehicle could potentially benefit from a medical evaluation to check for brain injuries.
Through rapid vehicle motions
Sometimes, what hurts the brain isn’t direct contact with an immovable object but rather rapid motion during the crash itself. The way that vehicles move and shake during a collision can rapidly move the brain inside the skull, potentially leading to damage to the brain. Crashes that cause erratic vehicle motions, including rollovers and collisions where vehicles spin rapidly, could potentially cause brain injuries.
Through dangerous debris
The glass and other small pieces of a vehicle that may fly through the air during a crash could cause serious physical injuries. At high enough speeds, those small fragments of a vehicle could cut through not just the skin but also the skull.
Given the possibility of delayed symptom onset, many people need to see a doctor before they develop symptoms if they want the best possible prognosis for a potential brain injury. Recognizing when a car crash might be severe enough to hurt someone’s brain could help them seek out the care that they require.