The jarring that occurs when you’re involved in a car wreck can lead to very serious injuries. One of these is a brain injury. What surprises some people about brain injuries is they might not be evident right at the scene of the crash.

It can take weeks for a person to recognize that something is amiss with their brain. A traumatic brain injury is catastrophic and can lead to significant lifelong challenges. A person who’s in a car crash doesn’t have to hit their head to suffer a brain injury. The force of the crash could cause the brain to become damaged.

Classifications of traumatic brain injuries

A traumatic brain injury can be either diffuse or focal. A diffuse injury is one that occurs in more than one area of the brain. This is common in car crashes because the brain can slam into the skull and then the opposite side of the brain can hit the skull as the head flings front to back or side to side. A focal brain injury is one that happens in only one spot on the brain.

These injuries can also be classified as closed or penetrating. A closed injury means that the skull hasn’t been penetrated. When there’s a break in the skull, the injury is penetrating.

Victims of car wrecks likely need medical care, especially if they’re showing signs of an injury. They may opt to pursue a claim for compensation if the crash was caused by a negligent driver. Claims filed in Colorado are subjected to strict time limits so don’t waste time.