Skip to Content
Law Office of Daniel Horowitz Law Office of Daniel Horowitz
Call Us Today! 925-291-5388
Top

Recovering Personal Injury damages when you get a Concussion in a Car Accident

Two cars impacting each other in a car accident that is fairly serious
|

Can you get a Concussion in a Car Accident without Getting Knocked Out?

According to the CDC, approximately 1.7 million people suffer a concussion each year. Of these, about 17% are attributed to car accidents. Therefore, each year, around 289,000 concussions can be linked to motor vehicle collisions.  So not only can you get a concussion in a car accident without hitting your head or blacking out, it happens often.

The common misconception is that a car accident cannot cause a concussion unless you were knocked out. People will ask questions like “Did you hit your head?” Or “Did you black out?”  Those are good questions but if the answer is “No, I didn’t lose consciousness” this does not mean you did not suffer a concussion.

Concussions can result from sudden acceleration or deceleration of the head. It is your brain matter being moved around and suffering injury that causes the concussion. Certainly hitting your head is a way to quickly stop the skull from moving while the soft brain tissue continues to accelerate but .... a sudden stop can do the same thing.  There is an excellent article by Clinics in Sports Medicine describing how different head movements and impacts cause concussion. The article talks about linear and rotational acceleration which are two types of head movements (and stopping) that affect the brain differently. Read Concussion Article Here.

Also don’t fall into the trap of the false belief that severity of injury tells you all you need to know about the concussion. In some people (and we don’t know why) even mild concussions can cause significant issues.

To better understand this, here is how the brain gets hurt in a way we label it has being damaged by a "concussion".  The brain is surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid and protected by the skull. When an external force (such as a blow to the head or rapid acceleration/deceleration) occurs, the brain moves inside the skull.

So the "concussion" is not the force on the outside striking the skull.  The concussion is what happens to the brain itself.  We look for a sudden movement that causes shearing forces within the brain tissue. These forces stretch and strain the delicate neural connections, leading to microscopic damage.  There is much more but this makes the point.

So if you have been in a car accident where there was sudden stopping, look for these concussion symptoms.

Headache: This counts if it is continuous or a throbbing headache.

Ringing in the Ears: A ring or buzz type sound that is noticeable even when you are not actively listening for it.

Nausea: (Self explanatory)

Vomiting: (Self explanatory)

Fatigue or Drowsiness: Feeling excessively tired or having difficulty staying awake.

Blurry Vision: Blurriness or difficulty focusing. Also floaters or other visual issues may indicate a detached retina. These are serious symptoms and you should be checked out immediately (if not sooner!)

Feeling Sluggish or Hazy: A haze or fog or exhaustion.

Confusion: Difficulty concentrating, forgetting things. If you have watched the Presidential campaign in 2024 you have heard a lot about impairment. It takes a medical expert to separate anxiety, normal forgetfulness and other lapses. Don’t self diagnose if you are seeing these symptoms they can be nothing or they can be serious.

Balance Problems or Dizziness: Not from muscle pain but more balance oriented.

Sensitivity to Light or Noise: Discomfort when exposed to bright lights or loud sounds.

Emotional Changes: Car accidents cause upset so this alone can cause the same symptoms as a concussion including Mood alterations, feeling down, or irritability.

How Does a Car Accident Cause a Concussion?

A car accident can cause a concussion when the brain moves inside the skull. This can happen even if you don’t hit your head! Hitting your head is the classic warning for a head injury. The pain from the hit, bumps, swelling all give people a “heads up” that they might have suffered a concussion. But did you know that you can have a concussion even if you didn’t black out? You can have a concussion by having your head move quickly forward (like driving in a car) and suddenly stopping (like in accident).

One of the big dangers of a head injury is internal bleeding (Subdural hematoma)   Bumps on the head and pain from the impact site warn you to be aware of a head injury but you can suffer a concussion without direct impact to the head.   The symptoms of internal bleeding are similar to a concussion without the complication of the brain bleed.  These include confusion, difficulty swallowing, trouble walking, drowsiness, and numbness in your arms, legs, or face. Having these symptoms does not mean you are having a brain bleed because these are the same symptoms you might suffer after a car accident or minor head injury.

WHEN IS MEDICAL CARE ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED?

We are not doctors (actually one of our attorneys, Mark Ravis is a licensed medical doctor) but we trust the Mayo Clinic.  According to the Mayo Clinic, here is when you must seek medical care for a head injury:

Seek emergency care for an adult or child who experiences a head injury and any of these symptoms:

  • Repeated vomiting or nausea.
  • A loss of consciousness lasting longer than 30 seconds.
  • A headache that gets worse over time.
  • Fluid or blood draining from the nose or ears.
  • Vision or eye changes. For example, the black parts of the eye, known as the pupils, may be bigger than usual or unequal sizes.
  • Ringing in the ears that doesn't go away.
  • Weakness in the arms or legs.
  • Changes in behavior.
  • Confusion or disorientation. For example, the person may not recognize people or places.
  • Slurred speech or other changes in speech.
  • Obvious changes to mental function.
  • Changes in physical coordination, such as stumbling or clumsiness.
  • Seizures or convulsions.
  • Dizziness that doesn't go away or that goes away and comes back.
  • Symptoms that worsen over time.
  • Large head bumps or bruises, such as bruises around the eyes or behind the ears. It's especially important to seek emergency care if these symptoms appear in infants under 12 months of age.   (Source MAYO CLINIC)

In Contra Costa County Stat Med has a specialty clinic that focuses on head injuries.  It is called Brainwaves Concussion Care and they work not just with car accident victims but also student athletes.  They have published an excellent article titled "Concussion Overview".  Sutter Health is in many counties including Alameda and Stanislaus.  They have a concussion clinic as well.  Eden (Castro Valley) has a concussion clinic and many other entities do as well. (UCSF has a sports injury concussion clinic.)

DO YOU NEED A PERSONAL INJURY LAWYER?

Our experienced car accident attorneys will screen you for a full assessment of your injuries including a concussion. We have in house medical professionals and experienced injury lawyers whose job is to maximize your recovery.

Proving that you suffered a brain injury is not always simple.  You know that you are feeling drowsy and confused but how do you translate that real harm from the accident into compensation?   

Consider this rather complicated statement from a medical journal article:

There is uncertainty about the definitions of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and concussion. There is further uncertainty about the definition of post-concussion syndrome (PCS) and the cause and treatment of PCS. Although there has been much research on and increased understanding of the pathophysiology of concussion and mTBI, there is need for a model to clarify the diagnosis.

(Source: Management of Concussion and Post-Concussion Syndrome Barry Willer, PhD* John J. Leddy, MD)

Navigating the definitions and connecting symptoms and medical findings to the specific car accident take expertise.   Our lawyers have the expertise to document your injuries and recover the full value of your accident case.  

Daniel Horowitz’ main office is in Lafayette (Contra Costa County). We handle accident cases throughout the Bay Area and if your accident is more remote in location we can assist you in finding the best personal injury attorney in your area.

There are many excellent personal injury attorneys in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa and the surrounding areas.  We hope we can earn your trust so that you select Daniel Horowitz to represent you.  There is never any fee unless and until we recover for you.