Car accidents are notorious for survivors sustaining whiplash, head and neck injuries, and TBIs, as well as other kinds of injuries.

BEST Oceanside Brain Injury Lawyer Near You

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are a silent epidemic, most frequently caught by improved detection technologies that scan an injured individual after a car, truck, bus, train, or even sports accident. In 2019 there were roughly 61,000 TBI-related deaths in the United States, or approximately 166 TBI-related deaths every day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that vehicle accidents are among the most common causes of traumatic brain injuries (14.3%). Whiplash, involving a severe jerk to the head, can also cause a traumatic brain injury. A brain injury might also occur if the head hits the steering wheel, or dashboard, or is pummeled by an airbag.

TBIs affect people of all ages 

Depending on the severity of the injury, survivors with a TBI may cope with health problems for a few days, months, or the rest of their lives. Over 1 million traumatic brain injuries of varying degrees of severity happen across the nation every year.

Have you been involved in an Oceanside car accident and sustained a traumatic brain injury? Are you dealing with memory loss? Do you suffer from severe headaches? Do you experience dizzy spells or balance problems? Are you plagued by problems with short or long-term memory?

Do you wonder if you are going to be able to return to work? About who is going to pay all the medical bills? Are you worried about how long it may take to recover? You are not alone when you discuss your situation with an Oceanside car accident brain injury lawyer at the Levinson Law Group. We give you straight answers to all of your questions, work with you to help you recover, and guide you through the medical and legal challenges you and your family are facing.

Approximately 60 percent of survivors who sustain a TBI have a good recovery. An estimated 25 percent are left with a moderate degree of disability. Death or remaining in a persistent vegetative state is the outcome in 7 to 10 percent of TBI cases. The remainder 15 percent of patients typically have a severe degree of disability.

Types of Traumatic Brain Injuries in Oceanside, California

There are two main types of TBIs, closed and penetrating. Penetrating is when an object penetrates the skull and pierces the brain. A closed brain injury, which is more common, is the result of a blow or other form of head trauma, such as an Oceanside car accident.

TBIs can cause the following:

  • Hematomas – a blood clot anywhere in the brain or on the brain’s surface, such as the protective covering of the brain and directly on the surface of the brain.
  • Contusions – this is when the brain tissue is bruised. Typically, these happen at the base of the front parts of the brain but can be found anywhere.
  • Intracerebral hemorrhage – bleeding within the brain tissue and may be present when there are contusions. Some may be removed surgically, depending on location and size.
  • Subarachnoid hemorrhage – a result of bleeding into the subarachnoid space, resulting in blood thinly spread over the brain’s surface. Most cases are mild.
  • Diffuse injuries – these injuries are scattered throughout the brain and may be associated with or without a mass lesion. They do not show up on CT scans, as they a microscopic changes.
  • Diffuse axonal injury – can result in severe disabilities. An axonal injury impairs the function of and results in the gradual loss of axons. These nerve extensions talk to each other and if enough of them are damaged they may not be able to carry out their function.
  • Ischemia – refers to an insufficient blood supply to parts of the brain. TBI patients are highly sensitive to slight reductions in blood flow and changes in blood pressure during the early days of a head injury can result in an adverse effect.
  • Skull fractures – these are breaks, cracks, or linear skull fractures in the skull that may accompany TBIs. A force that causes a fracture can damage the brain. The base of the skull fractures may cause nerve, artery, and other structural damage. If the sinus is fractured, cerebrospinal fluid leaks from the ears or nose.

Car Accidents and Brain Injuries

Car accidents are notorious for survivors sustaining whiplash, head and neck injuries, and TBIs, as well as other kinds of injuries. You’ve been hit. You are pushed backward abruptly. Then you are whipped forward. The airbag may deploy and send you backward again.

When the head is hit, the skull accelerates faster than the brain and brain tissue and blood vessels are torn. The swelling in the wake of the whipping back and forth movements can result in even more damage. While TBIs are not always immediately obvious, do not wait to seek medical help. Head injuries are serious and can be deadly. Just because you did not lose consciousness does not mean everything is fine. Only 10 percent of brain injuries result in a loss of consciousness. The brain reacts in different ways to different injuries and every symptom can be different as well. This makes diagnosing TBIs difficult.

Every year, there are roughly 6.75 million car accidents in the nation and approximately 18,510 car crashes every day. Each year roughly 1.35 million people are killed in fatal crashes, which is about 3,700 deaths a day (globally). An additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled. These numbers are real people with real lives globally, nationally, and in Oceanside, California.

Brain injuries are serious injuries, and you need to get checked immediately. Head injuries can be very complex and sometimes they are hard to spot.

Do Not Do the Following After an Car Accident in Oceanside, California

The aftermath of a car accident can be confusing. What do you need to do first? What you need to do immediately is stay safe, check everyone for injuries, call the police, stay put, gather as much information as you can about the scene, take pictures and seek medical help as soon as possible.

However, this collecting information about what happened is not the only thing you need to do. There are some things you should “not” do after an Oceanside car accident. The first one is to provide a statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

The insurance company may call and sound friendly and concerned, and encourage you to tell your side of the story. Do “not” speak to them other than to suggest your attorney is going to be handling your case. If you do not have an attorney at the time they call you, say you are in the process of retaining one.

Always speak to an experienced Oceanside car accident attorney “before” you speak to any insurance company – except for your own, who must be informed of the crash as soon as possible. Speaking to the at-fault driver’s insurance company could end up providing the basis for them to deny your claim. Let the Levinson Law Group do the talking for you.

While social media is a good way to get a story to go viral, do “not” post about your accident on social media, and that includes pictures, comments, or videos. Do not offer any opinions on the crash. Do not make inflammatory statements about the collision. Insurance adjusters are on social media looking for things like that, and they can use them against you, effectively tanking your case.

If you get a first settlement offer, do not sign it. Most first offers from insurance companies are notoriously low and would not cover the true extent of your damages. Always speak to an Oceanside car accident attorney first before you accept any offer. Your attorney can advise you on whether or not it is fair and equitable in light of the injuries and other damages you may have sustained.

Common Causes of Oceanside Car Accidents

The most common causes of car crashes are:

  • Mechanical failure of a vehicle – given the deplorable condition of the roads in Oceanside, it is not unexpected to encounter a mechanical failure or discover the vehicle(s) involved in the crash had a faulty part – whether that is poorly manufactured tires or ineffective brakes.
  • Driver error – in many instances, the cause of a crash is traced back to one or more drivers’ negligent driving. That could be speeding, DWI/DUI, distracted driving, ignoring traffic signals, or road rage.
  • Bad roads – it seems Oceanside roads, as well as other locations in the area, are constantly “under construction.” This means road maintenance is not only an accident looking for a place to happen, but may also result in a government entity being named as a defendant in a crash because of the lack of proper maintenance thus creating a driving hazard.

Common Injuries in an Oceanside Car Accident

Common injuries in an Oceanside car accident include:

  • Damages internal organs
  • Internal bleeding
  • Crush injuries
  • Shredded, torn, strained muscles bodywide
  • Eye injuries
  • Whiplash and other neck injuries
  • Joint injuries from hitting the dashboard
  • Disfigurement from broken windshield glass
  • Spinal cord injuries that may cause paralysis
  • Broken ribs, arms, and legs
  • Broken pelvis and shoulder
  • Concussions, and traumatic brain injuries
  • Loss of hearing due to deploying airbags
  • Damage to various nerves
  • Torn, ripped, strained ligaments

Contact the Levinson Law Group Today

If you or a loved one were involved in an Oceanside car accident, reach out to the Oceanside car accident brain injury lawyers at the Levinson Law Group right away. At The Levinson Law Group, our dedicated team of brain injury lawyers is here to help.

If you have questions about the recovery process, we can answer them. If you are not sure you want to bring a case against the other driver, we will not pressure you. We only want to make sure that you are informed and make the best decision for yourself and your family.

When you decide to work with the Levinson Law Group, you can rest assured that you will have someone in your corner throughout the entire process. To learn more about your options, call the Levinson Law Group at 760-827-1700. We accept cases on a contingent fee. That means that if there is no recovery in your case, you pay no fee. And in most cases, we even advance the cost.