Car Accidents Resulting in Stroke

As experienced personal injury attorneys in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, we know that car accidents can result in severe bodily harm such as a traumatic brain injury or head trauma carrying life-long repercussions to the injured. When a person experiences a traumatic brain injury from a motor vehicle collision, the risk of having a stroke in the three months following the injury increases tenfold, according to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association. There are a number of causes of stroke and the RI and MA car accident lawyers at Tapalian Law are often asked the question- can a car accident cause a stroke? In addition to traumatic brain injury, severe whiplash from the impact of a crash can contribute to the occurrence of a stroke after a motor vehicle accident. If you, or a loved one, have been injured in a car wreck in RI or MA that resulted in a stroke or traumatic brain injury, seek the advice of a qualified personal injury lawyer in Rhode Island to protect your legal rights.

A brain injury can occur when a blow or jolt to the head causes changes in a person’s normal brain function. A stroke can occur weeks or even months after a collision. In the AHA Journal study, the authors note several possible reasons including that a traumatic brain injury may damage the brain’s blood vessels, thereby disturbing blood supply to the brain and leading to a stroke. The study also showed that a person with a traumatic brain injury where the skull bone was fractured has a higher risk for a stroke than a person with a similar injury but whose skull bone was not fractured.

Significant whiplash from a car crash can result in arterial dissection that can contribute to a stroke. Arterial dissection occurs when the lining of an artery tears and separates from the vessel wall. This can happen due to excessive trauma in the neck region caused by whiplash and can result in a blood clot which forms at the site of the tear. Once this tear occurs, it can travel to the brain and block the flow of blood to the brain tissue resulting in a stroke. Although an arterial dissection accounts for a low percentage of strokes, they can be a harmful consequence of whiplash.

Any measure that can be taken to prevent head and neck trauma during a collision can help to alleviate the risk of stroke. Proper alignment of the head rest is crucial in keeping the neck and head stable during an accident. Make sure that your vehicle’s headrest is properly aligned and near enough to your head. Many vehicles now have headrests that not only move up and down, but also move forward and back. Ensuring that the headrest is properly aligned could minimize any potential whiplash you experience from the impact of an auto collision.

Seek immediate medical treatment after any type of auto accident. If you experience any of these symptoms immediately after, or in the days, weeks, or months following the crash, seek medical attention right away.

• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Vertigo
• Facial numbness
• Tingling throughout your face, neck, and hands
• Confusion
• Slurred speech
• Immediate onset of vision problems
• Nausea
• Difficulty walking
• Headaches

When a person is injured in an auto accident, they may be eligible to file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance company for damages incurred in the accident. This can include medical expenses, car repairs, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity. If you suffer a stroke after a car accident in RI or MA, you may have significant long-term losses and if you don’t recover to your pre-stroke status and abilities, you may be entitled to substantial compensatory damages. Only an experienced stroke car accident lawyer will know which damages to present for your Rhode Island personal injury claim in order for you to be awarded maximum compensation. Stroke accident claims have some of the most considerable monetary value of any accident injury claims presented. The following is a list of some, but not all, of the damages an experienced Rhode Island car accident attorney may present on your behalf after you suffer a stroke resulting from an auto accident:

• Lost earning capacity
• Future medical expenses
• Future care provider expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Disability
• Loss of consortium

After you have sought medical treatment for your accident injuries, it is essential to contact a stroke car accident lawyer in Rhode Island. Even if your stroke occurred months after the collision, it may still be related to the accident. Discussing your case with a Rhode Island personal injury lawyer experienced with medical problems resulting from a car accident is essential to determine if the stroke resulted from the impact of the crash. Only an experienced personal injury lawyer will have the resources, knowledge, and network of medical contacts to causally correlate your stroke to a previous car accident. Insurance companies will aggressively fight your claim and try to dispute that your stroke was caused by a car accident. Hard-hitting insurance companies will hire medical experts to point to any other factor as the cause of your stroke to prove they are not responsible for your injuries and treatment costs. For those reasons, you need a determined personal injury attorney like David Tapalian with the knowledge and experience of medical problems caused by car accidents to present your claim and fight for what is fair and just. Let us begin helping you today. Contact Tapalian Law’s Providence, RI, Warwick, RI, or Seekonk, MA office, at 401-552-5000, or reach us online.