Headaches After a Car Accident

Vehicle accidents can result in a range of injuries for individuals in Denver and throughout Colorado. One of the most common symptoms that individuals experience after a vehicle accident is a headache. Unfortunately, determining the cause of a headache can be challenging, as there are several injuries that can occur that lead to this type of pain. This can include traumatic brain injuries as well as other types of trauma related to the neck and back.

A Headache Could Mean a Few Things

The most obvious cause of headaches after a vehicle accident occurs is some type of head injury. It is not uncommon for an individual to strike their head on something inside of the vehicle when an accident occurs, whether this is the airbag, steering wheel, dashboard, side frame, or window. Any type of brain injury could lead to a person experiencing headaches – even a minor brain injury.

Concussions are considered moderate traumatic brain injuries, and they are incredibly common. Studies show that concussions occur in a significant number of accidents that result in a vehicle being towed away from the scene. 

One of the most common symptoms of concussions is headaches, though these typically subside over the days following the vehicle accident. However, individuals who sustain more severe traumatic brain injuries, which are more likely if a person is not wearing a seatbelt, could suffer from swelling on the brain or bleeding underneath the skull that results in headaches that worsen in the hours and a day is following the crash.

Additionally, whiplash is a common injury caused by vehicle accidents, particularly rear-end vehicle accidents. The sudden jolt to the body that causes the head and neck to whip back and forth can lead to significant strain on the muscles, tendons, and nerves in the upper back and neck region. This can result in a person experiencing headaches in the hours and days following the vehicle accident.

Regardless of what caused your headache after a vehicle accident occurs, we encourage you to go to the doctor as soon as you begin to experience any pain. Ideally, we would like every person involved in a vehicle accident to seek medical treatment the same day the incident occurs so that a doctor can conduct an examination and rule out any severe brain or internal injury. However, if you do not go to the doctor right away, you need to do so if you begin to experience any symptoms of a head injury, including a headache.

Failing to seek prompt medical care could result in devastating consequences. It is not uncommon for individuals to write off a headache as something “minor,” when the headache may, in fact, be an indicator of a more serious problem underneath the skull. If there is bleeding beneath the skull or if the brain is swelling, this could lead to significant long-term consequences or even death if the injury goes untreated.

Reach out to a Car Accident Attorney Immediately

If you or somebody you love has been injured in a vehicle accident and are experiencing severe or persistent headaches, you need to reach out to an attorney for help. Yes, you should be able to recover compensation for any headaches caused by a car accident, particularly if these headaches have led to you seeking medical care. An experienced Denver car accident lawyer can examine the facts of your case and work to recover compensation for all of your medical expenses, property damage bills, personal out-of-pocket expenses, and more.