When you suffer from a major car accident, you are in danger of serious injuries, including broken and fractured bones, damaged internal organs, significant blood loss and traumatic brain injury. These conditions can lead to comatose, or coma.
A coma is a serious medical condition where a person experiences loss of consciousness from trauma, pain, injuries or a combination of all three. When you are in a coma, you cannot wake up and you do not respond to stimuli such as touch, sound and pain.
What causes a coma after a car accident?
The most common reason a car accident victim goes into a coma is a traumatic brain injury resulting from a crash. Doctors can also medically induce a coma if an individual is suffering from excruciating pain or has other medical issues that can get worse if an individual were to remain conscious.
How do medical professionals treat a coma?
The first thing doctors will do is minimize brain damage and support body functions. They may also require surgery to reduce brain swelling. Once the patient is stable, doctors will work on preventing infections and muscle damage. They will also ensure that the victim remains properly nourished while comatose.
Can you recover from a coma?
Yes, you can gradually recover from a coma within weeks. Depending on the severity of the brain damage, you may either recover without any lasting symptoms, or have lifelong conditions that may require physical or occupational therapy. Recovery depends on several factors, including age, the severity and cause of the brain damage, and how long you were unconscious.
In some cases, a person does not come out of a coma, particularly those who are unconscious for a year or more.
Going into coma following a car accident is devastating not just for you, but for your loved ones as well. It is important that anyone who is the victim of an injury so severe it results in a coma understand their rights. Legal remedies are likely available if you or a loved one suffered a coma due to a car accident believed to be the result of the other driver’s negligence. These can result in funds to help cover the costs associated with the accident.