A traumatic brain injury (TBI) isn’t just a medical diagnosis. It’s a life-changing event impacting your ability to work, think clearly, care for your family, or even feel like yourself. We’ve seen firsthand how overwhelming and life-threatening these injuries can be. We understand this on a deeply personal level. Car accidents are a leading cause of TBIs in the United States. Whether caused by a rear-end collision, a high-speed crash, or a violent rollover, TBIs often leave victims facing not only a long medical recovery but also mounting financial stress and legal uncertainty. 

For victims, this can mean ongoing medical treatment, lost income, and a dramatic shift in quality of life. For families, it can mean navigating the emotional and financial toll of long-term care. If you or someone you love suffered a TBI in a car accident, know that you don’t have to face this alone. 

Our founding attorney, Robert J. Hartigan, became a personal injury lawyer because his own mother suffered a traumatic brain injury caused by a drunk driver. That experience shaped his mission and continues to guide how we care for every client we represent.

With offices in Boston and Atlanta, we represent injured clients in Massachusetts and Georgia. You can contact us for a free consultation, or read on to find out more about TBIs resulting from an an auto accident.

How Car Accidents Cause Brain Injuries

According to the The Center for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) there are three main types of TBIs:

• Mild Traumatic Brain Injury or Concussion
• Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury 
• Severe Traumatic Brain Injury 

In a crash, your seatbelt protects your body, but your brain is still vulnerable. The force of a collision can cause your head to whip violently back and forth or side to side. That movement can cause the brain to:

• Hit the inside of the skull
• Twist or stretch
• Bleed or swell
• Or even be pierced by debris

Some brain injuries are obvious right away. Others take hours or days to show symptoms—but they can be just as serious. That’s why getting both medical and legal support early on is so important.

Types of Brain Injuries Caused by Car Accidents 

Below, we break down the most common types of TBIs from car crashes: what they are, how to recognize them, why they’re dangerous, and how we build a case that reflects what you’re truly going through. 

1. Open Head Injury. An open head injury occurs when the skull is cracked or penetrated. This often results from high-speed crashes, ejection from the vehicle, or impact with sharp objects like shattered glass or metal. Open head injuries can cause penetration to brain tissue. 

2. Concussion. Concussions are among the most common TBIs, caused by a sudden jolt or blow to the head that disrupts brain function. Rear-end and side-impact collisions often cause concussions, even if there’s no direct impact to the head.

3. Brain Contusion (Bruising). A contusion is a bruise on the brain itself, usually caused by blunt force trauma when the head strikes something inside the car, like the steering wheel or side panel. 

4. Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI). A DAI is a widespread injury caused by violent rotation or acceleration of the head, tearing nerve fibers throughout the brain. These injuries are most common in rollovers or high-speed collisions. 

5. Hematoma. A hematoma is a blood clot that forms outside blood vessels, often between the brain and skull. Common types include epidural and subdural hematomas, both of which require urgent care.

6. Skull Fracture. A skull fracture is a break in the cranial bone, often accompanied by swelling, bleeding, or direct brain injury. It can occur in even moderate-speed collisions.

7. Brain Hemorrhage. A brain hemorrhage is bleeding within the brain tissue, which interferes with oxygen flow and can destroy neurons. This injury may occur immediately upon impact or develop over time.

Why an Attorney Is Critical in TBI Cases 

Traumatic brain injury claims are complex, emotionally heavy, and often misunderstood. Symptoms can be delayed. Injuries may not appear on standard scans. And insurance companies often try to downplay what they can’t “see.” We don’t let them.

We fight back with:

• Specialist consultations (neurologists, life care planners, psychologists)
• Medical records and imaging
• Functional capacity evaluations
• Economic loss projections
• Pain and suffering documentation

How We Argue a TBI Case: 

Traumatic Brain Injuries, even mild ones, are often misunderstood and undervalued by the insurance companies,  but we know they can completely derail your life. We work with neurologists and cognitive specialists to prove the very real impact of symptoms like memory loss, brain fog, loss of function, and personality changes. We use medical documentation, testimony from family members, friends, and co-workers to show how your TBI has affected your work, relationships, and well-being—and we fight for the compensation you deserve.

Our goal is to secure full and fair compensation not just for your current bills, but for your future care, lost income, and altered way of life. At Lionhart Injury Law, we are passionate about fighting for brain injury victims. 

When to Reach Out 

The answer is simple: as soon as possible. Here’s why:

• Early evidence is crucial to proving your case
• Insurance companies act fast, and not in your best interest

What You Can Recover for a TBI

Depending on the severity of your injury, you may be entitled to compensation for:

• Emergency room and hospital bills
• Surgeries and brain scans
• Physical, speech, and occupational therapy
• Lost income and future earning capacity
• In-home care and assistive devices
• Emotional suffering and trauma
• Disfigurement or permanent disability
• Wrongful death (for fatal injuries)

Talk to an Attorney Who Understands

If you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury after a car accident, please reach out. Robert J. Hartigan has lived through the aftermath of a devastating crash with his own family. He understands the pain, the fear, and the strength it takes to rebuild. And our team is here to carry that burden with you. We work with clients in Massachusetts and Georgia.

 

Medical References

The medical information on this page is supported by research and publications from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Traumatic Brain Injury Overview: cdc.gov/traumatic-brain-injury/index.html

Traumatic Brain Injury Data and Statistics: cdc.gov/traumatic-brain-injury/data-research/facts-stats/index.html

About Moderate and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: cdc.gov/traumatic-brain-injury/about/moderate-severe-tbi.html

Signs and Symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury: cdc.gov/traumatic-brain-injury/signs-symptoms/index.html

Potential Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury: cdc.gov/traumatic-brain-injury/about/potential-effects.html