Road accident head injuries

Although the widespread introduction of airbags in new vehicle designs has undoubtedly reduced the incidence of road accident head injuries, they are still inflicted on thousands of people every year.

Even if the vehicles body shell stays more or less intact, one or more of the occupants may still suffer a head injury for a number of possible reasons.

Causes of head injuries from moderate impact speeds

No airbags installed

Many of us drive cars that are more than 15 years old, when the installation of driver or passenger airbags was not as common as it is today. The drivers of these vehicles are particularly vulnerable to a head injury from the steering wheel even from impacts at moderate speeds.

Because the head is not secured (assuming everyone is wearing a seatbelt) it is thrown violently forwards and backwards in a 'whiplash' motion. If the driver has a poorly adjusted seatbelt or is sitting very close to the steering wheel, their head will almost certainly come into contact with it.

Not wearing your seatbelt

Amazingly, there are still some drivers (and passengers) who forget to wear their seatbelts. In a collision the vehicle is brought suddenly to a halt and unless the occupants are restrained they will continue moving forward at the vehicles original speed, and only stop when they come into contact with part of the car interior, or even the person in front of them.

This could cause any unrestrained occupant to have serious head, neck and other injuries as a result. In some cases a rear passenger can actually fatally injure the person in front of them if they are not restrained. Put simply the car seatbelt is the single most important piece of safety equipment in your car, so wear it at all times!

Faulty or partially inflated airbags

Without doubt airbags have probably saved countless drivers from serious head injuries, but they do not always work perfectly. Occasionally an airbag will fail to trigger, or only partially inflate. Obviously this can lead to either, little protection or none at all.

Head injuries from higher impact speeds

At higher impact speeds the protection provided by airbags for example may become less effective, particularly if the passenger compartment becomes crumpled or distorted. Head injuries in these circumstances can be severe, life changing and sometimes fatal.

How claiming injury compensation can help

A head injury or brain injury from a road accident can be a life altering event for both the injured person and their family.

We understand that in some cases no amount of compensation can restore a person's life to how it was before the injury. However receiving an appropriate compensation settlement can help to ensure that the best treatment and therapies are available to help them take the important steps towards their rehabilitation.

If you would like to make an injury claim please click here for more information.

We can help provide repairs and a comparable replacement hire-car. If you have had an accident that was not your fault, we can provide these services for you absolutely free because we claim all our costs back directly from the at-fault party's insurance company.

For more information please ring 0845 6768898 or complete our online claim form.