Automobile accidents are one of the leading causes of brain injury in children. Automobile accidents that commonly lead to brain injury in children include:

• Situations in which rapid deceleration or acceleration occurs. Rapid deceleration occurs when a car suddenly stops due to an impact, while rapid acceleration occurs when a car is hit from behind. These situations cause the brain to knock against the skull, frequently resulting in shearing or tearing of the brain tissue, ruptures of blood vessels in the brain, and bruising.

• Rollovers. Rollovers cause impact to the head, which can result in bruising, hemorrhaging, and brain damage.

• Situations in which the head strikes an object in the car, or vice versa. A child who has been in an automobile accident may strike her head on the windshield, seatback, roof of the car, or loose object in the car, resulting in brain injury.

If your child has been brain-injured in an automobile accident there’s most likely an automobile liability policy that covers the car she was in. For more information on how to access the maximum amount of coverage available to your child, as well as how to deal with the inevitable insurance issues that will crop up along the road, please visit our comprehensive section on insurance.

If your child was injured as the result of some other driver’s negligence, you may be due compensation that can help pay for your child’s medical needs, both now and in the future. If you think your child’s brain injury was the fault of another, read our section on settlements, then contact us for more information on how we can help.

In the meantime, here are some things to remember:

Never take the first settlement offered by the driver’s insurance company, as this can result in an amount that won’t cover your child’s care.

1. If an insurance company asks you to sign papers waiving your rights or agreeing to a settlement sum, don’t sign!
2. Hire a knowledgeable attorney to make sure that the process is handled according to the laws of your specific state.