In the first 30 minutes after a Missouri car accident, a lot is happening. Police officers typically arrive to investigate, and rescuers come to assist those who were involved in the collision. The initial medical assessment should never be the only medical attention an accident victim receives because some symptoms, like a bruised ear, take days to develop and might signify a brain injury.
There is a section of bone just behind and at the base of the ear called the mastoid process. It is the part of the human body where the head attaches to the neck and contains air cells that help drain fluid from the middle ear. If a person has suffered a brain injury in a collision, this area might bruise a day or two after the accident.
Diagnosing a brain injury after a collision
If any new symptoms are not reported in the days following the accident, important signs of a brain injury might be missed. Bruising of the mastoid process is known as “Battle’s Sign,” named after an 1800s doctor who noticed that this symptom often developed in patients who had suffered head trauma. Since such symptoms are often delayed, it is imperative to closely monitor a recovering victim’s health and to seek medical attention if a bruise appears near the ear.
It is wise to learn more about symptoms that may occur after a Missouri motor vehicle collision, which merit medical testing to rule out or diagnose a brain injury. When brain trauma occurs in a car accident that was caused by another driver’s negligence, a personal injury claim may be filed in civil court. This legal process enables a recovering victim to seek compensation for damages.
