Signs your child has a concussion after a car accident

As careful as you are with using car seats and driving defensively when your son or daughter is in the vehicle, there is still a chance your child can get caught in a car accident. Seeing your young child get hurt in a crash is every St. Louis parent’s nightmare.

The vast majority of collisions are minor, but your child can still end up with a potentially serious injury like a concussion. If that happens, they might be too young or unwell to tell you what they are feeling. After an accident, you will have to keep an eye out for concussion symptoms like these:

• Dazed or stunned expression
• Confused about what they are doing
• Trouble remembering recent events
• Irritability or personality changes
• Clumsiness
• Slow response to questions

If your kid shows some or all of these symptoms and complains of a headache, grogginess, vision problems and/or nausea after a car crash, you should take them to the doctor. Signs of a more serious head injury that could require a visit to the ER include:

• Worsening headache
• Trouble waking up
• Seizures
• Vomiting
• Confusion
• Slurred speech
• Lack of responsiveness
• Weakness or numbness in limbs
• Neck pain

Most of the time, concussion symptoms fade, and the child recovers. But a severe car accident can cause a permanent brain injury that will affect their ability to finish school, work and generally enjoy life as they age. As their parent, you could have to provide them extra medical care, therapy and assistance that would not have been necessary had the accident never happened.

These are the heartbreaking and expensive outcomes that a driver’s negligence can cause.