One moment you’re driving down Southern Boulevard, and the next you’re sitting in a damaged car, shaken and confused. Maybe your head struck the steering wheel or side window. Maybe nothing touched your head at all, and you told the officer you felt fine. Then, a day or two later, the headaches start. Words slip away mid-sentence. You feel foggy, irritable, and exhausted, and you can’t explain why.
You’re right to take those changes seriously. Head injuries from car accidents don’t always show themselves at the scene, and some can affect how you think, feel, sleep, and work for months. Knowing the types of head injuries, the warning signs to watch for, and how Florida law treats these claims puts you in a stronger position to protect both your health and your right to compensation.
At a Glance
- Common types: Concussions, brain contusions, coup-contrecoup injuries, diffuse axonal injury, intracranial hematomas, skull fractures, and penetrating injuries.
- Delayed symptoms: Adrenaline can mask pain, and concussion symptoms may not appear for hours or days.
- Red flags: Loss of consciousness, unequal pupils, repeated vomiting, seizures, or a worsening headache call for immediate medical attention.
- PIP deadline: Florida PIP benefits cover medical expenses only if you receive initial care within 14 days after the crash.
- Lawsuit deadline: Florida gives you two years to file a lawsuit founded on negligence.
Common Types of Head Injuries from Car Accidents
Head injuries range from mild to life threatening, and injury severity depends on the force involved, the angle of impact, and whether your head struck something inside the vehicle. Here are the most common brain injuries and other head injuries doctors diagnose after a car crash.
Concussion (Mild Traumatic Brain Injury)
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury and one of the most frequent head injuries from car accidents. It happens when your brain moves rapidly inside the skull, disrupting normal brain function. You don’t have to hit your head to suffer a concussion. The violent jolt of a collision alone can cause one. Common symptoms include headaches, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, and trouble with memory.
Doctors diagnose a concussion after car accident injuries based on your symptoms and a neurological exam, since a standard CT scan can look normal. “Mild” describes the initial diagnosis, not how the injury feels. A concussion left untreated can cause lingering symptoms that interfere with daily life for weeks or longer.
Brain Contusions
A contusion is a bruise on the brain tissue, usually caused by direct impact with the steering wheel, dashboard, window, or headrest. Small contusions may heal with rest. Larger ones can swell and bleed, sometimes requiring surgical intervention to relieve pressure.
Coup-Contrecoup Injuries
In a coup-contrecoup injury, your brain strikes the skull at the point of impact and then rebounds to hit the opposite side. The result is damage in two separate areas. These injuries are common in rear end collisions and head-on crashes where your head snaps forward and back.
Diffuse Axonal Injury
Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) occurs when the rapid rotation or sudden acceleration of a crash stretches and tears the nerve fibers that connect different areas of the brain. Because axonal injury happens at a microscopic level, it may not appear on a standard CT scan. A severe TBI involving DAI can cause coma, permanent brain damage, or even death.
Intracranial Hematomas and Internal Bleeding
An intracranial hematoma is blood pooling inside the skull, creating pressure on the brain. An epidural hematoma forms between the skull and the brain’s outer covering, while a subdural hematoma forms beneath it. Internal bleeding can remain undetected for several days, which is one reason to get a medical evaluation even when you feel fine.
Skull Fractures
Skull fractures range from hairline cracks to compound fractures where broken bone pierces the skin. A fracture can damage the brain beneath it and increases the risk of infection and other injuries to surrounding tissue.
Penetrating Injuries
Penetrating injuries occur when glass, metal, or another object pierces the skull and enters the brain. These are medical emergencies with a high risk of permanent damage.
How a Car Crash Causes a Brain Injury
Your brain sits inside your skull, cushioned by fluid. In a car crash, your vehicle stops suddenly, but your body and the brain inside your skull keep moving. That collision between brain and bone causes bruising, bleeding, and torn tissue even when nothing strikes your head directly.
Head injuries in motor vehicle crashes usually come from one of three forces:
- Direct impact with the steering wheel, window, door frame, or another occupant
- Sudden acceleration and deceleration, common in rear end collisions
- Rotational force from side-impact crashes or rollovers
These same forces frequently cause neck injuries and spinal injuries. Whiplash, neck pain, and a pinched nerve can accompany a brain injury, and their symptoms sometimes overlap. Headaches from a neck injury can mask a concussion, so tell your doctor about each symptom you notice.
Delayed Symptoms After a Car Accident
Right after an auto accident, your body floods with adrenaline. That surge can mask pain and other symptoms for hours. Delayed symptoms after car accident trauma are easy to dismiss as stress or poor sleep, but they can appear days or weeks after an accident, and concussion symptoms can worsen over time if you don’t seek treatment.
Watch for these signs in yourself or anyone who was in the car with you.
Physical symptoms:
- Headaches that persist or get worse
- Dizziness or balance problems
- Nausea, or you feel nauseous after reading or screen time
- Vision problems, including blurred or double vision
- Fatigue and sleep changes
Cognitive symptoms:
- Confusion or mental fog
- Memory loss or memory problems
- Difficulty concentrating
Emotional symptoms:
- Mood changes, irritability, or anxiety
- Personality changes that family members notice
- Signs of post traumatic stress disorder, such as flashbacks or fear of driving
Emergency Red Flags
Get immediate medical attention or call 911 if you notice any of these symptoms:
- Loss of consciousness, even briefly
- Pupils of unequal size
- Repeated vomiting
- Seizures
- Slurred speech, weakness, or numbness
- A headache that keeps getting worse
- Unusual drowsiness or trouble waking
Severe cases can progress quickly. A growing hematoma can lead to brain herniation, respiratory failure, or cardiac arrest, so don’t wait to see whether other symptoms develop.
Why You Should Seek Medical Attention Right Away
A prompt medical evaluation gives doctors the chance to catch bleeding, swelling, or other problems that need urgent care, and it gives you a clear plan for managing your symptoms. Most concussions improve with rest and care, but some people experience symptoms that last for weeks or months, and waiting to get checked can make it harder to spot an injury that’s getting worse.
Head injury treatment depends on the diagnosis and severity, ranging from rest and symptom management to medication, rehabilitation, and surgical intervention. Recovery varies from person to person.
Prompt medical treatment also creates a record linking your injuries to the car accident. When a medical professional documents your symptoms, imaging, and diagnosis soon after the crash, the insurance company has a harder time arguing that something else caused your brain injury. Gaps in treatment give insurers room to question your claim, and insurance companies frequently undervalue brain injuries because the damage doesn’t always show up on a scan.
How Florida PIP Benefits Apply to a Head Injury
Florida is a no-fault state, so your own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage pays first after an auto accident, regardless of who caused it. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.736, PIP pays 80 percent of reasonable, medically necessary medical expenses, but only if you receive initial services and care within 14 days after the crash.
Florida’s required PIP coverage carries a single $10,000 limit for medical and disability benefits combined, not $10,000 for each. How much of that limit is available for your medical care depends on a medical determination:
- Medical benefits up to the full $10,000 limit if a physician, osteopathic physician, dentist, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse determines you had an emergency medical condition
- Medical benefits capped at $2,500 if a provider determines you did not have an emergency medical condition
PIP also pays 60 percent of lost gross income and lost earning capacity when your injury keeps you from working, and those payments come out of the same $10,000 limit. For a moderate or severe TBI, that limit can run out quickly, which is why the rules for stepping outside no-fault are so important.
When You Can Pursue the At-Fault Driver
Florida’s no-fault system limits your ability to recover for pain, suffering, mental anguish, and inconvenience. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.737(2), you can pursue those damages from the at-fault driver only if your injury includes at least one of the following:
- A significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function
- A permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, other than scarring or disfigurement
- Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Death
Traumatic brain injury cases frequently turn on the permanency question. Lasting memory problems, cognitive deficits, or personality changes can support a claim, but you’ll need medical evidence to prove them.
Comparative fault also applies
Under Fla. Stat. § 768.81, your damages drop in proportion to your share of fault, and you can’t recover anything if you’re found more than 50 percent at fault for your own harm. Not wearing a seat belt doesn’t count as negligence on its own under Fla. Stat. § 316.614(10), but a jury may consider it as evidence of comparative negligence.
Watch the deadline
Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) gives you two years to file a lawsuit founded on negligence. Missing it can end your claim, so don’t let delayed symptoms delay your legal steps too.
Protecting Yourself on West Palm Beach Roads
Proper restraints and safe driving habits remain the strongest defenses against head injuries in motor vehicle crashes. Florida law requires drivers, front-seat passengers 18 and older, and each passenger under 18 to wear a seat belt. Adults in the back seat aren’t required to buckle up under state law, but doing so keeps your body from striking the seat, window, or other passengers.
For children 5 and younger, Fla. Stat. § 316.613 requires a crash-tested, federally approved child restraint. Children through age 3 must ride in a separate carrier or integrated child seat, while children ages 4 and 5 can use a carrier, integrated seat, or booster seat. The statute allows a seat belt instead for 4- and 5-year-olds in a few limited situations, such as a medical emergency or a documented medical condition. Florida also bans texting while driving under Fla. Stat. § 316.305.
A few more habits reduce the force your head absorbs in a crash:
- Adjust your headrest so its center sits level with the back of your head
- Keep about 10 inches between your chest and the steering wheel airbag
- Leave extra following distance in heavy I-95 traffic and during summer downpours
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a minor car accident cause a brain injury?
Yes. A low-speed crash can still whip your head forward and back hard enough to cause a concussion. The absence of vehicle damage isn’t proof that you weren’t hurt, and a medical evaluation is the only way to know.
Is a concussion a traumatic brain injury?
Yes. Doctors classify a concussion as a mild traumatic brain injury. Most people improve with rest and care, but some experience symptoms that last for months.
How long can head injury symptoms take to appear?
Symptoms may appear within hours, days, or even weeks after a car crash. Adrenaline can hide pain at first, and internal bleeding can go unnoticed for several days.
Does Florida PIP cover a concussion?
PIP can cover concussion treatment if you receive initial care within 14 days after the crash. Your medical benefits can reach the full $10,000 limit, which is shared with any lost-wage benefits, only if a qualified provider determines you had an emergency medical condition; otherwise, medical benefits are capped at $2,500.
Can I sue the other driver for a concussion in Florida?
You can sue for medical bills and lost wages that exceed your PIP benefits. To recover pain and suffering, your injury must meet Florida’s permanent injury threshold, which typically requires medical documentation of lasting effects.
Don’t Let a Hidden Head Injury Go Unanswered
A head injury can take away your focus, your memory, your patience, and your ability to work, all while the insurance company questions whether you’re really hurt. You know something changed after the crash, and you need answers about what happened to you and what comes next.
For more than 30 years, West Palm Beach car accident lawyer Deirdre DiBiaggio has represented injured people throughout Palm Beach County. As a solo practitioner, Ms. DiBiaggio takes a personal interest in each client. She can review your medical records, address PIP and insurance issues, evaluate whether your injury meets Florida’s permanency threshold, and explain your options under Florida law.
Contact DiBiaggio Law today by calling (561) 473-9800 or completing the confidential online form to schedule your free consultation. There are no upfront attorney’s fees, and the firm only collects fees if compensation is recovered.
Before your free consultation, we invite you to read testimonials from clients Ms. DiBiaggio has represented.
Copyright © 2026. DiBiaggio Law. All rights reserved.
The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.
DiBiaggio Law
605 Belvedere Road, Suite 17
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
(561) 473-9800
https://www.dibiaggiolaw.com
