Cross-border personal injury to the head and face can be costly

For British Columbia residents who become auto accident victims while on a trip south of the border, recovering damages could be a daunting prospect. If the cross-border personal injury includes head, face or brain trauma, the consequences could be life-altering. Such injuries are particularly prevalent in high-speed crashes, but even crashes at slower speeds could cause serious injuries.

Striking the head against the dashboard, steering wheel or windshield could cause penetration injuries or fractures to the skull. Still, even just the violent whiplash movement of the head and neck can cause traumatic brain injuries. Brain trauma can leave a victim in a coma, followed by long-term cognitive problems. Whiplash can cause bruising, swelling and even bleeding of the brain from smashing into the inner walls of the skull, without any external damage to the head.

Facial injuries that can occur include lacerations, contusions, fractured or dislocated jaws, a broken nose and fractured eye socket. Also, broken teeth and punctured eardrums could form part of the injuries. Some of these injuries could require long-term treatment and might even require surgery and extended periods of workplace absence and lost wages.

The financial consequences of a cross-order personal injury could mean the ruin of the victim’s financial stability. Although crash victims might seek damage recovery through the insurance providers and the civil justice system, dealing with the laws of the two countries is never easy. For this reason, most victims of such accidents secure the support and guidance of a lawyer who is registered in British Columbia and Washington State to navigate damage claims on their behalf.