Skip to content
If you’ve been hurt in a Florida crash, your insurance may cover some costs. If your injuries are serious, you may also have a claim against the at-fault driver.
In Florida, personal injury protection (PIP) coverage may apply first, and additional compensation may depend on whether your injuries meet the state’s legal threshold for serious injury. A West Palm Beach car accident lawyer from Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath can help you understand your options after a car accident resulting in a stroke.
How can a car accident lead to a stroke?
If you already have a blood clot or a similar condition, injuries from a car accident can raise your risk of stroke. Head trauma, a traumatic brain injury, or damage to a blood vessel can interfere with normal blood flow or cause bleeding in or around the brain.
In some cases, the body’s response to the injury can also increase clotting, which can affect how blood reaches the brain. You may not notice anything right away. Symptoms can develop later, depending on how the injury evolves over time.
What matters is whether the crash set off a chain of events that affected your brain. That connection is what doctors look at for treatment, and what matters when evaluating a potential injury claim.
What types of strokes can occur after a car accident?
After a car accident, strokes usually fall into two categories. A hemorrhagic stroke involves bleeding in or around the brain, which can happen if the crash caused head trauma or damage to a blood vessel. An ischemic stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is blocked, sometimes due to clotting or changes in circulation after the injury.
What matters most is how the injury affected your brain function. If a stroke is tied to the crash, that connection becomes central to both your medical care and any injury claim.
What are the warning signs of a stroke after a car accident?
The American Stroke Association uses the acronym BE FAST to identify stroke symptoms:
- B = Balance Loss: Does the person have trouble walking, or are they dizzy?
- E = Eye (Vision) Changes: Are they having blurred vision or loss of sight?
- F = Face Drooping: Is one side of their face drooping, or is their smile uneven?
- A = Arm Weakness: Do they have weakness in one arm when they raise their arms?
- S = Speech Difficulty: Are they having trouble speaking clearly?
- T = Time to Call 911: If the person exhibits any of these signs of a stroke, call 911 for medical assistance.
Even if symptoms pass, you still need emergency care. Medical professionals can determine if a stroke occurred and begin life-saving treatment.
Can stroke symptoms appear days or weeks after a car accident?
Because injuries from a crash can affect the brain over time, it’s possible for stroke symptoms to appear days and even weeks after your accident. If blood flow to the brain becomes blocked, you may feel fine until you suddenly have coordination, speech, and vision difficulties associated with a stroke.
How do you prove a stroke was caused by a car accident?
Your car accident attorneys will request your medical records for injuries associated with your crash, but they can also introduce evidence from before the collision. This can show your health before the crash and use scans and doctors’ notes to connect the stroke to the accident.
The defense attorney may argue that a pre-existing condition, such as high blood pressure, made you more vulnerable to strokes, and that your stroke wasn’t their client’s fault. However, with a skilled car accident lawyer on your side, you can push back when you have strong documentation to support your claim.
Talk to a car accident lawyer about stroke-related injuries
A stroke can change your health and your future in ways that are difficult to predict. If your condition may be connected to a car accident, then our team can explain the signs that you have a strong personal injury claim. The West Palm Beach car accident lawyers at Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath can review your situation, explain how Florida law applies, and help you determine your next steps.
To learn more, contact us online or call (561) 655-1990 today to arrange a free consultation.