Head and brain injuries are among the most serious types of trauma the body can sustain. They must be handled with care. Some head injuries, including lacerations and scrapes, may be obvious to the casual onlooker. However, internal injuries involving swelling or bleeding inside the skull may not produce symptoms right away, making them hard to detect. Accident victims may not even realize they have hit their head. The violence of an impact can leave individuals dazed, especially if air bags deploy in a car accident, multiple objects were hit or they suffer a concussion. A safe rule of thumb is that, if anyone in the car accident or other severe accident is seriously injured, you should assume the potential for a head or brain injury exists for everyone else involved in the incident. A head injury lawyer can help you understand your legal rights after an accident.