Massachusetts Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation Law Blog
Attorney Richard Console of the New Jersey based personal injury firm Console Hollawell, PC was kind enough to provide the following guest post regarding concussions and their impact on the brain. If you have not done so already, please check out their site. Here is the guest post from Attorney Console:
Concussions are the most common type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that people sustain. No big deal right? Wrong. In recent years the seriousness of concussions has been emphasized more as the medical community has uncovered more information. The long-term effects of concussions as well as the effects of sustaining multiple concussions have been seen much more in recent years especially with professional athletes.
Accident victims often times are willing to write off injuries as being minor without knowing the full extent of the impact on their life. An injury like those suffered in an accident can dramatically affect the way in which you live your life. Also, if that accident was caused by someone else’s carelessness, you may be entitled to compensation. Speak with skilled personal injury attorneys in Trenton to find out your legal rights and options with regards to the specifics surrounding your accident.
What constitutes a concussion? A concussion is caused by blunt force trauma to the head. This could be anything from falling and hitting your head on the ground to hitting a steering wheel in a car accident. One of the reasons people are so quick to write of concussions as no big deal is because of how they are classified. Most often a doctor will tell you that you have sustained a minor concussion. While that may not sound scary it is important to realize that any brain injury will damage brain cells.
It is also hard to take it seriously if you feel your injury is minor. Having a concussion does not mean you will necessarily black out; even a minor bump on the head could be much more serious. Commonly when you suffer a concussion you will lose awareness or consciousness for a short period.
How Do I Know If I Have a Concussion?
It is recommended that for five to seven days following your accident you track any symptoms of a TBI. Symptoms of a concussion may not present immediately so it is important to know what to look for. The symptoms of a concussion include:
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Problems with sleeping
- Irritability
- Depression
- Nausea or vomiting
- Headache
- Amnesia
- Slurred speech
- Fatigue
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Trouble concentrating
- Memory problems
- Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears
It is important to report any and all of these symptoms to your physician. Failure to do so could result in further injury. Once you report the symptoms to your doctor, they will likely have you undergo testing such as an MRI, CT scan, or an EEG.
Following any accident it is important to first seek medical treatment, no matter how serious you believe your injuries to be. Following the initial treatment you should keep documentation of any pain or symptoms you may have. Injuries, like those sustained in car accidents, may not present themselves when you first seek treatment. By keeping documentation you will be able to give your doctor’s the best idea of what your body is experiencing, also should you choose to seek compensation your New Jersey injury lawyers will need this information for your case. No matter what you choose to do legally, your most important job is focusing on getting treated and getting better.