Concussion Injury
A concussion can take a serious toll on your finances and your quality of life. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize the ramifications until they experience this type of injury for themselves. If you were involved in an accident that resulted in a concussion, it’s worth understanding the sort of impact this type of injury can have on your future.
It’s also a good idea to explore your options for recovering personal injury compensation. With a lawyer’s help, you may be eligible to recover money for your medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses.
What Is a Concussion?
Most people have heard of concussion injuries. When you hit your head in a car accident or a sports accident, you know to watch for signs of a concussion, like confusion or disorientation. What many people don’t realize is that a concussion is actually a type of traumatic brain injury.
Traumatic brain injuries can be categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. “Concussion” is simply the more casual term used to describe a mild traumatic brain injury. Often, people regard concussions as relatively minor injuries. Part of this misconception is due to the fact that, in most cases, an individual who suffers a concussion can expect to make a full recovery.
However, a full recovery is never guaranteed after a concussion. Furthermore, any type of brain injury, even a mild one, is a serious medical event that requires immediate medical attention.
A Closer Look At Traumatic Brain Injuries
If you weren’t aware that a concussion is a traumatic brain injury, this news may come as a surprise. A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is any injury that involves some type of trauma to the head and leads to an interruption in normal brain functioning.
Traumatic brain injuries can be classified in a few different ways. Most of the time, if the injured individual didn’t lose consciousness or lost consciousness for less than 30 minutes, the TBI is identified as mild, which means it is also considered a concussion.
Moderate and severe brain injuries typically involve loss of consciousness for longer periods and are more likely to result in lingering or permanent symptoms. While the expected outcome for a mild TBI is full recovery, the brain is a highly complex organ, and it’s difficult to predict how it will recover from an injury.
How Do Concussions Happen?
Concussions occur as a result of head trauma. Most of the time, this happens when the head makes contact with some external object, which can occur in nearly any type of accident.
Some of the most common accident types that frequently lead to concussion injuries include:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Workplace accidents
- Construction site accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Defective or dangerous products
- Nursing home neglect or abuse
- Sports accidents
While concussions typically involve the head coming into contact with some external item, it’s important to be aware that this is not the only way to suffer a concussion. In some accidents, the head is suddenly jerked or yanked. This quick movement can cause the brain to slam into the inside of the skull, resulting in a concussion even though there was no contact with an external object.
How a concussion happens has a direct impact on whether you’re eligible to recover personal injury compensation. If you slip and fall in your own home, receiving compensation will be difficult. However, if you slip and fall on uneven flooring in a hotel lobby, there’s a good chance that you are eligible for concussion injury compensation.
Ultimately, if you don’t have a legal background, it can be very difficult to conclusively identify when you have grounds for recovering compensation. Therefore, it’s important to speak with a personal injury attorney soon after experiencing a concussion.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion?
Since a concussion is a brain injury, it can have various signs and symptoms in different individuals. It can be difficult to predict how the brain will respond to trauma. An individual may experience all or only some of the most common concussion signs and symptoms after an injury.
Signs of a concussion to watch for after someone is involved in an accident include:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Disorientation
- Confusion
- Forgetfulness
- Difficulty with logical thinking
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Neck pain
It’s also important to be aware that these signs and symptoms may not appear in the immediate aftermath of an accident. Many common types of accidents that can result in concussions, such as car accidents, can be frightening and cause an adrenaline spike in the body. As a result, concussion symptoms may be delayed. The excitement of an accident can also make it difficult to immediately recognize altered brain functioning.
The best way to ensure that a concussion is promptly diagnosed and treated is to proactively seek medical care anytime you have experienced an injury involving trauma to the head. Even if a medical professional has cleared you, concussion symptoms can be delayed. If you begin to notice signs of a concussion at a later point, you should take the time to seek medical attention.
Concussion Treatment and Recovery
Rest is the primary treatment instruction for a concussion injury. If you have sustained a brain injury in an accident, the most important thing you can do to ensure a full recovery is to put minimal strain on brain functioning.
It is wise to stay home from work or school, refrain from physical activity, and avoid screen use and other activities that can further fatigue the brain. When a concussion leads to light or noise sensitivity, it’s best to rest in a quiet and dimly lit environment.
Concussion symptoms usually alleviate within a week or two after the accident. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, concussion symptoms can worsen over time or can linger, making it difficult or impossible to return to work or fulfill household responsibilities. In cases like this, a concussion can have a serious long-term impact on your finances and quality of life.
Call Our Denver Concussion Injury Lawyers For a Free Initial Consultation
Zaner Harden Law is a Denver personal injury law firm that has achieved unparalleled results. Our skilled personal injury lawyers have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our injured clients. We are ready to review your case and help you understand your options.
If you or a loved one have suffered a concussion and are struggling financially because of it, we may be able to help you recover the compensation you need. Contact our office today to schedule your free consultation with one of our experienced Denver concussion injury attorneys.
