You find yourself driving along your usual route to get home. Suddenly, someone comes out of nowhere and clips you on the passenger side of your car. You feel your vehicle traveling in a circle as your head hits the headrest violently.
You can’t help yelping in pain from the way your head hits the headrest. You don’t realize it yet but you have gotten a concussion from the blow to your head. You can feel a headache coming on from the violence of the injury but you don’t think anything of it.
You figure the headache must be a normal response to what has just happened. You don’t mention anything to the other driver until the police show up. The police call an ambulance when they realize you have a head injury.
The doctor on staff at the ER tells you that you had a concussion and they want to keep you overnight for observation. You have never dealt with this before so you don’t know how to react. Let’s take a closer look at concussions.
Definition
A concussion is described as a mild traumatic brain injury that changes the functioning of your brain. The effects of the concussion are typically temporary but can include headaches along with problems with your concentration, memory, balance, and your coordination.
A concussion is caused by a blow to a head that can come from an automobile accident or an assault. You could also shake a person’s head or upper body to cause a concussion. Some concussions may cause you to lose consciousness but most of them do not.
You could even have a concussion and not realize you had one. Concussions are incredibly common if you play sports, such as football. Most people recover fully from having a concussion.
Signs/Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of a concussions are sometimes really difficult to detect, which is why you may not realize you have one. These symptoms could last for days, weeks, or even months. The common symptoms are getting a headache, amnesia, and confusion.
The amnesia symptom usually involves forgetting the event that led to the concussion. The symptoms are harder to detect in children who aren’t able to speak because they cannot describe how they feel in a way you can understand.
Concussions are more common in younger children. You should see a doctor within 48 hours if you experience a head injury even if you don’t require emergency care in a hospital.
Causes
The brain has a consistency of gelatin and is cushioned by fluid inside your skull. A violent blow can cause the brain to move around in your skull forcefully. This can cause a brain injury, as can the sudden violent movement caused by a car wreck or being violently shaken.
This head injury can cause changes in brain injury for a period of time. It can cause side effects, such as drowsiness for a long period of time or confusion. These effects can happen immediately or soon after the injury.
Bleeding in the brain can turn fatal. This is why you should seek treatment if you receive a brain injury even if you don’t seek out emergency treatment.
Greenville and Washington, NC Personal Injury Attorneys
I’m Brian Ricci, a Concussion Injury Lawyer serving the Greenville and Washington areas. If you have suffered a personal injury, please call me anytime at (252) 777-2222 or 1-800-387-6406 for free, friendly advice. Let’s go over the details of your accident case over the phone and see how best to proceed. The call is free and there is no obligation to you.
I am a longtime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
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