At Saffren and Weinberg, Marc Alan Weinberg, Attorney and Kenneth Scott Saffren, Attorney are partners. The firm’s tagline is “The People’s Voice In Court.” They make themselves available via phone at (215) 309-9577 or by email on the Saffren and Weinberg website. Saffren and Weinberg provides a no-charge, complimentary case review and answers questions for prospective clients.
A car accident will often leave you with injuries and trauma that last a lifetime. Most injuries heal with time but the pain and shock stay with you.
Visible and painful injuries are treated, but subtle or internal symptoms are often neglected. A concussion is one such example.
Most tend to ignore it because they feel alright after some time, yet you shouldn’t ignore them. If you suffer from a concussion or if you happen to notice it in those involved in an accident, then it could be a sign of a catastrophic injury related to the brain. Hence it is important to get your facts straight about concussions especially one that follows an auto accident.
Know what a concussion is
Most of you might relate concussion to a short period of dizziness. It is that and much more. Your brain is tough enough and largely well protected, but a traumatic accident or fall can shake it up and cause internal injuries.
This too could be a reason for a concussion. Depending on the extent of the brain injuries, there can be different types of concussions.
It could be a brief period of unconsciousness or a short period of memory loss. You may not remember anything about yourself or what happened to you for a few minutes.
In other forms of concussion, the loss of memory and the state of unconsciousness may last for a whole day or even more. Most victims may regain their normal senses in a week or two. Yet, there are cases in which there could be far more serious consequences.
In fact, medically, a concussion is referred to as TBI or traumatic brain injury. There may not be visible signs but if ignored, it could pose challenges later on. That is why a detailed medical examination is necessary if you have suffered an injury to your head in a road accident.
Medical evaluation of concussion is important
The brain is made of nerve cells and any mild injury to any of these cells may mean damage to the brain, in spite of being situated inside a skull. Since a concussion is the result of the brain being shaken up in an accident or a major fall, it is important to find the cause of the dizziness or loss of consciousness, if they occur post an accident.
Sometimes accident-related concussions can lead to major issues such as loss of motor skills, cognitive impairment, loss of speech and so on. It could also result in permanent disability.
Dizziness, unconsciousness, and amnesia are the common concussion symptoms. There are also other symptoms that people do not normally associate with concussion such as a ringing voice in the ears, insomnia, inability to concentrate, nausea and even fatigue. Also, there are those who may suffer from a post-concussion syndrome that could last for few months or even a year.
Let your doctor run a thorough examination of your brain to rule out any eventualities. Also, if there are any problems, and they are detected early, your doctor could treat it soon enough to avoid any devastating effects in future.
Post-concussion steps you should take
When you are involved in a car accident, you should file a claim against the errant driver or any other party who caused the accident. Under personal injury law, you are eligible for compensation if your accusation is proved.
An important step you should take following an accident is to consult an auto accident lawyer. Your accident claim will cover your medical bills and also compensate for your mental agony and future loss of wages.
In the case of concussions, your personal injury lawyer will know what steps to take and how to file a claim so that you get the most benefit. A car accident lawyer is experienced in dealing with all types of injury-related cases and they will be aware of the fact that incidents such as concussions cannot be neglected, for they are surely aware of how even mild concussions can lead to severe consequences in future.
Even if your reports are normal, your doctor may feel that you will need to be careful in future and may suggest that you undergo tests for a year or two just to ascertain that there is no dormant injury. Your lawyer can include these in your claim so that you are also covered for any medical cost that you may have to incur in future for the concussion.
Talk to one of our car accident attorneys at Saffren & Weinberg by calling 215-576-0100 to find out more about claims that you could file, if you or your loved one have been in an accident.
