Concussion and Brain Injuries in Car Accidents in Arizona.
Concussion – From Latin word concutre – to shake violently.
Traumatic Brain Injury – Is defined as when an external force injures the brain. A concussion is a term used to describe a traumatic brain injury. Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury include loss of consciousness, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, memory loss, cognitive issues, speech issues, feeling foggy, depression, and many other neurological issues.
The following articles discuss symptoms of concussion and traumatic brain injury:
https://www.webmd.com/brain/concussion-traumatic-brain-injury-symptoms-causes-treatments#1
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/concussion/symptoms-causes/syc-20355594
Many people don’t even know that they have a concussion or traumatic brain injury. Many people feel some level of pain from sprains and strains or other injuries when they are in a car accident and sometimes do not even notice their brain injury symptoms. The brain injury can effect your thought process or judgment, and many people think some of their symptoms are coincidental or related to their whiplash or something else and don’t know that they have a brain injury. For example, someone may feel nauseous, have headaches, and be foggy and forgetful and not even know that they have a brain injury. It is not uncommon for people that have suffered some level of brain injury in a car collision to not even realize the injury even after they experience memory issues, trouble concentrating, emotional issues, problems at work or school, problems with friends or family relationships, or many other issues that you can have with a concussion or brain injury. If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident consult with a doctor and a lawyer and discuss your symptoms right away!
Care and Treatment
Many people think that there is no treatment for a traumatic brain injury. Not true! There is initial emergency care and then long term care. A doctor will need to diagnose the level of brain injury at an early stage and then there are many treatment options depending on the level of injury. Consult with a doctor right away if you were injured in a car collision and feel you may have a traumatic brain injury. Consult with an injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your injury claim. Your injury lawyer can also assist you with obtaining care for your injury with no out of pocket costs. If you were injured in a car accident, don’t wait, call now!
If you or a loved one have sustained a brain injury, reading up on the type of injury that you have can be helpful. One article that discusses treatment for brain injuries:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20378561
MRI
Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI is fantastic technology that allows a radiologist to see many injuries including brain injuries. If you have been injured in a car collision talk to your doctor and lawyer about a brain MRI. It may be helpful in getting you the best medical care and making the best recovery for your injury claim.
Long Term Effects and CTE
The long term effects of Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury have been more and more publicized in recent years. Many people are aware of the post concussion symptoms and difficulties that NFL players have experienced. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or CTE is a brain disease found in athletes, military persons, or others who have suffered repeated concussions. When you suffer any level of brain injury you should see a doctor. When you have continued effects of brain injury you should be under continued care. For further reading on long term effects of brain injury and CTE see:
https://concussionfoundation.org/CTE-resources/what-is-CTE
Injury Recovery for Your Claim and the Insurance Perspective
Getting the right care for a concussion and brain injury is important for getting better, minimalizing the associated problems, and making the best recovery in an injury claim – the insurance carrier will also evaluate your claim based on the treatment that you receive. An insurance carrier will evaluate a brain injury differently based on which type of medical professional diagnoses the injury, which imaging was used (if any), what the imaging shows, as well as other objective and subjective findings on the injury. In other words, the insurance company will evaluate and pay more or less for a brain injury based on the treatment. The difference can be substantial. And, the amount the injured person can recover in pocket can vary widely based on treatment, but also other factors such as the insurance policy limits, the person’s own health insurance and benefits, when the imaging was taken, the severity of the impact, when the treatment was received, etc. I also recommend that when you have sustained a brain injury, you keep a journal of your problems, pain, feelings, limitations, issues, etc. This can be helpful in making the best recovery for your claim, but (in addition to medical care and treatment) it may be helpful for the injured person to understand their injury, cope with their injury, appreciate and understand the healing process and progress. If you have been injured in a car accident; don’t try to settle your case without talking to an experienced injury lawyer! Concussion and traumatic brain injuries add additional complexities, and talking to an injury lawyer early can make the difference between recovering nothing and a substantial recovery for your pain and suffering.