We can’t wear helmets and neck braces all the time. But based on the number of head, brain, and neck injuries we see, it might be a good idea.
Any accident can result in injuries to the head, neck, or brain. A minor slip, trip, and fall accident can result in a concussion. An airbag might deploy in a car accident and save your life, but cause whiplash symptoms.
We can help you and your family if you have been injured in any type of accident that caused an injury to your head, brain, or neck. Our injury lawyers are intimately familiar with the unique laws of Pennsylvania. We will fight on your behalf to make sure the insurance companies do not take advantage of you and leave you and your family with a lifetime of pain and suffering.
Injuries to the head, brain, and neck always run a high risk of causing permanent damage. It is not uncommon for injuries to take years to heal, and often, symptoms may not show for weeks or even months after an accident. Our lawyers have seen many cases over the decades we have helped Philadelphia victims who have settled cases quickly only to have symptoms of injury come up later. Unfortunately, for most of these victims, there is little the law can do to help them. That is why it is so important to contact Philly Injury Lawyer if you have been in an accident that was not your fault, even if you are not sure if you have a case.
Head Injuries
Concussions have made big news headlines in recent years after scientists have revealed a link to certain brain disorders and concussions in professional sports. Concussions are one of the most common injuries that send people in the United States to emergency rooms each year. As many as 1.5 million patients are treated for concussions each year in the U.S.
A concussion -called a mild traumatic brain injury or MTBI by medical professionals- is the result of a blow, jolt, or strike to the head. A concussion affects the way your brain functions. A person with a concussion may have trouble remembering basic facts like where they are or what happened, may be disoriented, may vomit, or lose consciousness.
Concussion symptoms may be present immediately after the injury, but may also be delayed for hours. Anyone who is suspected of having a concussion should be treated immediately by a qualified medical professional. If you or a family member have been in an accident in which your head was struck, and you are having persistent headaches, sensitivity to light and noise, trouble concentrating, or are unusually irritable, you may have suffered a concussion.
The symptoms of a concussion typically pass after a few days, but post-concussion syndrome symptoms may persist for months. Post-concussion syndrome symptoms are similar to those of a concussion including mood swings, difficulty with memory or concentration, sluggishness, dizziness, and insomnia. Sufferers of post-concussion syndrome should be careful to avoid situations that may result in another concussion. Anyone who has had a concussion at any point is more likely to suffer another concussion.
Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury is caused by hard blows to the head. A mild injury like a concussion, damages brain cells temporarily. A traumatic injury causes permanent damage. Forceful impacts like those experienced in car accidents and falls from more than one floor can cause bruising, bleeding, and swelling in the brain. This can affect brain function in a variety of ways, often unexpectedly. Fractures of the skull, bullets and other objects, and anything else that penetrates brain tissue will cause a traumatic brain injury.
Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury can include all of the symptoms of a concussion, and may not show more significant symptoms for hours or days. Traumatic brain injury sufferers may exhibit profound confusion, changes to sensory perception like tastes, smells, and sounds that don’t exist, dilation of one or both pupils, and loss of consciousness.
Traumatic brain injuries are often unpredictable. Depending on where and how the brain was injured, long term effects can range from speech and cognitive problems, difficulty with balance and grasping, social and personal relationship problems, and may leave a victim in a vegatative state, coma, or even cause death.
Signs of a Head or Brain Injury
Minor accidents can cause a lethal brain injury. Even something as simple as standing up under an open cabinet door can cause bruising and swelling on the brain that can cause an aneurysm and death.
If you or a loved one has suffered a blow to the head and are experiencing dizziness, nausea, cognitive problems, or persistent headaches, you should be examined by a doctor. Changes in mood or personality, a sudden dislike for foods or drinks that were previously favorites, listlessness or lethargy, and difficulty remembering words are indicators that a traumatic brain injury has happened. Head injuries are highly unpredictable and can quickly become permanent when left untreated.
Neck Injuries
Neck injuries frequently happen in accidents when the head is forcefully thrown forward and back. You may be familiar with the term whiplash, also called a neck sprain or strain. Whiplash is an injury to the soft tissue of the neck. Minor cases of whiplash might involve strains to the muscles and tendons in the neck, shoulders, and back. More serious cases can involve ruptured discs in the spine, damage to the spinal cord resulting in paralysis, and can cause long term changes to mood, memory, and concentration.
Symptoms of whiplash include soreness and tenderness of the neck, particularly when turning or lifting the head, persistent headaches and pain in the neck and shoulders, and burning or prickling sensations. Whiplash may show no symptoms at all for hours or even days after an accident. Frequently, victims of car accidents who suffer severe neck injuries are not aware of the injury immediately. Adrenaline can mask immediate symptoms, while many of the most common ailments of a neck injury may not be noticeable for more than 24 hours. Symptoms that worsen in the days after an accident should be treated by a qualified medical professional.
Treatment and Recovery from Head, Brain, and Neck Injuries
If a person has suffered a head injury and lost consciousness, they should be evaluated by emergency medical personnel. Any time a person has taken a blow to the head, it is essential to make sure there are no injuries to the neck. Victims with neck injuries should be immobilized to prevent further damage.
Following a head injury, you or your injured loved one should avoid activities that may result in another concussion, such as climbing on ladders, playing contact sports, and other activities. Getting plenty of rest will help to reduce the recovery time. Injuries to the neck and head will generally require x-ray imaging and other tests to determine the amount of injury. Severe injuries can result in months or years of recovery, including physical therapy. Quite often, sufferers of severe head trauma are not able to return to the life they had.
How We Can Help
The accident attorneys at Philly Injury Lawyer are uniquely equipped to win your not-at-fault head or neck injury case in Philadelphia. Our lawyers and staff have decades of experience winning cases. Our office specializes in protecting the rights of victims of accidental injuries. It is our mission to make sure that you or your injured family member get the medical, financial, and long term care that you need after an accident that was not your fault.
It is best to contact our lawyers as soon as possible after any head or neck injury. Our risk-free consultation is intended to show you how we can win your case. We will work with the insurance companies to get the best settlement for you and your family. You should not have to live a life of pain and suffering because of an accident that was not your fault.