How Can I Tell Whether a Head Injury After an Accident is Mild or Severe?

How can I tell whether a head injury after an accident is mild or severe? That’s a question that can only truly be answered by a doctor. There are some common symptoms, though, that may indicate the degree of your head injury. But it’s most important to get medical help right away when you’ve been in an accident and hurt your head. Only a healthcare professional can tell you just how severe your head injury is and initiate the proper treatment. Don’t wait to get medical help. The longer you wait, the worse your condition can become. If your head injury is severe, coma and even death can occur.

When a person’s head undergoes trauma, whether through an impact in a crash, hitting it in a fall, or in another accident, the brain injuries that result can last forever. Traumatic brain injuries (often referred to as “TBIs”) affect both physical and emotional health. They can be very costly, especially when people need ongoing treatment and care. Some people who never recover need nursing or other care for the rest of their lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traumatic brain injuries cost the nation tens of billions of dollars annually. For a single individual, the lifetime cost for care can run into millions of dollars.

In addition to seeking medical help, if your accident was caused by another person, you may wish to speak with an attorney as soon as your health allows it. If someone’s negligence caused the brain injury, an experienced attorney will work toward getting you fair compensation for your serious injuries.

How Do You Know Whether You Have a Mild or Severe Head Injury? Understand the Signs and Symptoms of Each

Following are some general symptoms of severe and mild head injuries. These are just some of the signs of head injuries. There are others. If you’ve been in an accident and believe you hurt your head, always get checked out by a doctor. If you have symptoms of serious head or brain injury, you should seek emergency treatment. If a loved one was in an accident and is showing symptoms, they should get medical care right away.

Symptoms of Severe Head Injury in an Accident

Signs of severe head injury in an accident can include:

• Convulsions or seizures
• Dilation of one or both pupils
• Clear fluid coming from ears or nose
• Slurred speech.
• Coma
• Symptoms of Mild Head Injury in an Accident

Symptoms of mild head injury in an accident can include:

• Disorientation
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Light and sound sensitivity.

Additional Symptoms of Mild and Severe Head Injuries

There are many other symptoms of head injuries that are found in both mild and severe cases. With severe brain injuries, the symptoms are worse. For example, a mild head injury, which is also known as a concussion, can cause a brief loss of consciousness. A person might lose consciousness for just seconds or maybe for a few minutes. In the case of a severe head injury, loss of consciousness could go on for hours. Nausea, vomiting, headache, and confusion are other signs of both mild and severe head injuries. The degree to which they are experienced depends on the severity of the brain injury.

What Kind of Accidents Cause Head Injuries?

Traumatic brain injuries usually happen through strong blows or jolts to the head in accidents. They can also happen when an object pierces the skull in an accident. Here are some common accidental causes of head injuries that result in TBIs:

• Falls are the most common cause of head and brain injuries. Falls from heights, such as when someone is working on a ladder, and falls caused by slipping and falling or tripping and falling can cause people to violently hit their head.
• Motor vehicle accidents also commonly result in brain injuries, requiring specialized expertise from a motorcycle accident lawyer. These crashes could be between two cars or other vehicles; motorcycles and cars; bicycles and motor vehicles; or pedestrians and vehicles. In crashes, people may hit their head on the steering wheel, or on the ground in the case of people on foot, bikes, or motorcycles. Or the brain can be shaken quickly back and forth through the violent impact of the crash.
• Sports accidents also can cause mild and severe head injuries. They are especially common in fast, high-impact sports such as football, rugby, mixed martial arts, boxing, and hockey.

Considering the high cost of traumatic brain injuries, it can be a smart decision to speak with a personal injury attorney if your accident was caused by negligence. An attorney will work toward getting you compensation to pay for your medical care and other bills.

How Much Compensation Can I Get for My Head Injury?

The circumstances and severity of your accident and head injury will determine how much money you may be able to get. Typical damages that may be asked for in accident claims include:

• Medical expenses — This includes doctor, hospital, physical therapy, and other expenses for current treatment and possible future care and treatment.
• Lost income – If you can’t go to work while you recuperate from your head injury, you can ask for lost income damages.
• Lost earning capacity – Sometimes people with brain injuries can no longer work at all, or they may only be able to work limited hours or in lower-paying jobs.
• Pain and suffering – Pain and suffering includes both the physical and mental effects you’ve experienced from the accident. It can include chronic pain, depression, disfigurement, emotional trauma, and other things.
• Punitive damages are sometimes awarded to punish the negligent person, when their actions were extremely egregious. These damages are also called exemplary damages in Texas.

The worse your injuries, the more money you could possibly get. No two cases are the same. Some cases settle in the thousands of dollars, while others have settled in the millions.

Contact Our Houston Attorneys for Help

The experienced attorneys at the accident and injury law office of Terry Bryant have handled thousands of serious injury cases, many of which involved head injuries. If your accident was due to another’s negligence, we can help you determine what your case may be worth. Call our law firm today for a free consultation at (713) 973-8888 or toll-free 1 (800) 444-5000.