Things To Keep In Mind About Traumatic Head Injuries

Although the tips below are mostly common sense, there are a few vital things that just need to be said about head injuries: Take proper safety precautions, see a doctor when injured, and finally, get in touch with your local head injury attorney!

Open Head Injuries Vs Closed Head Injuries

Whether you think it’s a traumatic brain injury or just a little scratch on the forehead, some head trauma is more severe than others at first, but this can actually be very deceptive and cause long term issues and brain damage.

There are two main types of traumatic brain injuries caused from a blow  to the skull or head: open and closed. An open head injury can show up as a bump or lump, or even as severe as a fractured skull. 

On the other hand, a closed head injury has to do with damage to the brain (of varying degrees). A slight agitation to the brain is usually called a concussion. 

With more severe closed head injuries, the brain swells or clots to a blood vessel may result in brain tissue compressing. 

When this happens it can result in brain damage or even loss of brain function.

Safety First

It is always important to seek medical care if you are not sure which type of injury you may have sustained.  Getting in touch with your health care provider to schedule a CT scan is also a good idea.

It may seem obvious, but thousands of head injuries occur every year.  They range from mild to moderate to severe.

Most injuries occur from not taking proper safety precautions. If you’re in a car, buckle up.  If you’re the driver, make sure your airbags are working. 

Also, if you have children in the car, remember to lock all car doors before heading out onto the road. These simple procedures will greatly reduce your chances of a traumatic brain injury, even 

Don’t Be Afraid to See a Doctor

Just because you don’t experience any initial effects of your seemingly mild head injury, doesn’t that it’s not serious. Strangely, you can sustain a head injury without even being aware of it.

Being aware of the key symptoms of a severe head injury is extremely important – confusion, changes in vision, balance, trouble with speech, etc. 

If you’ve experienced any blows to the head (whether you think they’re major or minor) go see your doctor immediately.

Get a Diagnosis

Once you get to a doctor and she thinks that it might be a head injury, she will likely do a neurological exam. The doctor will ask questions that may be as simple as “have you experienced any loss of consciousness?” but these questions are intended to determine if you’re in your “right mind.” 

A CAT scan may be ordered to get a view of your head and look for fractures, bleeding, and swelling in the brain.

It Can Take a Long Time To Treat

The most severe head injury, which may result in a traumatic brain injury, usually requires the most treatment. Immediate care may mean surgery and medication to treat swelling of the brain. Some head injuries even require rehabilitation: physical, occupational and speech therapy.

An Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help

In the case that you’ve been the victim of a head injury personal injury case, it’s certainly in your best interest to contact your local personal injury lawyer, to file a claim, and receive the damage you’re entitled to for pain, suffering, medical bills, and emotional turmoil caused by the injury.

If you’re the victim of a head injury, don’t hesitate to contact Atlanta head injury attorney, Bruce A. Hagen, to bring you the justice you deserve.