What to Do When You Suspect a Concussion After An Accident
Brain injuries of all varieties are some of the most terrifying injuries you can suffer during an accident. Symptoms of injury can take hours, days, months, or even years to surface and can range from mild vertigo to paralysis, depending on the severity of the injury. Concussions are some of the most common brain injuries in accidents. Whether you or a loved one have been involved in a car or truck accident, motorcycle accident, construction accident, or a slip and fall, it’s vitally important to keep an eye on how you or your loved one may be feeling to determine if there’s any chance of a concussion until medical services arrive. Read on to find out how you can best treat a concussion immediately after an accident until medical professionals can examine you.
What is a Concussion?
Concussions are a mild traumatic brain injury that occurs when a person receives a blow to the head or body. While most people recover in the short-term, the symptoms of a concussion can have significant impacts on a person’s day-to-day life. They might experience headaches, mood changes, memory problems, and sleep issues. Not everyone who is hit in the head has a concussion, but concussions remain a relatively common injury.
Athletes are at higher risk for concussions, but victims involved in car accidents, slips and falls, construction accidents, and more are also at risk.
Can I Treat a Concussion if I’m Not a Doctor?
Many individuals at the scene of an accident aren’t sure what to do if they or another person may have received a concussion. Concussions can only be diagnosed by medical professionals, but any head injury is cause to be seen and treated by emergency services.
If you aren’t a medical professional, you can help reduce the severity of symptoms and treat a concussion (if you suspect one) by keeping the victim seated in a safe location, staying with them, providing water, and offering sunglasses or a hat if they seem sensitive to light. If you treat a concussion (or suspected concussion), do not allow the victim to drive or stay by themselves. Some concussion victims can experience dizziness, sudden exhaustion, or may fall unconscious. Remember: you only need to treat a concussion until emergency services arrive to the scene.
Do I Need to Treat a Concussion if I Feel Fine but I Hit My Head?
If you experience no symptoms and aren’t sure if you need to treat a concussion (or suspected concussion), seek medical help anyway. As mentioned, symptoms can come on quickly and without warning. Do not get behind the wheel of a car again and instead, call a trusted driver to take you to the hospital or call 911 for help. Just because you don’t feel any different, doesn’t mean a big blow to the head isn’t something to be checked out. You may have a brain injury and simply need a doctor to diagnose and treat your concussion.
Do I Need to Go to the Hospital to Treat a Concussion?
Following a car accident or other incident, it’s prudent to seek out medical care within one to two days to treat a concussion or other brain injury. If you are confident you have a concussion, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible. While some primary care offices may have time to see you within the allotted one to two days, they may not be equipped to fully test and treat a concussion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of symptoms should I look for from a concussion?
Concussions are a traumatic brain injury, so look for symptoms that impact bodily function and behavior. Keep an eye out for symptoms like slurred speech, irritability, confusion, “spacing out”, light or noise sensitivity, unsteady standing or walking, vomiting, or loss of memory. Symptoms may not present right away, so stay with the victim or keep a chaperone for yourself while you wait for help. If the victim falls unconscious, call 911 immediately.
How long will I have symptoms?
Symptoms may start to subside within days or weeks, but other more serious symptoms may take as long as months to resolve.
Are concussions serious enough to bring a lawsuit?
Yes! Although they’re a more common brain injury, concussions are still serious. If you or a loved one have received a concussion in a car accident, work accident, or other injury-causing incident as a result of someone else’s negligence, you could be eligible for compensation for medical bills.
Do I handle my concussion first or deal with the accident? It all seems important!
Always handle any medical needs first. If you are alone at the scene of an accident and suspect you have a concussion, call 911 first. Worst case scenario, you can provide your contact information like email and phone number to the other party and handle the insurance claims after a medical professional treats your concussion.
How to Retain a Car Accident Lawyer in California
If you or a loved one was involved in a car accident due to another’s negligence and received a concussion or other traumatic brain injury, you may be eligible to collect compensation for medical bills related to treating your concussion or repair costs for damage to your vehicle. Follow these steps to contact a personal injury attorney with BD&J, PC.
- Collect documentation on your or your loved one’s car accident. Keeping photos, journal entries, police reports, and insurance claims to present to your personal injury attorney at BD&J, PC, can help expedite the filing of your claim.
- Contact our personal injury team here. Complete our form to receive a call from one of our team members regarding your potential case. Our lawyers will review the information you provide and begin the process of filing.
- Stay in contact with us. Our personal injury attorneys will be keeping you informed as your claim progresses. However, we empower our clients to participate in their claim and may need to discuss the process with you.
Defending the Rights of Those with Brain Injuries and Concussions
Brain injuries can cause permanent quality of life changes. If you have experienced TBI or concussion following an accident, you could be eligible to claim compensation. Our team of attorneys has been serving similarly injured clients for more than 20 years and has claimed millions in recoveries. Contact our traumatic brain injury attorneys today to schedule a free consultation.
