Here we are in the middle of football season and the Cowboys look great. But in yesterday’s impressive win against the Packers, two players were pulled from the game due to concussions.
You will remember that several thousand players successfully sued the NFL for compensation for their brain injuries including our own Tony Dorsett. The 60-year-old Hall of Famer was diagnosed three years ago with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) caused by his football career.
I have to deal with head injuries representing people all over North Texas who have been injured in car and truck wrecks. More than two million people suffer brain injuries each year, many from collisions. Some of these victims develop CTE.
Let me tell you, getting your head crashed into and cortorted, whether by a charging 320 pound player or a 7,000 pound truck, isn’t just a little ding.
How Do You Know if You Have a Head Injury?
After a car accident, you may look and feel fine. OK, so if you cannot see a concussion, how do you know you have one?
I have encountered this dilemma countless times during my 36 years as a personal injury lawyer. Often my client doesn’t realize he or she has a traumatic brain injury because symptoms have not yet manifested or are subtle. The TBI is nonetheless very serious.
That is why I urge my clients to undergo diagnostic tests after a car crash — several weeks after to make sure the damage will be apparent to doctors. An accident happens so quickly that you may not even realize you hit your head.
Your neurologist may conduct a series of tests to diagnose the brain injury, including these:
- Neurological exam to test your vision, hearing, balance, coordination and reflexes
- Cognitive exam to test your concentration and memory
- Imaging tests, such as a CT scan or an X-ray
You should definitely seek medical care if you or someone notices these symptoms of a concussion:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fogginess
- Loss of memory
- Amnesia about the crash
- Nausea and vomiting
- Unusual fatigue
- Delayed response time
The idea of pushing through a head injury is misguided and very dangerous.
Berenson Injury Law has substantial experience in proving head injury cases and can assist you in getting the compensation you deserve. We had to deal with this devastating problem when we represented a critically injured victim of the “Affluenza teen,” among other seriously injured people.
Call or email my office for a free consultation where we discuss your injuries and right to receive compensation.