Understanding a serious injury caused by negligence
The most common type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a concussion. Usually the result of a car accident, fall, or assault, concussions can happen to anyone. If left untreated, a concussion can become more severe, cause permanent brain damage, or develop into a life-threatening injury.
It's important to take concussions seriously, but not everyone knows how dangerous this type of injury can be. What's more, many people don't know how to identify concussion symptoms — and concussions can be incredibly dangerous if they aren't diagnosed quickly.
That's why health officials and safety advocates created National Concussion Awareness Day. The goal is to start a conversation that increases public knowledge of concussions, how to spot one, what to do, treatment, research, and how this type of brain damage can affect someone in the short and long term.
As a car accident and personal injury law firm, Dean Waite & Associates is dedicated to helping people injured in Alabama accidents get back on their feet. That's why we're participating in the campaign by providing general information about concussions and symptoms.
If you sustained a concussion in an Alabama car accident, contact Dean Waite & Associates for a free consultation. At no cost to you, a member of our team can answer your injury-related legal questions and explain your options for compensation.
What is a concussion?
A concussion is a type of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). It is usually caused by a forceful blow or jolt to the head. In a car accident, a concussion may result from hitting your head against the steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, or window. You could be hit by objects in the car or parts of the vehicle that became projectiles in the crash. Or you could sustain a concussion without making contact with another object. Sometimes, the rapid motion of the head experienced in a car accident is enough to twist, bruise, and damage the brain.
Concussions affect how your brain works. They can impair a person's balance or control of their own movements, emotions, and thought processing.
What are common symptoms of concussion after a car accident?
Whether your concussion was caused by a car accident, slip and fall, work incident, or in another way, concussion symptoms can vary significantly. A person may have a concussion if they are showing these symptoms:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Slow thought process
- Loss of balance
- Memory problems
Do I need to see a doctor for a concussion?
Signs of a concussion can be immediate or they may take time to develop. A delayed injury concussion is something to watch out for.
To protect your health, and your potential claim, you should always see a doctor after a car accident. Even if you feel okay, you may not be. Many people who have concussions cannot see the signs themselves.
Concussions are a type of brain injury, and there is no such thing as a minor brain injury. Untreated concussions have the potential to cause long-term and severe brain damage.
Get emergency medical attention if a person is showing signs of a worsening or severe concussion. These signs include: having one pupil (the dark center of the eye) that is larger than the other, the injured person won't wake up, repeated vomiting, and/or a headache that won't go away.
Contact Alabama's trusted concussion injury attorney
Dean Waite & Associates can help you get the compensation you deserve after a bad car accident, premises liability injury, or other bad accident. Attorney Dean Waite understands how the justice system works in his home state of Alabama. And he knows how to get results.
If you were injured in an Alabama accident, contact Dean Waite & Associates for a free case consultation. A member of our team can estimate the value of your claim and help weigh your options. We have an office in Mobile and serve all of Alabama.
You should know that our concussion injury attorneys work on contingency. That means that we only get paid if we win. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. Contact attorney Dean Waite today.