Every year, many people involved in motor vehicle accidents experience headaches or whiplash from hitting their head against the headrest or other objects in the vehicle. A brain injury is not one of the first things we think about, especially if the car accident was minor.
Post-concussion syndrome is a common injury for people involved in a car accident. It is beneficial to understand post-concussive symptoms and how you can be affected long-term by a traumatic brain injury.
If you have sustained a brain injury due to a car accident, contact our office to speak with an experienced Chicago injury lawyer. Our personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC have recovered over $250 million in settlements for clients.
Were you a car accident victim and have concerns about post concussion syndrome settlement value? If so, contact our Chicago car accident lawyers at (888) 424-5757 or complete the contact information form to schedule a free case evaluation.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Head injuries are common in car accidents due to the sudden movements that jolt the body and head around during the impact. Some symptoms that people will experience if suffering from a head injury include dizziness, headaches, nausea, trouble sleeping, and memory loss.
Many will experience one or more of these symptoms but may feel that the symptom will go away. It is important to see a doctor right away to address any potential brain injuries.
If head pain from a vehicle accident is not dealt with soon after, symptoms may worsen or last longer than initially expected. It is better for your overall health and your personal injury lawsuit if you seek treatment for any injury.
A typical head injury from a car accident is likely to resolve in a few days, but sometimes the symptoms will last for a few weeks or longer. It is a sign that you are suffering from post-concussion syndrome.
What Is a Concussion?
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that occurs when the brain hits the skull during an impact. This injury can result in brain damage, and accident victims will likely experience the associated symptoms.
Concussions are the most common brain injury. In an auto accident, people can suffer a head injury from a whiplash movement or hitting their head against the headrest, steering wheel, airbag, or window.
Make sure to seek medical treatment after the initial injury because the effects of a concussion can be serious and long-term. A doctor may diagnose you with mild traumatic brain injury if you have suffered a concussion.
If you have not visited a doctor, ongoing symptoms can signify that you suffer from a moderate or severe concussion. Consulting with medical professionals is crucial for monitoring the brain and receiving proper medical care for the recovery process.
Receiving a medical evaluation is recommended if there are lingering symptoms after treatment is complete.
Symptoms of a Concussion
Concussions will affect people differently, and it is also possible that it may also be difficult to determine if you suffered a concussion at all. Sometimes, an injured person may not know they had a concussion because symptoms can appear days later.
Loss of consciousness is a major symptom that one will experience with a moderate or severe concussion from a car accident. Most head injuries do not result in losing consciousness, so seek medical attention as soon as possible when this happens.
Having trouble remembering events around the time of the incident is a sign that a person lost consciousness. Losing consciousness may also result in feeling dazed and having blurry vision.
Frequent headaches are another sign that one has suffered a serious injury to the head. You may feel pain and pressure in your head if you have sustained a concussion.
Other common potential concussion symptoms are dizziness, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, and ringing in the ears.
Post-Concussion Syndrome
If symptoms of a concussion last for a longer period of time, a person may be diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. The time that the symptoms will persist can vary from a few weeks to many months.
These persistent symptoms usually linger due to damage to the brain that involves the cells not receiving enough oxygen. This damage affects a person’s cognitive abilities and makes it difficult to function when performing daily tasks.
Symptoms of Post-Concussion Syndrome
Post-concussion syndrome symptoms typically include:
- Headaches
- Sleep disturbances
- Dizziness
- Memory loss
Older people and those with a history of headaches may be more prone to developing post-concussion syndrome from a car crash.
Some psychological factors may develop as symptoms in someone who has post-concussion syndrome. Some psychological disorders may appear when your quality of life has declined from living with concussion symptoms, such as anxiety or depression.
Some medical professionals believe that psychological factors cause these post-concussion symptoms. They compare the symptoms to those seen in post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Having long-term post-concussion symptoms from a car accident, such as chronic headaches and cognitive issues, can affect activities of daily living and make it difficult to work. These factors are heavily considered when your car accident claim is reviewed during negotiations for a settlement.
Is There a Possibility That My Post-Concussion Syndrome Will Be Permanent?
The best course to take to know if your symptoms have a chance of going away is to visit your doctor. The brain injury can be so severe that post-concussion syndrome can be permanent.
It is also possible that post-concussion syndrome can linger if you never seek treatment. There are specialists and treatment plans that can help a person recover some or all of their abilities lost due to a car accident.
Even some of the most severe cases of post-concussion syndrome will benefit from medical care. Some unique treatments and therapies can help alleviate the associated symptoms.
Medical Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injuries
After a car crash, it is important to visit an emergency room or see a doctor immediately to determine if you have sustained any serious injuries. If a concussion is suspected, you may need to undergo a CT scan of the brain.
At that time, it may be recommended to use pain medication and rest for a few days. Most people usually recover from these symptoms after a few days or weeks.
Post-Concussion Syndrome Recovery
A doctor may diagnose post-concussion syndrome if symptoms linger past a certain point. Continued use of pain medication may be prescribed, along with more rest and follow-up visits.
You may undergo more testing and be referred to a neurologist for further evaluation. These additional tests may include an MRI of the brain and nerve testing.
As part of treatment, you may also be provided with filtered glasses to help with the sensitivity to light. There are also screen protectors for laptops and computers that protect the eyes.
Your doctor will target the specific symptoms you are experiencing and tailor treatments to help improve your individual needs. You will be provided with equipment and the best recommendations to follow for your particular needs.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy may help with physical symptoms related to the neck and upper back. Injuries to the neck and back may contribute to pain in the head because they are connected.
It is usually expected that a neck injury will accompany a concussion. Whiplash is almost always associated with a head injury.
Some of the post-concussion syndrome symptoms, such as chronic migraines, could be more intense due to a neck or shoulder injury contributing to the pain. Associated injuries that can affect the head are whiplash to the neck or sprain of a shoulder.
Vision Therapy
Dizziness, light sensitivity, and vertigo may signal a problem with vision in an individual. Visiting an optometrist and vision therapist regularly to treat concussion injury symptoms can speed up recovery.
Vision therapy aids in the recovery of damage to the vision and helps improve visual processing. This type of therapy can potentially help improve vision problems after a period of time.
Balance Therapy
Another type of therapy that is helpful for post-concussion syndrome symptoms is balance therapy. It is also known as vestibular rehabilitation therapy.
This treatment can help people improve their balance and reduce their risk of falling and other related symptoms. This therapy focuses on improving connections to the inner ear to restore balance.
Damage to the inner ear will affect a person’s orientation and hearing. Vertigo, dizziness, and feeling an imbalance are all signs that you can benefit from this type of therapy.
Prevention
Some ways may help to avoid undergoing extensive treatment, such as the ones listed above. The post-concussion syndrome may be avoided if a person seeks treatment soon after sustaining a head injury.
It is important to rest the body and brain to avoid developing post-concussion syndrome. Overextending yourself or not getting enough sleep can aggravate or prolong post-concussion syndrome symptoms.
Seeking medical attention and complying with directed treatment early on can improve the chances of resolving the symptoms quickly.
Post-Concussion Syndrome Settlement Value
You may be wondering what the average settlement for a post-concussion syndrome case would be. Personal injury cases involving victims enduring these symptoms can have significant payouts.
Despite the severity of this type of injury, every case is unique due to different factors. Every person has a specific list of injuries. Some may be more severe than others, and prior injuries can play a role in a case.
Different types of accidents can affect the outcome of a settlement. The dynamic of how the accident occurred and if the defendant demonstrated gross negligence.
The defendant’s policy limits may also affect the case. Everyone is required to have the minimum amount of coverage, but a defendant may have high policy limits in her car accident case.
There is no average settlement amount that can truly help determine the value of your case. You also want to make sure that you hire an injury lawyer with the reputation and experience to handle post-concussion syndrome cases.
Quality of Life Due to Post-Concussion Syndrome
Suffering from post-concussion syndrome or other brain injuries can hugely impact a person’s life. Life at home may be difficult because a person might need assistance with simple tasks and be unable to help out as much around the house.
Taking time off from work is also important for recovering from post-concussion syndrome. This recovery period can result in a loss of wages and create a more stressful situation.
These difficult factors can contribute to the concussion settlement value of your car accident case. A diagnosis of post-concussion syndrome after a car accident is difficult to live with, but the insurance company is likely to consider how it has affected you greatly.
Calculating Post-Concussion Syndrome Settlement Value
It is difficult to determine the post-concussion settlement value of a case based on other post-concussion syndrome cases because different factors are taken into account, apart from the injuries that the car accident caused, the defendant’s policy, and details of how the accident happened to play a significant part.
When negotiating a post-concussion syndrome settlement, lost wages, medical bills, estimated future medical expenses, and pain and suffering will be considered. Medical evidence will prove that post-concussion syndrome has affected all aspects of a person’s life.
Post-concussion syndrome involves long-term pain and discomfort, so a concussion settlement can likely be high. It also negatively impacts the quality of life of people.
Therefore, a post-concussion syndrome case can bring a larger settlement than a car accident case where a minor brain injury was resolved within a few days.
Prior Brain Injuries
When evaluating a car accident concussion, it is also important to know the person’s history of brain injuries or problems. Multiple head injuries, a seizure disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder that developed prior to your accident can increase the chances of having post-concussion syndrome.
These pre-existing conditions coupled with post-concussion syndrome can help increase the value of your case. In a personal injury lawsuit, medical experts will evaluate past medical records.
Prior history of head injuries, present symptoms, and past and future related medical expenses will be considered when the insurance company calculates the value of the case.
Consult With a Personal Injury Lawyer
Many car accidents cause those involved to develop post-concussion syndrome, which creates many difficulties in a person’s life. You need an attorney that will get you the concussion settlement you deserve.
Having an experienced personal injury attorney who will know how to handle your post-concussion syndrome case is important. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC has handled serious injury cases for decades.
Call us at (888) 424-5757. We will work hard to get you the fair settlement that you deserve. If you have questions regarding your potential concussion settlement due to a car accident, contact us today for a free case evaluation.
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