Traumatic Brain Injury: Suffering in Silence

At the personal injury law offices of Laskin Balma in Sacramento California, we encounter many types of injuries that are caused by different kinds of incidents. There are, of course, typical complaints that we would expect if someone is in a car accident, including pain and stiffness in the neck or lower back. However, as of late, we are seeing more and more clients with symptoms like sleepiness, headaches, difficultly concentrating, and dizziness which may indicate that an injury to the brain has occurred.

There are often complaints of fatigue and anxiety that can appear from a traumatic incident, but these typically disappear within two weeks or so. If a person continues to suffer from neurological symptoms it is important to get checked out. There are different types of brain injuries and there are treatments that can be used to lessen the impact of the incident.

Post-Concussive Syndrome is by far the most commonly undiagnosed brain injury because the symptoms can be very mild. Most people can recover with rest and by minimizing stress, but life after a collision can be very stressful. While you are trying to get your car fixed, trying to make doctors appointments, and trying to continue to work through the pain, it is easy to overlook the importance of rest. Patients with persistent post-concussion syndrome may be treated with migraine medication or referred to a neurologist for treatment.

You don’t need to lose consciousness in order to suffer a concussion. The word comes from the Latin concutere, which means “to shake violently”. It is caused by a sudden, direct blow to the head. If your head didn’t strike a portion of your car, you probably didn’t suffer a concussion, but many people strike the head rest and don’t really even think about it.

Traumatic brain injuries can sometimes be very serious and effect your daily living. Cognitive testing is often used to determine to what degree a patient’s thinking capabilities have been affected. Physical abilities are also affected as it is the brain that controls the rest of the body. CT scans and MRIs are also used to find bleeding, bruises, aneurysms, or skull fractures. If treatment is necessary, doctors may recommend physical therapy, counseling, and/or medication.

These symptoms are often overlooked by clients who have pain elsewhere. It’s often the lesser of two evils and people do not notice they even have these symptoms until their painful symptoms have subsided. It is important to be honest with your doctors and tell them everything that is going on after you’ve been in a traumatic event.

Can’t sleep at night? They may be able to help. Sleeping too much? Again, talk to your doctor. Dizziness? Headaches? Double vision? Ringing in the ears? Difficulty with speech? Difficulty finding words? Difficulty concentrating? Take stock of every symptom and let your doctor know so that he can provide the best treatment for you.

Need advice? Feel you have a potential personal injury case? Contact Laskin Balma Attorneys at Law in Sacramento California today.