When Is a Concussion Considered Serious?

 Posted on March 12, 2019 in Personal Injury

Chances are good that you’ve heard a range of myths and home-brewed advice about concussions. Although they’re often depicted as superficial issues at best, the truth is that doctors classify concussions as form of mild traumatic brain injury, or TBI - meaning that it’s important to seek medical attention regardless of the perceived severity.

From staying awake to skipping the doctor, much of the common advice for concussion patients is also inaccurate and can downplay the gravity of these serious injuries. If you’ve sustained a TBI, you could be eligible for compensation from the negligent party, especially if it was caused by intentionally wrongful action. Our personal injury team at Ivey Barnum & O’Mara, LLC has years of experience helping clients navigate these claims, and we can fight for the fair recovery you deserve.

Understanding a Concussion Diagnosis

When the brain’s soft tissue is damaged by extreme force, the resulting injury is often classified as a TBI. Whether that extreme force involved an open head wound or a blunt object is irrelevant: Hitting your headin almost any context can cause your brain to suffer bruising, bleeding, cell death, and tissue rupture. Although physicians do treat TBIs differentlydepending on the severity, concussions almost always classify as someform of TBI.

Because untreated TBIs can lead to long-term memory loss, emotional instability,and other painful side-effects, most trained medical professionals urgepatients to seek immediate medical attention after sustaining a concussion.However, because the public is so misinformed about the long-term ramifications of a TBI, some patients may decide to avoid the doctor’s office for as long as possible, even when presenting with serious symptoms.

A concussion may be considered more serious when you exhibit the following symptoms following the injury:

• Memory loss
• Blurred vision
• Periods of extreme confusion
• Fainting or loss of consciousness
• Persistent headaches and migraines
• Slurred words
• Vomiting and nausea

Holding the Right Party Accountable for Brain Injuries

The human skull is surprisingly delicate, so whether we fall after slipping on a wet floor or hit our head during a car accident, it’s relatively easy to get a serious concussion - and all the lasting damage that may accompany it. One of the most common causes of TBI is even more insidious: Domestic violence and physical assault are the leading causes of TBI-related death, according to the CDC. With more than 1.5 million Americans sustaining some form of TBI each year, many because of violence or motor vehicle crashes, it’s crucial that we hold the right parties accountable for these injuries.

If you’ve been suffering in the aftermath of a severe TBI, you’renot alone in this fight. No matter if your injury was caused by violence or by an accident, you may be able to hold the responsible party liable in a court of law by filing a personal injury lawsuit. Because the long-term impairments associated with a TBI are so serious, human beings have a responsibility to protect one another from these injuries, insofar as it is possible.At Ivey, Barnum & O'Mara, LLC, our skilled attorneys can help you seek compensation if someone failed to exercise due diligence.

Ready to speak with our Greenwich injury team? Call 203-661-6000 today for a free consultation in the Metro New York area.