Brain Injury FAQ
Q. I didn't hit my head on anything inside the car. Can I have a brain injury?
A. Yes. A car collision or any other traumatic event that causes rapid movement of the head can cause your brain to slam into the interior wall of your skull causing bruising and/or bleeding and/or swelling. Also, the brain is held in place by bony ridges on the interior of your skull. Sudden movement against these bony ridges can cause micro abrasions and tears. And, because the brain sits atop the brain stem, sudden movement can cause the brain to rotate on the brain stem causing injury.
Q. I didn't lose consciousness in the crash. Can I have a traumatic brain injury?
A. Yes. First, a loss of consciousness is not a requirement for a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (An alteration of consciousness is). Second, many victims of traumatic brain injury actually did have a brief loss of consciousness but just were not aware of it.
Q. I just had a concussion - not a brain injury, right?
A. "Concussions" are traumatic brain injuries. While many concussions are mild and many people are able to resume activities fairly quickly (like returning to play in a football game), concussions nevertheless are traumatic brain injuries and must be taken seriously. Medical examination is imperative even for mild concussions.
Q. What are the symptoms of traumatic brain injury?
A. Some of the symptoms of traumatic brain injury include: alteration of consciousness, loss of consciousness, blackout, seeing stars, amnesia (not remembering the actual traumatic event), dizzyness, loss of balance, visual problems, memory problems, lack of focus, loss of concentration, problems with multi-tasking, irritability, personality changes. If you have some of these symptoms from a traumatic event, you should get checked out by a doctor with traumatic brain injury experience - preferably a neurologist or neuro-psychologist.
Fort Collins Colorado Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyer Mac Hester
