Much has been made of the National Football League’s recent crusade against concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. The impacts in the game of football are intense and violent, and potentially can have long term detrimental health effects on the players who sustain these injuries. Medical researchers have likened the impact of a forceful football tackle to the impact of an automobile accident, and Maryland car accident attorneys have taken notice.
As a side effect of the all the catastrophic brain injury research spurred by high profile incidents in the NFL, researchers are also discovering that the similar impacts of a car accident can create dangerous, sometimes hidden medical problems. The most common head injuries resulting from car accidents are concussions (the sudden acceleration or impact of one’s brain within one’s skull), contusions (bruises or bleeding on the brain), head penetration injuries, and diffuse axonal injuries (tearing of the brain tissues).
One of the scariest things about traumatic brain injuries in car accidents is that the symptoms do not always match the damage done. In other words, a car accident victim might experience only a mild headache or dizziness while in reality they may have sustained much more serious head injuries. Similarly, brain injuries are terrifying because symptoms may only arise in a car accident victim days, weeks, months, or years after the initial impact.
For these reasons, Maryland auto accident lawyers urge car accident victims to seek out prompt, attentive, and continuing medical attention. If you are taken to a hospital, insist that the medical staff include a head trauma examination in their diagnostic checklist. After your initial hospital visit, it is likely that you will need continuing medical attention by specialist doctors who are experts in the areas of the body that you sustained injuries. Remember that although these are specialists, you should feel free to share with them any head pains or other cranial symptoms you are experiencing. Even if they are unable to diagnose or treat any head conditions, they will undoubtedly be able to refer you to the right doctors who specialize in head trauma.
Be mindful of the signals that your body is giving you. If you were not prone to migraine headaches prior to your car accident, and you are now experiencing frequent headaches, they may be a sign of a more serious condition. The most important thing you can do is to seek the best medical treatment available. Your Maryland personal injury lawyer will take care of the rest.
Maryland car accident victims have legal remedies available to them to compensate for their injuries. If the negligent driver is insured, bear in mind that their insurer is not in business to pay on accident claims. The insurance company’s lawyers will stop at nothing to make sure your claim does not hurt their bottom line. That is why a personal injury lawyer is a valuable ally in the claims process. Your lawyer will make sure the right person is held accountable, and that their insurer compensates you for the injuries you sustained.
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