Did I suffer a concussion?

When most people hear the words traumatic brain injury, they think of a debilitating medical condition that leaves the victim severely disabled. However, did you know that a concussion is also a form of traumatic brain injury?

Concussions can come with long-term side effects and they can be disabling, especially when the accident victim has had multiple concussions in the past. Concussions are also one of the most common kinds of car accident injuries. If you've been diagnosed with a concussion by your doctor, you might want to keep reading so you can understand more about the nature of this condition.

Facts and information for concussion victims

A concussion requires swift medical treatment. Perhaps all the victim requires is rest, and, in many cases, this is the only thing that doctors can do. Taking this rest time is vital, however, if the victim wants to get better and recover from this mild form of brain injury.

A concussion could incur specific financial costs to the victim due to lost income while taking time off work to recover, lost professional opportunity and various medical bills. Here are several more facts you might want to know about this medical condition:

• Diagnostic imaging may or may not offer definitive proof that a concussion injury has happened.
• A skull fracture, a bleeding brain and swelling could be happening in a concussion but they might not be externally detectable.
• A concussion could result in a blood clot, so victims should be monitored following such an injury.
• A concussion can take months, and even years, to fully heal.
• Concussions are usually the result of whiplash, violently shaking the head, gunshot wounds and direct blows to the head.
• Concussions can be open, where the head is bleeding or closed where external clues are not so visible.
• As a result of a concussion, the blood vessels of the brain will stretch and the nerves of the cranium can get damaged.
• Loss of consciousness may or may not occur.
• People usually feel dazed after a concussion.

Learn more about your concussion injuries and your legal rights

Victims of concussion injuries don't always know that they're suffering from the condition. Doctors might also fail to diagnose a concussion until after serious symptoms begin to present themselves. Therefore, it's important to tell your doctor all of your symptoms after an accident as thoroughly and early as possible. The sooner you can diagnose your concussion, the better chances you'll have of getting the right medical care, and the better chances you'll have of successfully pursuing a claim for compensation in court regarding your injury if it was caused by another person's negligence.