Compensation for a Serious Head Injury

A head injury, also called a brain injury, contusion, head trauma and concussion, can be serious. Head injuries are frequently the result of car accidents, assaults, slip and falls and work-related accidents. If you have sustained a head injury, as the result of someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation.

Head injuries can be either closed or open. Basically, a head injury can be defined as “any trauma that leads to the injury of the scalp, skull or brain.” These types of injuries range in severity, from a bump on the skull to a serious brain injury.

A head injury can be a skull fracture, intracranial hemorrhage or closed head injury. A skull fracture occurs when there is a break in the bone that protects the brain. Intracranial hemorrhage is a term used to describe bleeding inside the skull. A closed head injury describes a condition where the brain or structures within the skull are injured, but not penetrated. Closed head injuries can be minor or fatal.

Some head injuries lead to permanent brain damage, especially if there is bleeding inside the brain. Serious head injuries may cause any of the following:

• Changes in behavior, emotions or mental abilities
• Speech difficulties
• Loss of hearing, vision, taste, smell or other sensation
• Seizures
• Paralysis
• Coma

If you believe that you or a family member has sustained a head injury, you need to be aware of the warning signs, which include:

• Loss of consciousness
• Drowsiness
• Drop in blood pressure
• Convulsions
• Skull fracture
• Facial bruising
• Severe headache
• Fluid draining from the nose, mouth or ears
• Changes in personality
• Vomiting
• Stiff neck
• Pupil changes
• Lack of coordination
• Swelling at the site of the injury

Emergency medical treatment should be pursued for any of these symptoms, as the injury can be life-threatening. Treatment for a head injury depends on its severity. In minor cases, bed rest and pain relievers are recommended. For more serious head injury cases, an intracranial pressure monitor probe may be needed, as well as medication to prevent seizures and antibiotics to prevent infection. Surgery is also often necessary for severe head injuries.

If the head injury was the result of a negligent act, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Law Offices of William K. Saron at (866) 836-4947 or (727) 345-4566 to speak with an experienced serious injury attorney.