Symptoms of a Head or Neck Injury
There is a broad spectrum of symptoms when it comes to head and neck injuries, ranging from subtle to severe. Thanks to recent developments in medicine, medical professionals now recognize that even mild symptoms can point to a serious injury. If you’ve been in an accident and are experiencing any of the following symptoms, we strongly encourage you to talk to your doctor as soon as possible:
- Memory loss
- Persistent or recurring headaches
- Loss of sleep
- Clouded thinking, difficulty concentrating
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Sensitivity to light and noise
- Tingling in extremities, loss of motor control
- Slurred speech
Many of these symptoms are subjective in that only you can feel them. The fact that they may not be obvious to others, doesn’t mean they aren’t real. Even your injury only seems minor, we encourage you to consult with a head or neck injury lawyer at our Atlanta, Alpharetta and Cumming office locations.
The Most Common Head Injuries After an Accident
Head injuries range from mild to severe, but even mild head injuries can result in permanent damage, which is why our Atlanta head injury attorney urges every client to seek immediate medical attention after an accident that involved trauma above the shoulders.
- Concussions are perhaps the most common and most well-known head injury. They are the result of forces exerted on the head that causes the brain to move within the skull.
- Skull fractures occur when the skull bone is broken as the result of force to the head.
An intracranial hematoma is a collection of blood within the skull, typically caused by ruptured blood vessels as the result of trauma to the head. - Hemorrhaging is uncontrolled bleeding around or inside the brain resulting from a head injury sustained in an accident.
- Edema occurs when the brain swells as a result of the accident. This may sound minor, but it can be a very serious injury because the brain is pressed against the skull.
- Traumatic brain injuries impact your ability to complete basic functions.
Blunt force trauma to the head can also cause injuries to additional parts of the body:
Ear, Eye and Nose Injuries
Injuries to the ears, eyes and nose can range from lacerations to injuries resulting in permanent impairments. Our head injury attorneys represent individuals and families in cases involving tinnitus, loss of hearing, full and partial blindness, loss of sense of smell, disfiguration, and other ear, eye and nose injuries.
Face and Jaw Injuries
Face and jaw injuries can also have a wide range of short-term and long-term consequences. These injuries are also quite common, as the face tends to be fully exposed during vehicle collisions, falls and other accidents. In many cases, multiple expensive and painful surgeries will be required to treat fractures, deep lacerations and burns, and recovery can be an arduous and potentially life-long process.
Anyone of these injuries can be very serious by itself. Together, they can have serious long-term consequences for your health.
Whiplash Head and Neck Injuries After a Car Accident
Whiplash is one of the most common neck injuries, often seen as the result of rear-end car accidents. It is caused by sudden, forceful back-and-forth movement of the head, resulting in a whip-like motion in the neck. Whiplash results in a strain of the muscles and ligaments in the neck and causes damage to the spinal discs and other parts of the neck. After an accident you may experience the following whiplash symptoms:
- Headaches at the base of the skull
- Stiffness and pain in the neck, shoulders, or upper back
- Tingling and numbness in the arms
- Loss of range of motion
While not life-threatening, whiplash can cause severe discomfort and leave you unable to work or take care of your family. Sometimes whiplash results in permanent damage if left untreated.
Our Atlanta Head Injury Attorneys Outline Steps to Checking if You Have an Injury
Accidents are sudden, traumatic events. Immediately afterward your body is flooded with adrenaline as a way of protecting itself from further harm. Unfortunately, this surge of adrenaline can mask the symptoms of a head or neck injury. As a result, it’s not uncommon for people to feel “fine” immediately after their accident, only to begin experiencing symptoms several days later.
To further complicate matters, head injuries are difficult to recognize. We’re inclined to think that we’re just feeling “off” or maybe we didn’t sleep well. We tell ourselves that it will go away on its own, or that it’s not something to worry about. Left untreated, a head or neck injury can lead to permanent damage.
If you’ve been in an accident and suspect that you’ve suffered a head or neck injury, listen to your body and get a thorough medical exam after your personal injury accident. If your doctor confirms that you have a head or neck injury, the next step is to speak with Atlanta, Cumming or Alpharetta head injury attorney at Gilormo Injury Law.
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