If you’re involved in a California motor vehicle accident, fall on a wet floor in a shopping mall or get hit by a falling object on a job site because of faulty equipment, you might suffer head trauma. Any time a collision or accident occurs, your health should be closely monitored for several weeks at least. There are certain symptoms that merit immediate medical attention, whether it is hours later, days or a week or more.
These symptoms are often present in people who have suffered brain injuries. When you seek medical attention, it’s best to immediately inform the attending physician that you have recently been in a car accident or have suffered injury during another incident. When a doctor hears that, he or she will know what tests to run to rule out or to diagnose brain trauma.
Do not disregard these symptoms, which could stem from brain injuries
You might automatically assume that head pain following a car accident or other blunt force trauma means that you might have a brain injury, and you’d be correct. However, in addition to head pain, the issues included in the following list may also arise when brain trauma has occurred:
- A droopy eyelid or facial distortion
- Trouble swallowing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fluid leaking from ear or nose
- Unsteadiness when standing or walking
- Confusion or memory difficulties
- Abrupt mood swings
- Lack of bladder or bowel control
If you have a brain injury, you might experience one or several of the symptoms mentioned here, in addition to others, such as dilated pupils or vision or speech problems. It is always best to seek medical examination so that treatment can begin right away if you are diagnosed with bleeding or swelling on the brain, a skull fracture or other condition.
Glascow Coma Scale and Glascow Outcome Scale
Two assessment systems are used to determine a prognosis for a brain injury patient. If you are conscious, your medical team may apply the Glascow Outcome Scale, which measures your recovery progress, such as whether you’re able to function daily without assistance or are admitted to a facility for round-the-clock care. For patients who have fallen into a comatose state due to brain trauma, the scale measures whether they respond to voice or touch, can make audible sounds, open their eyes or obey a command.
If another person’s negligence was responsible for the California motor vehicle collision, workplace accident or other incident that resulted in your brain injuries, you are entitled to seek restitution in civil court. The care and treatment needed for brain injury patients is expensive, even for those who have health insurance. When the court holds a party liable for negligence, it awards compensation to the plaintiff, which can be used to help alleviate financial distress associated with the incident.