Traumatic brain injuries often result in severe health consequences and, unfortunately, victims are not always aware of the seriousness of their injury in the immediate aftermath. This is due to the fact that brain injuries do not always produce symptoms right away or even in the following days and weeks of the accident’s occurrence. As a result, injured victims might be completely unaware of the issues that are silently within.
Any time you are involved in an accident, it is imperative to take a trip to the hospital to ensure that, if you do have a serious injury, it is accurately diagnosed and properly treated. This is both for the benefit of your health and the success of a potential personal injury claim.
Below is a list of some of the symptoms you should be aware of, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Unable to think clearly
- Feeling lethargic
- Problems with concentration
- Issues with memory retention
- Persistent headaches
- Impaired vision
- Sensitivity to sound and light
- Fatigue
- Mood swings
- Disruption in sleeping pattern
- Anxiety or depression
Additionally, not all traumatic brain injuries are identical. In fact, doctors score traumatic brain injuries on what is known as the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), which is designed to objectively record the severity of a traumatic brain injury. The GCS scores three functions of the brain: eye-opening, motor response, and verbal response. The total score is used to document how the injury is to be classified:
- Mild brain injuries are assigned a GCS score that is between 13 and 15
- Moderate brain injuries are assigned a GCS score that is between 9 and 12
- Severe brain injuries are assigned a GCS score that is 8 or less
Even a mild brain injury can potentially result in permanent neurological symptoms, so it is important to note that even when an injury receives the least serious GCS score, it does not mean the injured person will achieve a full recovery. Moreover, the GCS is not entirely flawless. Other outside factors, such as alcohol consumption, drug use, low blood oxygen, or even shock, which can all play a role in affecting a person’s level of consciousness, can affect the GCS score’s accuracy.
Why You Should Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Not everyone needs to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance after sustaining a traumatic brain injury. However, this does not mean you are not injured or that you are not in need of medical treatment. The only way to obtain some certainty regarding the severity of your injury, medical professionals will need to run some tests that can more accurately assess any damage you might have suffered. Failing to see a doctor could result in serious consequences to your well-being, so do not put this off.
Failing to see a doctor after an accident can also harm your personal injury claim. Postponing medical care will create doubt as to whether or not the injuries you sustained are related to the accident, which means you might not be able to recover any compensation. Do what is right for your health and your claim by seeking medical attention.
Assisting Personal Injury Victims in Honolulu
If you sustained a traumatic brain injury that was caused by another party’s negligence, it is imperative that you obtain skilled legal counsel as soon as possible. At Daniel T. Pagliarini Attorney at Law in Honolulu, our skilled attorney is committed to fighting on behalf of the wrongfully injured and will do what is necessary to recover compensation on your behalf.
Contact our law firm today to schedule a complimentary case evaluation and learn more about your legal options.