Mistreatment of Concussions and Other Head Injuries
Head injuries are dangerous. In many cases, these injuries occur while engaging in sports activities or exercise (such as cycling). Failure to diagnose and treat a serious head injury in a timely and proper fashion can result in permanent disability, mental impairment, and even death. The most common type of head injury is a concussion, which is a form of traumatic brain injury (TBI). There are an estimated 1.6 million to 3.8 million sports-related concussions per year. A concussion is a type of TBI hat occurs when the brain is jarred or shaken hard enough to bounce against the skull. Multiple concussions can have a long-lasting, cumulative life-changing effect.
You don't have to be hit in the head to experience a concussion. An impact elsewhere on the body can create enough force to jar the brain. You also won't necessarily lose consciousness with a concussion. Concussions range from mild to severe. The effects may be apparent immediately, or they may not show up until hours or even days later.
Other types of TBIs are a contusion, which is a bruise on the brain that can cause swelling, and a hematoma, which is bleeding in the brain that collects and forms a clot. A skull fracture is another type of head injury that can affect the brain. Sometimes with a fracture, pieces of bone can cut into the brain and cause bleeding and other types of injury.
TBIs can result from a number of activities, including:
- cycling
- football
- basketball
- baseball and softball
- riding powered recreational vehicles such as dune buggies, go-carts, and mini bikes
- playground activities
- soccer
Signs of a TBI include:
- confusion
- depression
- dizziness or balance problems
- double or fuzzy vision
- feeling foggy or groggy
- feeling sluggish or tired
- headache
- memory loss
- nausea
- sensitivity to light or noise
- sleep disturbance
- trouble concentrating
- trouble remembering
Indications that a head injury is more serious than a concussion and requires emergency or more comprehensive treatment include:
- changes in size of pupils
- clear or bloody fluid draining from the nose, mouth, or ears
- convulsions
- distorted facial features
- drop in blood pressure
- facial bruising
- fracture in the skull or face
- impaired hearing, smell, taste, or vision
- inability to move one or more limbs
- irritability
- loss of consciousness
- low breathing rate
- restlessness, clumsiness, or lack of coordination
- severe headache
- slurred speech or blurred vision
- stiff neck or vomiting
- sudden worsening of symptoms after initial improvement
- swelling at the site of the injury
If you or a loved one has been injured due to the failure to properly treat a TBI or similarly serious sports-related injury, you need to talk to an experienced medical malpractice attorney. At the Law Offices of Sam Rosmarin, a skilled New York medical malpractice attorney can meet with you for a
free consultation to review the facts of your case, inform you of your rights, and advise you of your best options. If
medical malpractice was a factor in your injury, you can trust your claim will be aggressively prosecuted for maximum compensation. Although no amount of compensation may be enough to make up for the damage caused, it can provide you with the financial resources you need to provide for needed treatment and medical care both now and in the future.
Interested in scheduling a free consultation to discuss your claim? Please contact a New York medical malpractice lawyerat the Law Offices of Sam Rosmarin today!