Head Injury/Head Trauma in a Work Environment
A head injury is almost always a devastating injury. If you hurt your head while working, it can disrupt your entire life. Since the proper functioning of your brain is necessary for every job or occupation, it is important to get proper medical care for these injuries. Mary Jeffers at Jeffers Denver Law can properly evaluate your case to make sure that you will receive any and all compensation from those responsible.
Here is a summary of some common head injuries:
Closed Head Injury
A closed head injury occurs when the brain is injured as a result of a blow to the head, or a sudden, violent motion that causes the brain to knock against the skull. A closed head injury is different from an open head injury in that no object actually penetrates the brain. Closed head injuries can be focal, meaning that the damage to the brain occurs in one area or a closed head injury can be diffuse meaning that the damage to the brain affects cells and tissues throughout the brain. Closed head injuries range from mild to severe.
Concussion
A concussion is a head injury that is also known as a mild traumatic brain injury. Concussions can be classified as a major head injury or minor head injury. Whether the concussion is major or minor, the injury interferes with brain function. This head injury can cause confusion, a ringing sound in the ears, memory loss, lapses in judgment, trouble speaking, vomiting and loss of balance and coordination. Other symptoms of this type of head injury can occur days later, such as depression, trouble sleeping, irritability and an increased sensitivity to noise and light.
Mild Brain Injury
A mild brain injury is a head injury which is defined as any disruption of brain function, as evidenced by loss of consciousness, loss of memory of events before or during the trauma or a head injury which results in change in emotion or mental state at the time of accident. For this head injury to be classified as a mild brain injury, the injured worker or injury victim must not experience post-traumatic amnesia for more than 24 hours, and loss of consciousness, if any, may not be longer than 30 minutes. This type of head injury is normally caused by trauma which is due to quick stops that cause whiplash, motorcycle accidents, sports-related accidents, falls, blows to the head, either accidentally or in violence, and car accidents.
Moderate/Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Symptoms associated with concussions can also be indicative of a more serious head injury which is referred to as moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries. In addition to the head injury symptoms associated with concussions, a moderate and severe traumatic brain injury may cause persistent headaches, nausea and vomiting, dilation of the pupils (either one or both), a feeling of numbness or weakness in the extremities and seizures or convulsions. Symptoms of this head injury could be the result of subarachnoid hemorrhaging which is bleeding between the brain and the thin tissues that cover it. Symptoms of this head injury could also be the result of a subdural hematoma which is bleeding in the brain itself, which compresses brain tissue.
Skull Fracture
Skull fractures are a head injury consisting of breaks or cracks in the bone surrounding your brain. This type of head injury can occur with or without brain damage. Symptoms of this type of head injury include intense pain, bruises around the eyes also known as raccoon eyes or behind the ears, known as Battle’s sign. This head injury can also result in the excretion of fluid from the nose (rhinorrhea) and/or ears (otorrhea). This fluid is typically cerebrospinal fluid, which normally surrounds the surface of the brain, although blood has also been known to pour out from the ears. While small fractures in the skull may require no treatment, seek medical attention if you detect a crack, as sometimes this head injury can result in infection and prove fatal.
If you or someone you know has suffered a head injury due to workplace or third party negligence contact an attorney at Jeffers Denver Law today.
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