Concussion Injuries in Tampa Bay, Florida Auto Accidents & Why You May Need a Lawyer

Concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury. Any blow to the head can cause concussion, whether the blow comes from a high-speed auto accident in Tampa, Florida or a fall during a flag football game in Clearwater. While concussion typically heals in a few days or weeks, there is a small chance that a concussion may result in permanent damage to nerve tissue in the brain. If a significant or permanent concussion injury occurs because of an auto accident or other negligent situation such as a slip and fall, it may be necessary to contact a lawyer to receive compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and disability.

A concussion can range from mild to severe. All concussions, no matter how slight, interfere with the ability of the brain to function. Any time that a blow to the head, or jostling of the head, leaves you feeling dazed or knocks you unconscious, you have experienced a concussion. Many people believe that a concussion always causes a loss of consciousness, but this is not the case. As a matter of fact, most people who have concussions do not pass out.

The symptoms of a concussion may be mild or non-existent at first. For instance, you may receive a bump on the head during an auto accident and feel fine for a short period of time, but then experience serious symptoms within a few hours. This is another example of why it is imperative for a person to see a doctor right after an auto accident and also go for follow-up visits. Auto accidents are a leading cause of concussion injuries and the potential long term consequences of these injuries should never be ignored. Due to our years of experience as a Tampa auto accidents lawyer, our advice is to never “tough it out” after an accident. Go to a doctor who can give you a thorough neurological exam of your memory, vision, balance, and so on. This will allow the doctor to diagnose your injuries and provide you with the best chance of recovery.

The symptoms of a concussion may last for days, weeks, months, or in rare cases, indefinitely. Concussion symptoms include the following:

• Amnesia (loss of memory, particularly short-term memory)
• Confusion
• Lightheadedness
• Headache or migraines
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Ringing sound in the ears
• Loss of balance
• Slurred speech
• Mood changes
• Sensitivity to light
• Sensitivity to noise
• Sleep changes or disturbances
• Vision disturbances
• Loss of senses such as smell or taste
• Tearfulness, irritability, and other behavioral changes
• Depression

The simple cause of a concussion is a blow or jolt to the head. Everyday bumps to the head usually do not cause a concussion because the brain floats in fluid inside the skull that helps cushion brain tissue. A forceful blow to the head or shaking of the head, however, can cause the brain to slide against the skull's rough surface. When the brain strikes the inner skull, nerve fibers can stretch and tear. The resulting nerve damage inside the brain cavity brings about the symptoms of a concussion.

Diagnosing a concussion is fairly simple for doctors, but determining whether there is serious damage to the brain is more difficult and takes time. A rare complication of concussion is post-concussion syndrome. Post-concussion syndrome triggers concussion symptoms that last for months or years. People with post concussion syndrome are also at increased risk for epileptic seizures, Alzheimer's disease, and other neurological conditions.

Another significant concern is if a person suffers multiple concussions over time, a problem sometimes experienced by professional wrestlers, boxers, and football players. Repeated concussions have been shown to cause stunning and permanent damage to the brain. The symptoms of multiple concussions, also known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, are dementia, extreme fatigue, speech problems, trembling, and headaches.

If you are concerned about concussion injuries sustained in a Tampa Bay area car accident, please call or e-mail Tampa auto accidents lawyer Dale Appell, P.A. for a free initial consultation about your case. Concussion and post-concussion syndrome can result in high medical bills and missed time from work, and you may be able to receive compensation for those losses, whether you are here in Tampa, Florida or in surrounding areas such as Brandon, Carrollwood, Lutz, Sarasota, Clearwater, Dade City, Dunedin, St Petersburg, Palm Harbor, and Bradenton.