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Why medical care is so important after a head injury

On Behalf of | Jul 15, 2024 | Personal Injury

Have you suffered a head injury, perhaps in a motor vehicle crash? Maybe you were just driving through an intersection when someone ran the red light and hit the side of your car. Before the vehicles came to a halt, your head hit the window and you suffered a brain injury.

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, you may think that the injury isn’t that bad. There’s a minor bruise, but it’s a closed head injury. You have a slight headache. You may be tempted not to go to the hospital or get medical care because it doesn’t seem serious and you think you will just recover on your own. But this could be a very risky decision to make.

The symptoms may get worse

The thing to keep an eye on is how those symptoms progress. Many traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) actually get worse with time. You can’t assume that the injury will heal.

Plus, that injury could be much more serious than the symptoms suggest. For instance, you may have suffered a hematoma, where there’s bleeding inside of the brain tissue. At the beginning, before much fluid has accumulated, the symptoms are mild. You may think you have a concussion.

But over time, without medical care, the pressure on the brain continues to build. In some cases, it can become so significant that people pass away or have severe ramifications like a loss of consciousness, loss of motor skills and serious cognitive impairments.

Seeking compensation

In other words, it’s always best to meet with doctors to see how serious your injury is. Doing so can be expensive, but you may be able to seek financial compensation from the other driver.