Mild Brain Injury

No other personal injury lawyer or personal injury law firm in Michigan has handled more traumatic brain injury cases or more mild brain injury cases more successfully than Michigan Auto Law. One reason for this record of success with traumatic brain injury verdicts and personal injury settlements is because these injuries are so frequently misunderstood by personal injury attorneys, both in Michigan and throughout the U.S.

A blow or jolt to the head, causing a brain injury, can disrupt the normal function of the brain. Doctors often call this type of brain injury a mild brain injury or a concussion. Doctors may describe these injuries as "mild" because concussions are usually not life threatening. Even so, the effects of a mild brain injury or concussion can be serious and permanent.

After a mild brain injury or concussion, some people lose consciousness or are knocked out for a short time, but not always. You can have a brain injury without losing consciousness. Some people are simply dazed or confused. Sometimes whiplash can cause a mild brain injury or concussion.

Because the brain is very complex, every brain injury is different. Some symptoms of a mild brain injury or concussion may appear right away, while others may not show up for days or weeks after the injury. Sometimes the brain injury makes it hard for people to recognize or to admit that they are having problems.

The signs of a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion can be subtle. Early on, problems may be missed by patients, family members, and doctors. People may look fine even though they're acting or feeling differently.

Because all brain injuries are different, so is recovery. Many people with brain injuries or concussions recover fully, but it can take time. Some symptoms can last for days, weeks, or longer. In general, recovery is slower in older persons. Also, persons who have had a brain injury or concussion in the past may find that it takes longer to recover from their current injury. This is referred to as reserve brain capacity in the literature.

People with a brain injury or concussion need to be seen by a doctor. Most people with a brain injury or concussion are treated in an emergency department or a doctor's office. Some people must stay in the hospital overnight for further treatment.

Sometimes the doctors may do a CT scan of the brain or do other tests to help diagnose your injuries. Even if the brain injury or concussion doesn't show up on these tests, you may still have such an injury.

Your doctor will send you home with important instructions to follow. For example, your doctor may ask someone to wake you up every few hours during the first night and day after your head injury.

In rare cases, along with a brain injury or concussion, a dangerous blood clot may form on the brain and crowd the brain against the skull. Contact your doctor or emergency department right away if, after a head injury, you have any of these danger signs:

• Headaches that get worse
• Weakness, numbness, or decreased coordination
• Repeated vomiting

The people checking on you should take you to an emergency department right away if you:

• Cannot be awakened
• Have one pupil - the black part in the middle of the eye - larger than the other
• Have convulsions or seizures
• Have slurred speech
• Are getting more and more confused, restless, or agitated

Take your child to the emergency department right away if the child has received a blow or jolt to the head and has any of the following danger signs:

• Won't stop crying
• Can't be consoled
• Won't nurse or eat

Although you should contact your child's doctor if your child vomits more than once or twice, vomiting is more common in younger children and is less likely to be an urgent sign of danger than it is in an adult.

Events resulting in a traumatic brain injury or a concussion are often the subject of litigation. To protect your legal rights following a car accident resulting in a traumatic brain injury or a concussion, it is generally wise to consult a Michigan brain injury attorney who is experienced in handling traumatic brain injury cases. No personal injury law firm in Michigan has handled more cases than Michigan Auto Law. And no law firm in Michigan has achieved better results.

A Michigan personal injury lawyer experienced in brain injuries can help "level the playing field" by providing brain injury survivors with information regarding the practical and legal aspects of Michigan personal injury law.

For a review of your claim, please contact us.