Stop Saying “I’m Fine”: Understanding Head Injuries From Accidents
There are several types of head injuries, some more serious than others. Here’s a guide to help you understand them.
Suffered a Head Bump in an Accident? Do Not Ignore Hidden Symptoms
After a car crash, a sudden slip, or a workplace mishap, your adrenaline is pumping. Your first instinct is to shrug it off and tell yourself: “I’m fine.”
But when it comes to head injuries, believing you are fine too early can be dangerous.
While some traumatic head injuries are immediately obvious, others are silent. Hidden dangers that can develop over days or weeks. This guide will help you understand the most common types of head damage, and the symptoms to watch out for. A medical checkup is the only way to protect your health – and your legal rights.
Concussion, Internal Bleeding, and Brain Injuries in New York
A bump to the head from a car crash, a slip and fall, or a construction accident can have devastating consequences for your future. The brain is the body’s most protected organ, but a violent impact can cause severe damage. And this trauma is not always visible to the naked eye.
Our partners have decades of experience proving the real value of these catastrophic injuries. And we’ve forced insurance companies to pay hefty compensations.
If you have hit your head in an accident, see a doctor immediately. There are several types of head injuries. And a proper medical checkup with an MRI, X-rays, or a CT scan can reveal the exact nature of your head injury. In the meantime, this guide can help you sort through the symptoms.
Some head injuries are more serious than others, but all of them are able to impact your future quality of life.
🌎 Comparte con alguien que prefiera español: Visita nuestra guía de tipos de lesiones de cabeza que no debes ignorar tras un accidente en Nueva York.
Find Your Answers Fast:
Never wait for symptoms to worsen or for the insurance company to use your delay to deny your claim. Always seek medical attention following an accident if you have hit your head or suffered a head trauma.
Main Types of Head Injuries (What to Watch For)
☑️ How much a head injury claim pays out starts with how serious the injury is. .. and ends with having a legal team that knows how to unlock every dollar.
That is why it is important to know the types of cranial injuries that can result from a car, motorcycle, or bicycle accident, slip and falls, and even at work – particularly in construction.
Let’s dive into them:
Let’s be honest, getting hit in the face with tax papers isn’t usually how a head injury happens!
But in real life, a sudden bump to the head is no joke. Whether it’s a sudden stop on the commute or an unexpected slip, a simple bump can leave hidden symptoms that appear days later.
1. Concussion: Signs of a Concussion You Might Miss 🩼
☑️ A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury affecting its function. It results from the brain moving inside the skull.
It can be caused by a:
- violent jolt (such as what happens when you are rear-ended and your head whips forward and backward) or
- blow against a hard surface (such as when you bump your head against the floor and may even bounce against it)
The doctors will make a neurological assessment where they will check your vision, coordination, reflexes, and your gait. As well as your thinking and your memory.
The effects of a concussion range from mild and temporary to very serious.
How long do concussion symptoms take to show up?
They can show up right away or they may take days. But they could be seen in imaging 24 to 36 hours after the head blow.
⚠️ Even if you had a CT scan right after an accident to check for a skull fracture, bleeding or swelling, ask for an MRI 24 hours later. Check for swelling once more. It could save your life.
➡️ And, yes, you can go to sleep after hitting your head – unless the doctor says otherwise. Rest is important.
If you have injured your head due to a motorcycle accident, car accident, a fall, or at a construction site in Long Island or NYC and it was not your fault, call Liga De Justicia Injury Lawyers. We will evaluate your case for free and with no obligation. Let us show you what we can do for you.
2. Hemorrhage: Internal Bleeding and Sensitivity to Light and Sound 🩸
☑️ A hemorrhage is uncontrolled bleeding inside the skull.
It can occur around the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage) or within the brain tissue itself (intracerebral hemorrhage). Both are very severe injuries and must be treated immediately by medical professionals.
⚠️ Critical Warning Signs of Hemorrhage:
If you are experiencing a throbbing headache, feel drowsy and nauseous, or your pupils are different sizes, pay attention.
It’s possible to feel muscle paralysis, inability to speak, sensitivity to light and sound, and disorientation. If this is the case, get to the nearest Emergency Room as soon as possible. 🚨
3. Skull Fracture: Severe Structural Impacts 💥
☑️ This is a break in the bones of the head.
The skull is different from other bones in the body because it does not have bone marrow. While this makes it incredibly strong, it also reduces its ability to absorb the impact of a blow to the head. This increases the risk of suffering a severe brain trauma or sustaining traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) when there’s a skull fracture.
⚠️ Signs of a Skull Fracture:
A penetrating injury or pain, bruising, redness, and swelling in the injured area are signs to head to the ER.
4. Hematoma or Contusion: More Serious than it Seems ⚠️🟣
Headache that gets worse? Sometimes, a blow to the head can be so violent that blood vessels rupture without exposing the brain. This type of bleeding can form a hematoma inside the skull, putting pressure on the brain.
☑️ A hematoma is a collection, or clotting, of blood outside the blood vessels.
It can be very serious and can lead to permanent brain damage.
5. Diffuse Axonal Injury: Whiplash and Silent Brain Damage 🧠
☑️ Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) is a type of TBI due to sudden tearing or stretching of the brain tissue.
In the United States, TBIs are a leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults.
A diffuse axonal injury does not cause a hemorrhage, but it does damage brain cells (neurons). It is highly dangerous because it can cause inflammation and severe brain lesions. And it is not always visible on MRI scans.
⚠️ The most common cause of this type of head injury is a rear-end car accident due to the violent shaking of the head, even at low speeds – the famous whiplash.
6. Edema: Swelling After a Head Bump 💦
Many brain injuries can trigger swelling (edema). Keep in mind that even a small bump on the head can cause considerable inflammation.
Swelling can occur outside the skull on the scalp, but it is far more dangerous when it happens inside it because it puts pressure directly on the brain.
Symptoms of Head Trauma or Blows to the Head
The Danger of Delayed Symptoms: Head injuries or head traumas do not always manifest immediately.
Many workers or drivers feel “fine” right after the impact due to adrenaline. However, symptoms of actual brain damage often appear days later.
How long do concussion symptoms take to show up? It varies, meaning you might feel fine right after hitting your head in the accident, but you may experience:
- Delayed headache that worsens over time
- Dizziness, disorientation
- Vomiting or feeling nauseous after hitting your head
- Loss of consciousness
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) that requires medical attention
- Loss or blurred vision
- Memory problems or speech impediments like slurred words
days or even a week later.
⚠️ Prevention is Better Than Cure: It is critical to go to a hospital emergency room, an urgent care center, or your doctor’s office to get examined after hitting your head in an accident.
If you are unsure whether you suffered a head injury in an accident, go to the doctor and get checked out right away. Do not wait for the insurance company to use that delay to deny your claim.
Speak with Leading NYC and Long Island Head Injury Attorneys
☑️ If you or a family member has suffered a serious head injury, you may be entitled to compensation. Medical treatment expenses, limited of ability to work, pain and suffering are exhausting. Facing rising medical bills, lost wages, months of rehabilitation, or permanent disability after you or a loved one has suffered a head trauma is overwhelming.
☑️ You do not have to face these expenses or this legal battle alone. Our experienced head injury lawyers are relentless in the pursuit of justice. We know exactly how to build and file a powerful legal claim on your behalf against the at-fault party’s insurance.
☑️ We are committed to obtaining justice for you. Speak with one of our leading injury attorneys. Let us show you what we can do for you.
Victim of an accident and would like to know what is the average payout for a head injury claim? Speak with our top-rated personal injury attorneys to get answers.
We Are Waiting For Your Call – Contact Us 24/7
✅ FREE and Confidential Consultation.
✅ More than $700,000,000 in cases won for our clients.
✅ Your case is handled exclusively by Firm Partners.
✅ Your legal status doesn’t matter.
✅ If We Don’t Win, You Don’t Pay a Dime.
More Head Injuries FAQs for New York state
Not every brain injury involves a blow to the head. If the brain is deprived of oxygen, cells start to die in minutes. These are called hypoxic injuries or injuries due to lack of oxygen.
They can cause permanent brain damage and they can happen due oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery, missed strokes, or delayed medical response to heart attacks. These can sometimes lead to catastrophic injury claims.
The shortest timeframes are 90 days when a city, town, or county are involved.
Most negligence claims have a 3-year deadline from the date of injury.
Always consult with an attorney to understand your own filing deadlines.
Personal Injury Lawyers Near You
