Head injuries, like concussions, whether mild or severe, should always be taken seriously because of their inherent risk. As with any injury to the brain, a concussion can be potentially debilitating and cause life-long damage. That’s why it’s important to follow your treatment plan and be especially careful when healing from a concussion, or any brain injury.
Dealing with the side effects or permanent damage from a concussion can severely impact your finances, as well as your physical and emotional well-being. You could be dealing with piling medical bills, high treatment costs, and lost wages from missed work. A traumatic brain injury lawyer from the Law Office of Todd W. Burris can help you recover the financial compensation you deserve after a brain injury that wasn’t your fault.
Concussion Risk Factors
Certain activities make you more prone to getting a concussion, which is a brain injury that happens when you hit your head and your brain jostles inside your skull. Here are some of the actions and activities that put you at higher risk for getting a concussion:
- Falling
- Contact sports, like football, rugby, and soccer
- Specific positions in sports, like linebackers
- Car accidents, and other vehicle collisions
- Migraine history
- Poor or lack of equipment
There are some factors that put you at risk when you already have a concussion. These factors contribute to the severity of your injury, how long it could take you to recover, and the amount of long-term damage done to your brain. Here are some things that put you at risk for worsening your concussion:
- Not following your treatment plan. Your doctor will outline a treatment plan for you so you can recover as best as possible. When you don’t follow that treatment plan, you are at risk for causing yourself more damage to your brain, and potentially re-injuring yourself. Not following your plan can extend your recovery time and prevent you from ever fully recovering.
- Re-injury. The healing process is a delicate time when you have a concussion. Not only do you have to be careful to follow the correct precautions so that you heal properly, you also have to be careful so that you don’t re-injure yourself. Straining your brain too much by continuing to look at screens or hitting your head again could cause re-injury. This can create serious damage and make your concussion much more severe than it originally was.
- History of concussions. If you’ve had previous concussions, even if you’ve fully healed from them, getting another concussion can cause more risk for you because the new injury can worsen your old, healed injuries. Make sure to tell your doctor if you’ve had previous concussions because it could change your baseline for concussion testing and affect your healing process.
Common Treatment for a Concussion
It’s important to remember that concussions should be taken seriously because they can lead to long-term damage, and even could cause death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that traumatic brain injuries kill around 57,000 people a year. That’s why it’s pertinent to follow your treatment plan outlined by your doctor so you have a better chance at fully recovering from your concussion.
The CDC gives these recommendations on concussion treatment and how to recover:
- Get plenty of rest.
- Avoid physical activities.
- Avoid activities that require too much concentration.
- Avoid screens, like cell phones and TV.
- Modify your work schedule to keep from straining.
- Don’t drink alcohol.
- Focus on one thing at a time.
- When recovered, gradually return to activities and work.
If you don’t allow yourself to fully recover from your concussion, you could be at risk for permanent damage, like memory loss, difficulty concentrating, headaches, and potentially losing some motor function like balance. That’s why recovery should be taken seriously—your brain is the most important organ in your body and needs to be treated with extreme care.
Contact the Law Office of Todd W. Burris for Legal Help
When someone else’s negligence has caused an accident that led to your concussion, then you could have a traumatic brain injury claim to file against the responsible party. A traumatic brain injury lawyer from the Law Office of Todd W. Burris in Lexington can help you prove their negligence so you can get the justice you deserve for your injury.
We will fully investigate your claim to find out who was at fault and hold them accountable for their actions that directly or indirectly harmed you. Reach out to us today so we can get started on your case and work on getting you financial compensation for your brain injury and its subsequent costs.
