Can I have a concussion if I didn’t hit my head?
People ask me all the time, they say, “I was in a pretty serious car accident but I didn’t strike my head in anything in the vehicle and I didn’t lose consciousness. Is it possible that I’ve suffered a concussion?” The answer is yes and in fact, not only a concussion but a traumatic brain injury could ensue. Oftentimes it is the shearing of the brain in the car accident, that causes a traumatic brain injury.
What do I mean by that? Well, intracranially speaking, your brain itself is sitting in fluid, in your skull. When your vehicle hits another vehicle, the impact obviously to the vehicle, you see the damage to the vehicle. What happens to your brain in your skull in that accident? It’s something you don’t realize at the moment because it happens so rapidly. Normally, if you were hit from behind, for example, your head may literally go forward, whipping forward and backward very, very rapidly. So rapidly that you won’t even remember what happened.
You may not have intracranial hemorrhaging or bleeding at the scene, however, you may start to feel symptoms. You may go through vertigo, dizziness, loss of memory, mood swings. All these kinds of things are signs, so you want to look to your family members and loved ones, if they notice certain things are going on with you, take it very seriously and seek professional help when it comes to a traumatic brain injury.
If you’ve suffered something like this, or you’re not sure, you’ve been involved in a serious wreck or car accident or truck accident, please call us, we’re here to help you.
Dealing with Degenerative Disc Disease from a Car Accident in New Jersey
Car accidents can cause injuries and exacerbate existing ones. Regardless of the damage, insurance companies will go out of their way to discredit plaintiffs to avoid or limit the compensation they would have to pay. There are many cases like this documented across the United States including class action lawsuits.
Car accident victims sustaining neck or back injuries due to a collision will usually find themselves in a very long and painful journey to recovery. Additionally, they will have to go up against insurance companies whose primary goal is to compensate the victim as little as possible or nothing at all.
If you or someone you know has suffered neck or back injuries because of a car accident due to another party’s fault, then you need to consult a lawyer. A lawyer can help you understand your options and how to get the compensation you deserve.
Understanding Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease is a chronic condition that happens when discs between the vertebrae lose their cushioning, resulting in herniation. Although it is medically called a “disease,” it can develop due to aging and most people are at risk of the body degenerating over time.
The problem usually happens in two ways: when molecules lose water, therefore, reducing the space between the vertebrae and applying pressure on the other joints of the spinal cord; and when the disc’s outer layer becomes rigid and cracks, forcing fluid out the disc. The aging process contributes, possibly producing bone spurs that can compress the spinal cord.
When someone is in a car accident, the impact of the collision could exert enormous pressure on the neck, back, and spine. Any previous neck or back conditions or injury may contribute to a worsening of the situation.
The question now is how you can qualify for compensation since insurance companies often use pre-existing conditions to refuse payment or limit the amount awarded. What happens if you have a degenerative disc disease even before the accident?
The settlement will depend on several factors. Primarily, the treatment of your condition and the severity of the accident will be considered the most. For example, you may require surgery or therapy or both. You need to provide proof that the car accident contributed or worsened your condition. Detailed medical records can support your claim including tests like an MRI, CT scan or X-ray.
You should consult with your lawyer on the documents or types of information required to strengthen your case. You may also need to provide the insurance company access to your medical records while processing your claim.
Types of compensation you can receive include:
- Economic damages -compensation for financial losses and expenses you incurred due to the accident. Losses could come in the form of lost wages, lost employment opportunities or reduced earning capacity. Other economic damages may include transportation costs, present and anticipated medical bills.
- Non-economic damages -this is compensation for pain and suffering like mental anguish over permanent disability resulting from the injury.
In most states, your settlement compensation may also vary depending on if another party’s negligence caused the accident. You should consult with your lawyer about comparative or contributory negligence. At Grossman, we have highly skilled lawyers who can effectively and professionally handle your case.
How do I get treatment for a concussion or a TBI caused by a car accident?
We will refer you to the doctors that are appropriate for your level of care and your needs. You may notice things that you’re not correlating with the traumatic brain injury but they may actually be a part of it. We here at the Grossman Law Firm pride ourselves in our network of physicians that we’ve built, over the last 15 years, to support our clients in their time of need. Please, call us. We’re here simply to help you.
My brain MRI or CT scan was normal after my car accident does that mean I don’t have a TBI?
You may have lost consciousness for a brief period of time, you may not. You may be feeling certain symptoms of vertigo, dizziness, nausea, memory loss, but they told you in the hospital that your MRI, or your CAT scan, your CT scan was normal. Does that mean you don’t have a concussion, or that you don’t have a potential traumatic brain injury? There answer is, those tests are not definitive, but the reality is we see time and time again people suffer. We implore you to make sure that you go to the right physicians to determine the extent of your potential traumatic brain injury.
There are many, many things that professionals can offer you, but it’s important to know trust yourself, trust your instincts and call us here at the Grossman Law Firm. We will help guide you through this process from a legal standpoint and also help you, referring you to the physicians that are experts in this area to guide you through this difficult time.
I was discharged from the hospital after being told I have whiplash. Does that mean I’m okay?
One of the most common questions I get here at the Grossman Law Firm is that “I went to the hospital, I was taken there by ambulance after my car accident or truck accident, they diagnosed me with a cervical sprain or lumbar sprain or something like that. They may have given me a few x rays. The question is, am I going to be okay? Does this mean that I’m fine?” That’s actually a common misconception because a hospital is really only concerned about the major trauma. They want to make sure that you didn’t fracture any bones in your vertebra, right in your cervical lumbar spine.
What we really worry about is the long-term effects from things like dis carnations in your neck or in your lower back. That isn’t something that the hospital is usually going to discover. They’re going to discover that when you follow up with the physicians and you do physical therapy and eventually you get MRIs. MRIs are the gold standard for your physicians to understand exactly what’s going on inside your spine
The reality is that this is potentially a very serious, long-term permanent injury and nobody on the treatment team, nobody in the hospital has suspected that’s what you had but over time, you may learn, unfortunately, that you got worse instead of better. In which case, if that does happen, it’s obviously very serious. That is why here at the Grossman Law Firm we specialize in these types of claims, these types of injuries. If you have any questions whatsoever, you’ve been in a car accident, trucking accident, you don’t know where to turn, please call us at the Grossman Law Firm, here in New Jersey. That’s what we’re here for.
About Grossman Law
For over 25 years, Personal Injury Attorney Scott Grossman has been fighting for the rights of the injured throughout New Jersey. He has helped thousands obtain their fair and just monetary compensation to pay for medical treatment, pain and suffering, and more. Mr. Grossman and his legal team truly care about their clients and provide each with devoted and individual personal attention. Whether you have been the victim of an NJ motor vehicle accident, trucking accident, dog bite, brain injury, construction accident, pharmacy error, wrongful death, workplace injury or any other type of injury, we are here to help you recover the fair and just compensation you truly deserve.
Our 5 Locations In New Jersey: Freehold, NJ, Clifton, NJ, Old Bridge, NJ, Matawan, NJ, and Sayreville, NJ
