Blunt force trauma to the head is one of the most frequent reasons for visiting the emergency room. If you or a loved one has sustained a head injury in an accident, you can receive financial compensation in a lawsuit. If you even suspect that you have suffered any head injury, it is vital to see a doctor as soon as possible because these injuries can get worse over time.
With all the recent media focus on concussions, people are more likely than ever to get medical treatment if they even suspect that they have any head injury. If statistics show that blunt force injuries to the head are on the rise, in part, it is because more people see doctors when they suspect a brain injury. However, the number of accidents that can cause blunt force trauma injuries is also increasing in the U.S.
Common examples of injuries that people suffer from blunt force injuries to the head include:
- Concussions
- Skull fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries (the number of these in the U.S. increased 53 percent from 2006 to 2014)
- Hematomas
- Hemorrhaging
- Lacerations
These injuries can lead to death or serious long-term injury. For accident victims who survive, they may face a lifetime of suffering and medical bills. The good news is that you and your family can recover financial compensation, working closely with your brain injury attorney.
Here are some of the different types of accidents that can leave you or a loved one with blunt force injuries to the head. For each of these, you can file a lawsuit if someone else’s actions or inaction was the cause of your injury. First, you should contact an experienced head injury lawyer to learn more about your legal rights and the process that you need to follow to secure payment for your injuries.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car accidents are one of the leading causes of blunt force trauma injuries to the head. While the national seat belt use rate in the U.S. now tops 90 percent, it is still not always enough to save accident victims from brain and skull injuries. According to a CDC report, brain injuries from motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of TBIs.
Here, a driver or a passenger could hit their head on the dashboard during an accident if the airbags did not properly deploy or the car flips. Even if the airbag deploys, vehicle occupants are still at risk of blunt force trauma injuries to the head due to the speed and force of the crash. Finally, they could suffer severe head lacerations from the airbag or shattered glass.
Falls
One of the most common lawsuits in the U.S. is a case filed for a slip and fall accident. Many of the resulting injuries are sprains and fractures, but the fall can also be more serious. In some cases, the victim will fall from a high place or fall backward. When fall victims hit their heads in the fall, they can suffer severe injuries. Over eight million people each year go to the hospital for fall injuries. Falls are the second-leading cause of death from TBIs
While many fall victims are over the age of 65, everyone is at risk. Nursing home neglect causes some of the most common fall injuries. In this case, you could file a wrongful death lawsuit against the nursing home where the fall occurred.
Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrians can suffer serious head injuries from collisions with cars. The pedestrian can be severely hurt if they go through the windshield of the car. They could also fall to the ground and hit their head on the pavement. Such a traumatic accident can cause a severe brain injury, skull fracture, or serious lacerations.
The number of pedestrian fatalities is increasing in the U.S. after a long period of decline. An increase in distracted driving means that pedestrians could be at risk in every intersection, especially when drivers do not slow down before impact. Most pedestrians are likely to be at risk of a lasting injury if they survive the initial accident.
Assaults
When someone is physically attacked and assaulted, there is a chance of a traumatic blunt force injury to the head. Assaults are the cause of roughly nine percent of traumatic brain injuries in the U.S. In these cases, the assailant either strikes the victim in the head or the victim falls and hits their head on the ground. In assault cases, the victim and their family can file a lawsuit against the attacker and the entity that was responsible for providing security in the area as part of a premises liability case.
Bite Injuries
While many people think of blunt force trauma injuries in terms of impact on the head, dog bites can also result in similar injuries. In fact, severe dog bite attacks not only have penetration of the skin, but they can also cause brain and spinal cord injuries. Children are the most likely to suffer trauma injuries from dog bites, as dogs tend to bite children in the head and neck area. In these cases, the damage from the bite can be considerable. More dangerous breeds of dogs such as pit bulls are more likely to cause blunt force trauma injuries.
Motorcycle and Bicycle Accidents
Bikers are vulnerable to blunt force trauma head injuries even when they are wearing a helmet. The impact of the accident will often send them flying over the handlebars of their bike and to the ground. If they land on their head, they will suffer severe injuries.
Motorcyclists and bikers have much less protection since there is nothing to blunt the force of the collision. Their helmet alone is not enough to shield them from serious injury when their head hits the ground in a fall. Almost 20 percent of hospitalized motorcyclists have some sort of head injury.
One surprising fact is that bikers suffer more head injuries each year than football players. With more bicyclists on the road these days as people emphasize alternate modes of transportation, the number of serious injuries to bicyclists is increasing.
Truck Accidents
Drivers and their passengers are at increased risk from all the trucks on the road. The large and heavy size of these vehicles increases the impact of the crash. The impact can cause a large jerking effect that causes the brain to move violently in the skull. Drivers can suffer severe head injuries from truck accidents, even when there is no impact. Physical trauma is even more likely when there is a head-on crash or direct impact. With the amount of truck miles driven having quadrupled from 1975 to 2018, motorists are in even more danger from trucks.
Sports Injuries
Roughly ten percent of the traumatic brain injuries in the U.S. each year come from sports injuries. Most of these injuries are concussions. Some injured people can suffer a lifetime of symptoms from the damage of one or more concussions. Sports-related head injuries are most often concussions, but can also be contusions and lacerations.
If your child suffered a blunt force trauma injury to their head from playing sports, especially if the coach, school, or league failed to follow concussion protocols, you can speak with an attorney about filing a lawsuit against the school district or the organization for which they were playing. Just because you may have signed a waiver does not mean that the school is relieved from the responsibility of protecting their players.
Work Accidents
Employees fall on the job for many reasons. Construction workers are most at risk of falls, but any employee at a physical or factory job can slip or have something strike their heads. They could also have an accident when traveling in a work vehicle or using industrial equipment such as a backhoe or forklift. In many of these cases, they would need to file a workers’ compensation claim for their injuries, but when a party other than their employer is liable (or if their employer was grossly negligent), they can file a brain injury lawsuit.
Playground Equipment Injuries
Over 35,000 children each year under the age of 14 suffer head injuries from accidents on playground equipment. They often suffer injuries on trampolines and other collisions on the equipment. However, playground injuries also often occur because of safety issues with the equipment. In those cases, families could file lawsuits against either the playground owner (possibly a school district or city) or playground equipment maker.
Why You Must Always Seek Treatment for a Blunt Force Head Injury
Some head injuries are severe enough that victims will need immediate life-saving treatment at the accident scene. If the victim’s life may be in danger, they will need emergency transportation to the nearest hospital.
Accident victims should seek medical treatment for every head injury. Some people want to keep going. Whether they do not want to miss work or just do not like going to the doctor, they may hesitate to get the care that they need. Head injuries can get worse over time. Some injuries may seem minor at first, but can get worse over time without treatment.
In addition, prompt treatment of head injuries can help minimize the potential for long-term damage. Time can be of the essence, especially when you are dealing with bleeding on the brain. Accident victims can be at greater risk when a medical professional does not get the situation under control as soon as possible.
When it comes to a possible legal case, medical treatment can also help to document injuries. Your medical records will form the basis for your legal claim. Without seeing a doctor, you might not prove that you suffered injuries and the extent of your injuries.
How a Brain Injury Lawyer Can Help After Your Head Injury
After the incident, you may face a pile of medical bills while you cannot work. In a best-case scenario, recovery from a head injury requires rest. Regardless, any time off your feet is time that you cannot earn a living.
However, in other instances, head injuries could require surgery and rehabilitation, if you can even fully recover at all. Some head trauma can leave you with lasting injuries that take away from the quality of your life.
You can receive financial compensation after an accident that has left you with a head injury. First, you must file a claim with the insurance company or a brain injury lawsuit.
One of the first calls that you should make after you or a loved one suffers head injuries is to a brain injury attorney. They will work with you to establish the facts of your accident and to see if a legal claim can pay you compensation.
Their assessment could involve:
- Gathering evidence from the scene of the accident
- Speaking to people who witnessed the incident
- Reviewing police reports
- Reviewing your medical records
How Your Attorney Will Seek Payment for Your Head Injury
Once you and your lawyer determine the responsible party or parties, you will begin to seek payment. Your lawyer could negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to help you reach the best possible settlement. If there is no agreement between you and the insurer, your injury lawyer can file a lawsuit seeking financial compensation.
If worries about the cost of the brain injury lawyer keep you from getting legal help, don’t worry. Your brain injury attorney works for you on a contingency basis, meaning they do not receive any fees if you do not receive any money for your claim or lawsuit. You will not get hit with a large bill for your attorney’s services after the case. If you win, they receive payment from your settlement or jury award.
