Post Concussion Syndrome
In 2015, Jerry Pilkinton was driving his car across an intersection in Ocala when a roadside assistance truck ran a red light and struck the side of Pilkinton’s car. Pilkinton suffered injuries to the head, neck, and back and required surgeries that involved the placement of titanium cages. He sued the roadside assistance company whose employee ran the red light and caused the accident, and the case eventually settled for $1,000,000, which was the maximum payout under the policy limits of the roadside assistance company’s commercial liability insurance. Parts of the compensation was for future medical expenses, since Pilkinton continued to suffer from post-concussion syndrome nearly a year after the accident. Injured people who suffer residual symptoms after the acute injury they sustained in an accident has healed have the right to seek economic damages for future medical expenses, including the treatment and management of their post-acute symptoms. If you suffer chronic pain or other chronic symptoms resulting from injuries you sustained in a car accident last year, contact a Fort Lauderdale auto accident attorney.
What Is Post Concussion Syndrome, and How Is It Different From Just Plain Concussion?
Concussion is the mildest form of traumatic brain injury (TBI); concussion and TBI are the same injury at varying levels of severity. Doctors often diagnose the severity of the concussion based on the details of how it happened and on the patient’s symptoms in the first hours and days after it happened. For example, if the patient did not lose consciousness when the trauma happened, the doctors might assume that the concussion is mild.
It is difficult to tell the prognosis in the immediate aftermath of the accident, though. Some patients make a full recovery from their concussions within a few weeks of the acute injury, while others go on to develop post-concussion syndrome. The symptoms of post-concussion syndrome can last for months, or even more than a year. They include frequent headaches, which can feel like tension headaches or like migraines. Other symptoms include difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to light, frequent nausea or vomiting, and mood symptoms such as anxiety or irritability. A history of concussions is a risk factor for developing post-concussion syndrome, but the syndrome can also occur in patients who do not have this risk factor.
Getting Compensation for Post Concussion Syndrome Resulting From an Accidental Injury
Car accidents are a common cause of concussion. If you develop post-concussion syndrome after a car accident, your medical expenses may exceed the at fault driver’s policy limits. You might also need to take a leave of absence from work, making your lost income compensable under tort laws. A personal injury lawyer can help you negotiate a settlement or file a lawsuit to get compensation for your financial losses arising from post-concussion syndrome.
Set Up a Consultation Today
A personal injury lawyer can help you if you suffered a concussion as a result of a car accident. Contact Boone & Davis in Fort Lauderdale, Florida or call 954-566-919 to explore your potential recovery options today.
Sources:
lexisnexis.com/jvsubmission/b/case_of_week/archive/2017/07/13/1-million-settlement-paid-to-florida-motorist-struck-by-driver-who-ran-red-light-at-florida-intersection.aspx
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-concussion-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20353352
