Your Accident-Related Neck Pain Could be a Symptom of Traumatic Brain Injury
Many people assume that experiencing neck pain after an accident is indicative of whiplash, pulled muscles, or even a nerve injury. This type of symptom could, however, point to a more serious injury, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by accident-related head trauma.
What is a Traumatic Brain Injury?
Traumatic brain injuries occur when the head suffers a blunt force impact that causes the brain itself to move inside the skull, or when an external object actually penetrates and damages the brain tissue itself. Both types of trauma can cause serious injuries, including everything from a mild concussion to brain bleeds.
Neck Pain Can be a Symptom of TBI
The symptoms of a TBI are wide ranging. Many of those who suffer from concussions, for instance, experience headaches, a loss of consciousness and nausea and vomiting. Skull fractures, on the other hand, are more likely to cause bruising and swelling. One symptom that many people aren’t aware of, however, but that many TBI victims suffer from, is neck pain. Persistent pain at the base of the skull or upper part of the neck could be indicative not of an injury to the neck itself, but to the brain. This pain can cause other symptoms, like chronic headaches, dizziness, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. Generally, the pain worsens as a victim tries to move and can start immediately upon impact, or even days after the accident.
Accidents That Can Cause TBI-Related Neck Pain
While many people associate traumatic brain injuries with car accidents and sports injuries, the reality is that falls are actually the most common cause of brain injuries in the U.S., although car accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents are also linked to thousands of TBIs every year, as are explosions. Regardless of the cause of the injury, neck pain is consistently reported as one of the most common symptoms experienced by TBI victims. In fact, nearly 35 percent of TBI victims report neck pain that is as severe or worse than other symptoms within the first 72 hours after sustaining their injury. Unfortunately, this number doesn’t always decrease over time, with many accident victims stating that their neck pain grew worse in the months following their injuries.
Getting Medical Care After an Accident
One of the worst things about neck pain after an accident is that many people don’t assume that the symptom is indicative of a head injury and so fail to seek a medical opinion. Failing to get medical care at this point can have significant repercussions, not only for a person’s well-being, as it delays treatment, but can also affect the outcome of a personal injury claim. This is because insurers are far less likely to approve claims when there is a period of time between an injury and a course of treatment. To avoid this, injured parties who experience any symptoms after an accident should be sure to seek medical attention right away.
Schedule an Initial Consultation with Our Legal Team Today
If you are battling neck pain after an accident, you could be suffering from a traumatic brain injury. For an assessment of your legal options following such an injury, feel free to call the experienced Fort Lauderdale traumatic brain injury lawyers at Boone & Davis today.
Source:
cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html
