Brampton personal injury lawyers often deal with clients who seem to have escaped “unscathed” following a serious car, slip and fall or sports accident. Either their injuries appear minor or they seem to have healed quickly and well. However, it’s important to remain vigilant for late appearing symptoms that could appear much after the initial impact. Certain types of brain injury fall into this category.

Why We Don’t Feel Immediate Effects

The body’s stress responses after a traumatic event protect us from feeling immediate pain so that we can decide on “fight or flight.” Pain is also masked by release of endorphins  which can create an elevated mood or a temporary “high.” If there were others who appear to be more seriously injured, people tend to concentrate on getting emergency medical help to them and ignore their own symptoms. However, once these effects pass, the true symptoms show up. Hence, doctors recommend a certain period of observation in hospital for people involved in accidents.

Brain Injury Symptoms Can Be Delayed

Doctors often refer to these symptoms as the “invisible illness,” especially in the case of football players and other sports persons. Many of them succumb to high rates of depression, suicide, memory loss, etc after retirement caused by repetitive brain trauma or chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries, while unintentional blunt force trauma are another major cause. Accidents and assault can also contribute to the problem.

Thousands of people are injured in low-velocity, low-impact accidents but the symptoms are either not present or they’re completely ignored. The tragic case of actress Natasha Richardson comes to mind, which was a classic case of “talk and die.”

According to neurosurgeons, even a mild concussion can cause irreversible brain damage. Accidents like falling off a horse or ladder, trips and slips, rear-ender collisions, repeated head-trauma during a game/sport can cause this condition.

Don’t Ignore These Symptoms

Brampton car accident lawyers and Brampton slip and fall accident lawyers know that the most common reason why people tend to make light of their symptoms is the “I-hate-making-a-fuss!” syndrome. They may also feel that given time, these symptoms will simply go away, and that a certain amount of pain/discomfort is only to be expected.

Doctors could initially miss them if the patient doesn’t report unusual symptoms. However, there are certain unmistakable symptoms that should never be ignored:

• Headaches, dizziness, disorientation, loss of balance
• Mood or personality changes
• Nausea, spasms
• Memory lapses
• Blurred/double vision
• Ringing in the ears
• Problems with concentration, focus, reasoning
• Sleep disturbances
• Anxiety/panic attacks, confusion, depression
• Slowing down in thinking and reacting
• Language and speech difficulties

If left undiagnosed/untreated, the person runs the risk of developing brain-bleeding, edema etc.

Compensation

Seek medical help immediately following accidents, no matter what the nature/extent of injuries. Such injuries could result in time taken off from work, loss of income, high medical and rehabilitation expenses and pain and suffering. Injured victims are entitled to seek compensation from those responsible for the accident that caused their injuries. Our experienced 24×7 injury lawyers can advise and assist you with the claims process.