Traumatic Brain Injuries: Concussion Symptoms

Daniel Buckfire

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Our Michigan brain injury lawyers frequently represent individuals who suffer brain injuries due to trauma. These injuries can come from car accidents, motorcycle accidents, slip and falls, work-related accidents, and other accidents.

Concussions are the most common and least understood type of traumatic brain injury. A concussion occurs when the soft tissue of the brain is thrust against the hard bone of the skull. The force of a blow or sudden movement affects the brain center controlling the blood vessels in the brain and creates a deficiency of blood supply to the brain.

In a concussion, electrical activity within the brain temporarily diminishes or even ceases as a result of a traumatic brain injury.

Concussion Symptoms include:

• Loss of consciousness
• Dazed or confused behavior
• Rapid and/or weak pulse
• Slow respiration
• Dilated pupils
• Cold and/or pale skin
• Slow reflexes
• General muscle weakness
• Involuntary movement of eyeballs
• Dizziness or headache
• Slurred speech

If a medical doctor is testing, slow waves on an electroencephalogram (EEG) and increased cerebrospinal fluid pressure can also indicate the patient has suffered a concussion.

The Michigan brain injury lawyers at Buckfire & Buckfire understand that these types of injuries have a tremendous effect on an individual’s ability to lead his or her normal life. Changes in personality affect marriages, families, and friendships. Head injury patients are often unable to return to work and suffer a significant impairment of earnings and earning potential. Further, head injury patients often need expensive attendant care services due to their condition. If the injury arose from a car accident, motorcycle accident, truck accident, bicycle accident, or pedestrian accident, there is often a Michigan No-Fault Insurance claim for benefits.

The injuries resulting from traumatic brain injuries are often permanent, and cases involving brain injuries have substantial value for both jury verdicts and settlements. This is because of the tremendous costs and expenses related to caring for a brain injured child and the loss of a child’s earnings over his or her lifetime.

There are many excellent support groups for brain injury patients in their families throughout the United States that promote treatment, prevention, and education. Most states have strong local chapters of the national associations, including a Michigan chapter.