The Causes And Effect Of Blunt Force Head Trauma
Blunt force head trauma is one of the worst injuries one can suffer from during an accident. That’s because the consequences of this injury are far-reaching. Blunt force head trauma is a type of head injury where the victim’s head surface doesn’t appear injured; however, internal damage or traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs. The impact of blunt force head trauma can be life-changing since the impact of these injuries can last for a lifetime. They can also contribute to decreasing the victim’s life span. Therefore, if you or a loved one suffer from blunt force head injury during an accident for which you’re not responsible, make sure you visit a personal injury lawyer after getting checked by a physician.
Causes Of Blunt Force Head Trauma
Now, the question is, what do you know about traumatic head injuries caused by blunt objects? What actions should you take after that? Is there a chance that the injuries will manifest later? But first, let us look at some causes of blunt force head trauma
1. Car Accidents
The number one cause for this type of injury is car accidents. In almost all accidents involving a car, the accident victims usually suffer some form of blunt force injuries. And in many cases, victims suffer from head trauma. When an accident occurs, the force applied to the car jolts the victims’ bodies causing the victim to hit their heads on the windshield, car windows, steering wheel, the top of the car, or dashboard. The victim could also be ejected from the car and hit their heads on the hard ground.
It’s important to know that blunt force trauma on the body has been identified as the 6th highest cause of death worldwide.
2. Physical Assaults
Another common cause of blunt force head injuries is physical assaults. When a person physically attacks you, the likelihood of being hit on the head is pretty high. However, a study published in the Taylor & Francis Online Journal found that if you’ve been physically assaulted, you’re more likely to suffer injuries on soft tissues on your head, neck, and face rather than suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
3. Falls
Whenever we fall, we rarely hit our heads since we can control how we land on the ground. However, there are cases where it’s impossible to control how we land on the ground and the angle at which we hit the ground. And in such situations, the likelihood of a blunt force injury on our heads occurring is high. And so are the chances that we might suffer from TBI.
4. Sports-Related Accidents
Sports-related accidents are also a common cause of blunt force trauma to the head. According to the CDC, about 1.7 to 3.8 million TBIs are reported by Americans every year. 10% of these TBIs are directly related to sports and other leisure activities. The same report by the CDC also found that over 21% of the TBIs reported among children were related to sports and other leisure activities.
This issue has recently gained public notoriety, especially in contact sports such as football and soccer. The rate of concussions among soccer and football players at all levels of the game is high. However, the rate of head trauma is especially high in professional footballers since a significant number of former NFL players have developed the degenerative brain disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). It’s a condition that affects individuals who have a long history of suffering from repeated head trauma.
Symptoms You May Be Suffering From Internal Head Injuries
Since the internal head injuries caused by blunt force trauma can’t be visibly seen, it’s possible that you’ll not suspect that you’ve been injured immediately after being hit. The symptoms might take minutes, hours, or a few days before they appear. Therefore, we recommend that the moment you suffer from a blunt force trauma on your head, visit your physician immediately for a proper check-up.
The following are the symptoms you should watch out for;
- Pain
- Swelling or bruising
- Redness
- Tenderness and abrasions
- Concussions
It would be best if you took all cases of head injuries seriously since they could easily lead to death. Prompt medical intervention may save a life.
What Are The Short Term And Long Term Effects Of Blunt Force Head Injuries
Depending on the severity of the blunt force head injury, the effect of the injury could be long-term or short-term.
1. Short Term Effects
When you suffer a minor blunt force head injury, the effects of the injury may disappear within a few hours, days, or weeks. The amount of time it takes for them to disappear is influenced by when the effects first appear.
It could take minutes, hours, or days before you start suffering from the following effects. Blurry vision, loss of consciousness, poor coordination and balance, partial or full limb paralysis, seizures, slurred speech, headaches, low blood pressure, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and fatigue.
2. Long Term Effects
The severity of blunt force head trauma can lead to TBIs or death. And in most cases, the effect of TBIs is usually long-term and life-altering. The likelihood of the quality of your life being reduced is also high.
These long-term effects include poor vision, difficulty in executive function, problems with tasting and smelling, memory problems, increased irritability and personality changes, increased sensitivity to noise and light, poor reading ability, depression and anxiety, poor concentration, and poor motor skills. There is also an increased likelihood of developing degenerative brain diseases like Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), especially if you have many head injuries over a long period.
The likelihood of suffering from head injuries can be reduced if we practice wearing helmets, wearing safety belts, driving, and riding safely on the road. However, it’s nearly impossible to avoid getting in accidents where you or a loved one suffer blunt force head trauma. If you were not responsible for the accident, you should protect yourself or your loved one by asking the liable party to compensate you for the damages and losses incurred.
Some of the losses you’re likely to incur include loss of income, long-term use of medication and need of medical care, and the loss of ability to work. Therefore, if you want to recover these losses, visit our website via this link https://lawofficesofmitchellozeri.com/ and get in touch with a personal injury lawyer.
Ozeri Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyers
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