This is a question I was asked on WAVE Listens a couple of months ago about what to do if you have been hurt in a car accident when you go to the doctor or hospital:

“My neighbor lady, she’s 85.  She’s from Germany.  Someone hit her yesterday evening and I’m taking her to the hospital here in about half an hour.  She’s refused an ambulance but she was hit so hard it knocked her hairnet off of her head.

What else I should do today for her?  I was going to take her to the hospital to be checked out.  She has a bad headache and she said it did throw her head forward really hard so we’re going to get her checked out to make sure she doesn’t have some whiplash and make sure she didn’t have any back injury out of it.”

It is important to make sure that she does understand the questions that are being posed to her since English is a second language.  It will be assumed that she understands any question she answers. She should not answer any question that she is unclear on.

It is very important that you tell her not to minimize her injuries.  We have a tendency when we go to the doctor to try to make things seem a little better than they really are.

Make sure she tells the doctor everything that’s been going on with her from the time she was in the accident up until that appointment. Whether it’s gone away or not gone away, such as the headache you spoke of, tell the doctor. If the headache goes away by the time you take her to the emergency room she should still state that she had a headache because that could indicate that she had a concussion or a closed head injury.

Another thing that is very important for her to tell the doctors is any other problems she’s ever had with her back, whether they were minimal or not. If the doctor asks her if she has been in prior accidents she should tell them about all prior accidents that she has been in whether or not she had been hurt or not hurt.

She should hold off until she’s feeling better to speak with the insurance adjuster or sign any paperwork. This will help make sure she has a clear head and has had a chance to speak with a personal injury attorney about her accident.

The abnormal motion or force applied to the neck in motor vehicle accidents causes the neck’s movement beyond the normal range of motion that leads to “whiplash”. Neck pain can occur immediately, minutes, hours or even later after the car accident. Headaches are also experienced from this type of injury. Headaches are commonly cervicogenic, that is they originate in the structures of the neck such as ligaments.

A case report

You must be carful not to ignore headaches after a car accident.  A headache may be a symptom of a more sever injury.  Let me give you an exapmple from a study I recently read.

A 65-year-old woman visited a chiropractor six days after a car accident.  She voiced complaints of neck pain, lower back pain and headache. She did not seek immediate medical attention after the accident, she had no loss of consciosness and she did not hit any body parts on the interior of the vehicle. She took Advil, which provided her some pain relief. Her memory function and cognition was good. She described her headache as “a pressure-like sensation.” She went through a treatment program of mobilization of the upper spine, and manipulation of the lumbar area. She reported progress with all her symptoms other than the headache.

“Approximately one month after the initial treatment began, she reported feeling numbness in her right arm. She noticed her right leg was weak and that her right leg was dragging. She was also starting to lose her balance. On several occasions, her daughter caught her, as she was ‘falling.’” She was brought to the emergency room due the seriosness of her symptoms where she was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma. This condition is caused when brain tissue bleeds and puts pressure on the brain. The pressure results in neurological symptoms such as numbness or weakness, problems with concentration and severe headaches. She underwent surgical decompression to relieve pressure on the brain and two weeks later she had recovered with no significant physical impairment.

What we need to know?

Here’s the point.  A brain injury does not require direct head impact. To have a brain injury does not require loss of consciousness. It is hard to determine the difference in brain injury and cervicogenic headache. The lady I spoke of only had a whiplash injury.  There was no trauma directly to her head.  There are warning signs that may indicate subdural hematoma. These signs include:

• headaches getting worse as time progresses,
• headache may not begin until 24 to 72 hours after trauma, and
• weakness in one side of the body is often present.

If these signs are felt, immediately seek medical attention and testing such as CT or MRI to determine if you have subdural hematoma.  Do not assume it will go away.  Always seek medical attention.

If you and your loved ones experience headache after an auto accident, look for warning signs of serious trauma and ask for a medical referral in order to receive the proper diagnosis.  Don’t let this condition threaten your life.

Accidents can be unavoidable. They usually happen when we least expect it and have the least amount of time to deal with it. I have heard that everyone will be involved in an auto accident during their lifetime.  These automobile accidents, even with minor damage to the vehicle, can result in serious injuries. 

Thousands of rear end collisions happen every day.  A report states that approximately 2.5 million rear impact crashes happen in the United States in a single year.  These crashes can cause serious injuries even at low speeds. This is because the impact causes the driver to pitch forward towards the windshield and then back towards the headrest. This motion can cause whiplash, concussion, spinal injury and more. 

Kentucky accident victims should get checked out immediately after any automobile accident. Some car accident injuries do not begin to cause pain for hours or days.  A delay in seeking treatment could be fatal to you receiving fair compensation for your injuries.

A concussion is the most common type of traumatic brain injury.  It may result to temporary loss of brain function.  Whiplash is an injury to the neck caused by a sudden whipping movement of the head and the neck.  These are common injuries from a rear end collision.  After you have been in a Kentucky automobile accident you should be thoroughly examined by a chiropractor or a medical doctor to make sure you are not seriously injured. 

Aside from seeking advice from a Personal Injury Attorney, one should at least visit a Doctor after the accident.  Let us remember that nothing is more important than our health, especially when we start to lose it.

What does Tim Tebow have in common with victims of rear end automobile accidents? After last Saturday the answer is concussion and whiplash. If you are a football fan you have seen the tragic and scary footage of the tackle and injury to Florida Gator quarterback, Tim Tebow.  For those of you living in a cave Tebow was sacked by Kentucky Wildcat defensive end, Taylor Wyndham during Saturday’s game at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.

Tebow’s head and neck suffered two hits on this play that ended his day.  The first when Wyndham’s helmet impacted the face mask of Tebow’s helmet. This collision moved Tebow’s head suddenly to the right as he fell to the ground.  During the fall Tebow incurred a second impact when the back of his helmet hit the knee of a team mate, Gator Right Tackle Marcus Gilurt. This second impact sent Tebow’s head forward in a whiplash type motion. Tebow fell to the ground motionless. He was taken from the field after what seemed like an eternity.

Tebow has been reported to have suffered a concussion. I have not seen mentioned a whiplash diagnosis, but I am convinced that he has a muscle strain or whiplash injury to the neck.

Why am I talking about football? After all I am an accident attorney and think a little differently than a lot of people. When I was watching the Florida v. Kentucky game and then the many replays of the injury I thought that the motion of Tebow’s head and neck was very similar to those I have seen in Kentucky car accidents. I have watched videos and talked to hundreds of clients who have been involved in rear end auto accidents. These collisions have thrown their head back against the head rest at impact and then whip it violently forward.  This is similar to the two motions Tebow’s head and neck went through.

Auto accident victims commonly suffer from concussions and whiplash similar to what Tim Tebow is recovering from as we speak. You might think that an auto accident victim’s head usually doesn’t hit anything in the collision.  Well, unfortunately their brain does. The brain bounces off of the inside of the skull. It can also have a more obvious impact, such as a window or a steering wheel.

What is a concussion? It is a brain injury that is commonly caused by a sudden blow to the head. The blow causes the shaken brain not to work properly for a period of time. We saw this sudden blow to the head watching Tebow’s injury. This also occurs to different degrees in auto accidents. The severity of the concussion often depends on the severity of the impact. This is the force or the speed that the neck and head are propelled, not necessarily the amount of property damage.

Often you can tell if someone has suffered a concussion by observation of that person. Symptoms related to concussions include:

·         Passing Out

·         Memory Problems

·         Confusion

·         Slurred Speech

·         Ringing In The Ears

·         Light Headed

·         Seeing Stars

·         Blurry Vision

·         Not Able To Stand Or Walk

·         Balance Problems

·         Nauseous Or Throwing Up

You often see these symptoms from concussions suffered in automobile accident and sporting events. Treatment for a concussion generally begins with watching and observing the person who suffered a blow very closely. You are watching for behavioral changes and any manifestation of the above symptoms. For most victims of concussions to recover merely takes time.  It is usually suggested to take it easy and get plenty of sleep.

The amount of time it takes to recover depends on the severity of the concussion. There are three grades of concussions:

·         Grade I – This consists of transient confusion and headaches with no loss of consciousness. Symptoms usually clear in less than fifteen minutes. Grade I concussions commonly occur in automobile accidents.

·         Grade II – This grade has the same symptoms as Grade I but the symptoms last longer than fifteen minutes.

·         Grade III – This grade involves any loss of consciousness, whether it is a few seconds or several minutes. The recovery period for a Grade III concussion is at least one week.

Tebow exhibited symptoms of a Grade III concussion since he was out cold and not moving for several minutes. We could also observe the confusion, loss of balance and vomiting. I wish him a speedy recovery.

I also believe Tebow suffered a whiplash injury. This is a very common injury in rear end auto collisions. Whiplash is ligament damage in the neck or cervical area caused by a sudden whipping or movement of the head. These injuries can take days or months to heal. Sometimes the affects of a whiplash injury are felt and suffered for a lifetime.

Although neither a concussion nor a whiplash injury (soft tissue) is a visible injury, they are dangerous and painful. Anyone who has been in an auto accident and has any of the above symptoms should be checked out by a doctor. Don’t take a chance. Tim Tebow has the best chance of a full recovery because of the immediate medical attention he received. When you are in automobile accident and have any symptoms of a concussion or neck pain get checked out immediately.

One of the most common car accident cases that walk into my office is what is commonly called “whiplash”. You will also hear them referred to as a soft tissue injury or a sprain/strain. These are the most difficult cases to prove in a  Kentucky court or to convince an insurance adjuster to pay what one would consider a reasonable amount. Kentucky accident victims suffering from these injuries are hurt, they are in pain and the injury is having a detrimental affect on their quality of life. If people are hurt why are these cases so difficult?

There are a number of factors:

·        There are no tests that easily show a whiplash injury.

·        Someone can easily fake this injury because the complaints are subjective.

·        Insurance companies have been successful in denying these claims.

·        There is often little property damage involved in the accident.

·        The accident victim thought the pain would go away so they didn’t go to the doctor.

·        When they did go to the doctor they went to someone that did not have an expertise in this type of injury.

·        Juries of suspicious of what they cannot see.

So how can an accident victim who has a whiplash injury get a reasonable settlement for their injury? Unfortunately there is no way to guarantee an outcome. What you can do is take steps that will give you the best chance for a satisfactory outcome. Some of these steps are:

·        Get checked out by a qualified doctor immediately.

·        Follow your care plan.

·        Document your complaints. Take pictures of the damage to your car.

·        Be careful what you say to the insurance company.

·        Speak with an attorney that concentrates in car accident cases to answer your questions. Most give a free consultation.

·        Be completely honest about your pain and injury.

I could go on for ever about what to do and not to do in an accident case. In fact I have! I wrote a book entitled “7 Potholes That Can Wreck Your Kentucky Accident Case”. If you have been injured in an accident in Kentucky and would like more information on the process click the link on the right I will be happy to send you a copy at no charge.