What Can You Learn About Brain Injuries And Concussions From The NFL?

Joe Smith, a client, was injured in a wreck.  He came to me much later, and we were talking about the changes in his life after his car wreck.  He mentioned several things, including the fact that he felt like he was upset with his wife and kids all the time.  I asked if he had seen a neurologist, and when he said, “no,” I suggested he see one.

A couple of weeks later, Joe called me back and told me that the neurologist had diagnosed him with a head injury. 

This isn’t unusual.  In my experience, a head injury is the most often over-looked injury resulting from car wreck cases.

And now we can learn something about it from the NFL.  With football season fast approaching  (this is game week, after all, for all of us Texas fans), the NFL is waging a campaign against head injuries, and their poster is one of the best aids I’ve seen to help players (and other people) protect themselves by making sure that brain injuries are diagnosed and treated. 

For those of us in the personal injury business, the key part of the poster may the portion that describes symptoms.  The poster says:

Different symptoms can occur and may not show up for several hours.  Common symptoms include:

• Confusion
• Headache
• Amnesia/difficulty remembering
• Balance problems
• Irritability
• Dizziness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling sluggish, foggy or groggy
• Nausea
• Sensitivity to noise
• Sensitivity to light
• Double/fuzzy vision
• Slowed reaction time
• Feeling more emotional
• Sleep disturbance
• Loss of consciousness

It’s important that people injured in car wrecks also look for those symptoms.  And if you find those symptoms, even if they appear mild, tell your doctor.  You can never be too careful when it comes to your brain.