Vehicle crashes can cause injuries ranging from minor bruises to severe conditions like broken bones and traumatic brain injuries, and sometimes these accidents result in fatalities. While some injuries are immediately apparent to victims and physicians, others may not be instantly obvious.
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For instance, symptoms of post-traumatic migraines and headaches can take days or even weeks to diagnose, yet these injuries can be devastating for the victims. Traumatic brain injuries or whiplashes from car accidents often cause these post-traumatic headaches and migraines.
Despite their prevalence, these injuries are often overlooked due to skepticism about how disruptive and debilitating they can be, a lack of understanding of their causes, and the challenges involved in their treatment.
However, these factors do not negate the reality that many vehicle crash victims suffer from post-traumatic headaches for extended periods, which negatively impacts their relationships, overall health, and job performance.
Victims can hold negligent motorists accountable for post-traumatic headaches and migraines, even in the absence of visible injuries. Given the complexity and technical nature of these lawsuits, it's crucial to seek the expertise of a well-trained lawyer, such as attorney John Yennone.
Such experts specialize in handling accident-related headache and migraine cases, and their experience can significantly bolster your chances of a successful outcome. Now, let’s take a look at the effects of post-traumatic headaches and migraines from vehicle accidents on the victims.
Understanding Post-Traumatic Headaches
According to medical experts, a post-traumatic headache develops almost within a week of a crash. Aside from pain, other symptoms of post-traumatic headache (PTHA) include lack of concentration, fatigue, dizziness, mood disorders, light sensitivity, nausea, and memory problems.
If you had a migraine or headache before the crash, it may worsen after the incident. In an accident, the head can strike the steering wheel, dashboard, window, or any other car part. It can also make a sudden forward and backward swift due to motion impact.
Such movements cause the brain to hit the skull, triggering microscopic impairment of brain tissue. Whiplash is the most typical injury that drivers sustain when someone rear-ends them.
And mild or moderate whiplash and concussions can propel post-traumatic headaches. In other words, you can develop PTHA or migraine in an accident caused by a low-speeding vehicle. Hence, it is pertinent to seek medical attention immediately after a mishap.
As mentioned earlier, you may not necessarily have an outward or physical injury before approaching a physician. Document every injury, even if it seems like “a mere headache.” The documentation will serve as a crucial piece of evidence when making an insurance claim.
Research on Post-Traumatic Headache
There are few studies on the nexus between car crashes and post-traumatic headaches. However, the ones available establish the relationship between whiplash and TBIs, typical in vehicle crashes.
Headaches are one of the most typical forms of severe pain among patients suffering a traumatic brain injury. A study revealed that 71 percent of patients with traumatic brain injuries reported headaches a year after their injury, while 41 percent suffered headaches within three months to one year.
The researchers concluded that the severity of the traumatic brain injury did not influence whether or not participants had post-traumatic headaches. Another study on managing post-traumatic headaches mentioned the high rate among whiplash victims.
Headaches were the primary complaint for patients who had experienced symptoms for over six months. The effects of post-traumatic headaches and migraines caused by vehicle crashes can be devastating, impacting mental health, the quality of life, and the ability to work.
Unfortunately, finding the appropriate medications and treatments for PTHAs is often challenging and discouraging. Victims deserve proper compensation due to their pain and the risk of prolonged and severe headaches.
Post-Traumatic Headache and Migraine Lawsuits
Attorneys who will advocate for compensation for accident victims who experience post-traumatic headaches must specifically understand the conditions surrounding the issue. This is because PTHA cases are challenging, and jurors and adjusters are often skeptical about them.
It is so because they can happen from low-speed impacts where there is intangible damage to the cars, and objective tests like skull X-rays and brain CT scans appear negative. Also, many do not understand migraines like other vehicle accident injuries, and the diagnosis relies mainly on subjective complaints.
Those experiencing these injuries also get frustrated because migraines are incurable and medications differ by individual. Furthermore, suppose the initial treater fails to correctly diagnose concussion to establish that post-traumatic headaches and migraines are due to the accident and have affected the victim's daily living.
In that case, it will be almost impossible to describe the extent of the injuries to insurers and courts. It means you may have to battle with the future implications of the accident alone.
Thus, you need a legal representative to perform encompassing work involving expert witnesses, like head trauma specialists and neurologists. It will help the lawyer collect proper documentation to demand maximum compensation for your losses.
The Need for a Car Accident Attorney
In the United States, post-traumatic headaches are typical among victims of minor to chronic car crashes. With about two million traumatic brain injuries in the US annually and headaches at the forefront, car crash victims risk experiencing life-transforming pain and excruciating symptoms.
Most insurers deny claims for PTHAs after a vehicle mishap. While the authorities seem not to have a comprehensive understanding of this harm, it is severe and chronic. Victims deserve the legal support essential to establish their claim and allow them to focus on healing.
If you were involved in a car accident that has caused new or worsened headaches, see a physician immediately. Then, contact a local and passionate car accident lawyer. They will defend your rights and ensure you get maximum or fair compensation for your financial and medical losses.
Coping with the Effects of Post-Traumatic Headaches
Post-traumatic headaches and migraines are serious conditions that can have long-lasting effects on vehicle crash victims. Despite the challenges of diagnosing and treating these injuries, victims deserve to seek compensation for their pain and suffering.
Holding negligent motorists accountable is crucial, and having an experienced attorney on your side can make a significant difference. Don't let the hidden nature of your injuries prevent you from taking action—reach out for the support you need to navigate this difficult process.
