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Helping Your Child Recover after a Concussion
Each year, around 2.5 million people visit the emergency room for a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Some of those visitors are children who sustained their injury during an automobile crash. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of TBI among children and young adults between five and 24 years of age. If your child has suffered a concussion because of a traffic accident, learn how you can help them recover, and what your legal rights are regarding compensation.
Study Finds Parents Are Often Too Restrictive after Brain Injuries
Children who suffer a concussion need rest, but researchers from the UCLA Health say parents are actually giving their children too much downtime after injury. Exercise is important to their recovery, as long as it does not put them at risk for further injury (no sports and no “rough” play). So is socialization with their peers. Parents should also avoid waking their child up in the night to check on them since a lack of sleep, which is often the result of this outdated advice, might make their headache and mood worse. In short, protect your child, but still give them a chance to be a child.
Never Assume the Injury Is a Minor One
If severe enough, a traumatic brain injury can be fatal, but even those that are not can have severe and lasting effects. In fact, one recent study linked childhood concussions to an increased risk of social and psychological issues in adulthood. Other studies have found that concussion sufferers have a higher risk of severe depression, Alzheimer’s, and post-traumatic stress disorder. As such, parents must never assume that their child’s concussion is a mild injury. Instead, they should ensure their child is treated by a physician, and that they receive any tests, therapies, and/or treatment recommended to them by the physician. Parents should also monitor for any lingering symptoms and discuss them with their child’s doctor.
Your Right to Compensation
While many adults know they can seek compensation for injuries after an accident, parents often do not realize that they can also pursue damages for injuries sustained by their child. This is true, regardless of whether or not a parent or guardian was also injured. In either circumstance, it is important to have an experienced legal professional by your side – one who will safeguard yours and your child’s rights.
At Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP we believe children and their parents deserve full and fair compensation for the losses they have experienced. Backed by more than 40 years of experience, we aggressively defend their rights, every step of the way. Schedule a consultation with our experienced Milwaukee, Wisconsin personal injury lawyers today and ask how we can help with your auto accident injury case. Call us at 414-271-1440.
Sources:
http://www.parentherald.com/articles/65745/20160908/parents-might-be-treating-child-concussion-the-wrong-way-study-finds.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26488326
http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/expert-answers/alzheimers-disease/faq-20057837
http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sns-201604280900--tms--mayoclnctnmc-b20160428-20160428-story.html
