Unfortunately, in my experience people are often confused as to the meaning of their respective injuries, even after numerous consultations with chiropractors, medical doctors, orthopedic surgeons, and neurologists. My goal with this page is to add a new injury to the list every week and give a brief outline regarding the definition of the injury and standard symptoms usually associated with the injury. Keep in mind that I am an auto accident attorney and not a medical doctor. All of the information I am posting is obtained from various, reputable medical sources (found on the inernet, of course):

Lets start at the top of the body and work our way down:

CLOSED HEAD INJURY

A closed head injury is often the result of a blow, trauma, or other violent, sudden motion to the head. No actual penetration of the skull takes place during a closed head injury (hence the term ‘closed; as in your skull is still closed). Closed head injuries range anywhere from mild to severe and can either affect the tissue and cells throughout the brain or concentrate the damage in just one spot. 

Common causes of a closed head injury.  Auto Accidents, slip and falls, work-related accidents, or more innocent accidents such those related to sports. The sudden interest in concussions and post-concussion syndrome spurred by fans interest in the NFL has brougt the closed head injury into the mainstream. Now that people and juries are more familiar with the closed head injury and the fact that it is legit (see Tim Tebow throwing up on the sidelines after a big hit) society is realizing that these closed head injuries are the real deal and need to be looked at very closely. One of the first questions your auto accident attorney should ask you is whether or not you struck your head or lost consciousness during the accident.

Symptoms of Closed Head Injury

Much of the time, the symptoms that accompany a closed head injury show up immediately. The more mild the head injury, the more common it is to see symtpoms show up over a greater length of time. Closed head injury symptoms include:

• Loss of consciousness
• Dilated pupils
• Respiratory issues
• Convulsions
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Cerebrospinal fluid leaking from nose or ears
• Speech and language problems
• Vision issues
• Emotional and behavioral changes

Prognosis of Closed Head Injury

Recovery from a closed head injury is very dependent on individual circumstances. It is believed that that the length of time spent unconscious or in a coma are good indicators of recovery time. Also, doctors tend to look for how much of your normal functions and activities are resumed within the first month after the injury to determine long term recovery from a closed head injury.