Filing a Claim for Florida Skull Fracture Injuries
Skull Fracture Injury Lawsuits
Head injuries inflict severe damage to those that suffer them to the point that people who manage to survive have their entire lives changed. A large number of personal injury claims focus on getting compensation for head injuries that inflict this severe damage with few as intense as skull fracture injuries. Suffering a severe blow to the head is one thing but having a force act on your skull with sufficient intensity to actually cause a fracture is another thing entirely.
What is a Skull Fracture?
Many accidents involve head injuries with some inflicting enough damage to the head to crack the skull in what is known as a skull fracture. Skull fractures are potentially very dangerous head injuries a person can suffer in the event that the fracture does inflict damage to the brain. Not all skull fractures end up damaging the brain. It is possible that the fracture occurs on a part of the skull that allows the brain to remain mostly unscathed. However, skull fractures caused by severe trauma to the skull via a fall or car accident have a very high chance of also causing damage to the brain.
Skull Fractures and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injury is an umbrella term for an injury that consists of damage done to the brain due to a physical force that acts on the head like a physical blow or violent jerking movement. Some traumatic brain injuries are milder and can heal on their own like concussions although others like diffuse axonal injuries can put someone into a coma or kill them.
Skull fractures inflict direct damage to the skull which our brain relies on to hold and protect it. Damage to this vessel for the brain in the form of a fracture can have severe consequences like complications that lead to brain damage if the brain hasn't been compromised already. Traumatic brain injuries of all kinds have a chance of accompanying a skull fracture ranging from mild brain contusions to a full penetrating brain injury.
Depressed Skull Fractures
In extreme scenarios, a skull fracture can cause pieces of the skull to cave inward and directly damage the brain and even expose it to outside elements. These are known as depressed skull fractures and they can also come with a high chance of infection due to exposure of the brain to foreign material that may also cause abscesses within the brain as well.
Intracranial Hematomas
Sometimes, a skull fracture can end up doing damage to the veins and arteries and cause dangerous internal bleeding. These bleeding veins and arteries within the skull can cause a buildup of pressure between the brain and skull known as an intracranial hematoma and inflict damage to the brain.
Open and Closed Injury Skull Fractures
Skull fractures can either breach the skin of the head or leave it intact in what are known as open or closed injuries. In the event that a skull fracture inflicts an open injury, there is a chance that bacteria will enter the wound and cause an infection. These kinds of infections can easily spread to the brain and cause severe damage.
Skull Fracture Symptoms
Whenever anyone experiences severe trauma to the head you should always have them seek medical assistance as soon as possible regardless of how they feel. Symptoms that may indicate that a person has suffered a skull fracture at the base of their skull include:
- Clear cerebrospinal fluid leaking from a person's ears or sinuses
- Blood leaking from the ear or collecting behind the eardrum
- Bruising behind the ear
If the skull fracture has ended up inflicting damage to the brain then someone may display the following symptoms:
- Persistent or increasing sleepiness and confusion
- Seizures
- Repeated vomiting
- Severe headache
- Inability to feel or move an arm or leg
- Difficulty recognizing people or their surroundings
- Loss of balance
- Problems speaking or seeing
- Lack of coordination
In order to diagnose a skull fracture, a doctor will first give an initial physical examination to observe any symptoms and check the skull for more obvious signs of physical damage. In order to confirm the diagnosis of a skull fracture, a doctor will utilize medical imaging in the form of an x-ray or CT scan to get a precise look at exactly where a skull has been fractured and the damage it has caused.
Common Causes of Skull Fractures
- Car accidents
- Slip and falls
- Construction accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
The Consequences of Skull Fractures
People that suffer skull fractures have a significant chance of developing brain damage as well if they have not suffered such in the initial trauma that caused the fracture. Skull fractures can compromise the skull's structural strength in more severe cases and require extensive surgery. Overall the brain damage is what can have the biggest impact since it affects a person's cognitive abilities. Cognitive impairment due to brain damage can cause you to lose your job, your financial stability, relationships, and pretty much your whole way of life.
Seek and Experienced Traumatic Brain Injury Lawsuit Attorney
Choosing a brain injury attorney that knows the long term costs of neuropsychological problems caused by TBI. He or she will aggressively seek the maximum amount possible as compensation for medical expenses past and future, lost income, pain and suffering, diminished quality of life as well as punitive damages in some cases. Unlike some law firms that try to settle quickly for an easy profit, a good brain injury law firm has the resources to front the cost of litigation and the desire to go the distance to receive the maximum award.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA has won many large cash settlements for the victims of traumatic brain injury for neuropsychiatric problems. If you or a loved one suffered a head injury contact a brain injury attorney at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA for a free evaluation of your case. You could be entitled to a significant cash award. Call us at 727-451-6900 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation on your case.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA
800 North Belcher Road
Clearwater, FL 33765
727-451-6900
https://www.dolmanlaw.com/brain-injury-lawyer/
Matthew Dolman
Personal Injury Lawyer
This article was written and reviewed by Matthew Dolman. Matt has been a practicing civil trial, personal injury, products liability, and mass tort lawyer since 2004. He has successfully fought for more than 11,000 injured clients and acted as lead counsel in more than 1,000 lawsuits. Always on the cutting edge of personal injury law, Matt is actively engaged in complex legal matters, including Suboxone, AFFF, and Ozempic lawsuits. Matt is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for resolving individual cases in excess of $1 million and $2 million, respectively. He has also been selected by his colleagues as a Florida Superlawyer and as a member of Florida’s Legal Elite on multiple occasions. Further, Matt has been quoted in the media numerous times and is a sought-after speaker on a variety of legal issues and topics.
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