Post-Traumatic Headaches: Causes, Duration, and Legal Options
Headaches are an incredibly common complaint after a car accident, fall, or other type of injury. While most headaches may disappear in a matter of hours or days, others can linger for weeks or months. This can interfere with your ability to work, care for your family, and live independently. In some cases, a post-traumatic headache may be a sign of a traumatic brain injury that warrants immediate medical attention.
If you suffer a post-traumatic headache after an accident caused by another person’s negligence, you may have a valid personal injury claim against them. Working with an experienced personal injury attorney can help you explore your options and get a better understanding of your next steps. Call Crandall & Pera Law, LLC to schedule a consultation now.
What is a post-traumatic headache?
A post-traumatic headache typically develops within seven days of an injury to the head, neck, or brain. These headaches are most common after motor vehicle accidents, falls, sports injuries, assaults, and other traumatic events. A post-traumatic headache may occur alongside a concussion, but it can also develop without a concussion diagnosis.
If you have a headache after a car accident, the force of the crash may cause the brain to move rapidly in the skull or even strike the inside of the skull. The crash can also place intense strain on your muscles, ligaments, and nerves, contributing to your headache after a car accident. These headaches have been linked to concussions, mild traumatic brain injuries, whiplash, cervical spine injuries, and soft tissue injuries affecting the neck and shoulders.
This type of headache is similar to a post-concussion headache. It may resemble a migraine or tension headache, which makes identifying it challenging. This is why we recommend prompt medical care after an accident.
Common symptoms of post-traumatic headaches
Post-traumatic headaches manifest a little differently for everyone. You may experience a dull, constant ache, but your headache could also cause severe, pounding pain. Symptoms that may also occur, depending on your underlying injury, include neck pain, neck stiffness, sensitivity to light and noise, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, nausea, and blurred vision.
Your doctor may classify your headache based on the type of pain you experience, where the pain is located, and how long the headache lasts. Tension headaches cause pressure around the head, while migraines often lead to throbbing pain and sensitivity to noise and light. Injuries to the neck may cause cervicogenic headaches.
Unfortunately, recovery timelines vary dramatically from person to person. This makes it difficult to know how long you’ll be unable to work and how your headache may affect your daily life. Your symptoms could resolve in a matter of days, but they could also last for months.
Regardless of what type of pain you’re experiencing, you should never ignore persistent headaches after an accident. If you haven’t already been to a doctor, you should seek medical care if your symptoms get worse, interfere with daily activities, or occur alongside other symptoms. A worsening headache that does not go away after a head injury requires immediate medical attention.
Diagnosing and treating a post-concussion headache
Diagnosing a post-concussion headache requires an in-depth medical evaluation, which is why it’s so important to get checked out as soon as possible after an accident. A doctor will learn more about your symptoms and your accident before conducting a neurological examination.
If a preliminary checkup indicates a more serious problem, the doctor may order a CT scan to look for brain bleeds or fractures. Note, though, that even if your medical imaging doesn’t immediately show any issues, that doesn’t mean you haven’t been injured.
Your treatment plan may depend on the type of headache you have and the other symptoms you’re experiencing with it. You may treat your headache with medication, physical therapy for neck injuries, vestibular therapy if you have balance problems, cognitive rehabilitation, brief rest followed by a gradual return to activity, and other treatment recommended by your doctor. Some people recover quickly with the right treatment, but some do require ongoing care from physical therapists, neurologists, and other specialists.
Why medical documentation is crucial in a headache after car accident claim
If you plan on pursuing a personal injury claim after a post-traumatic headache, documentation is essential. Some injuries, like broken bones and lacerations, are easy to prove. Headaches and traumatic brain injuries are often considered invisible injuries, which can make it much harder for victims to receive fair compensation after an injury. Planning ahead and gathering documentation as you go can make it much harder for an insurance company to push back on your claim.
Useful evidence may include emergency room records, evaluations by specialists, neurologist reports, physical therapy records, prescription history, work attendance records, and documentation of changes in your daily functioning.
You may also find it helpful to document your pain levels and ability to handle regular tasks on a daily basis. This can show how your pain levels may fluctuate over time and demonstrate clear trends.
You’ll also want to attend all scheduled appointments and follow your doctor’s treatment plan. Failure to comply with a treatment plan, skipping appointments, or constantly rescheduling appointments can make it harder to prove that your ongoing symptoms are a result of the accident and not your failure to continue care.
Recovering compensation for a post-traumatic headache
You may be able to recover compensation after a post-traumatic headache if someone else’s negligence caused your injuries. Each case is different, so whether you have a claim and the value of your potential claim depends entirely on the facts of your case. If you have a strong claim, you may be compensated for medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other losses.
Discuss your case with our team now
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, slip and fall, construction accident, or another type of accident, let’s talk about your options and next steps. Contact our team online or call us.