Work-related head injuries can have serious consequences, including both physical and financial hardships for the injured employee.
Work-related head injuries can be serious and fatal. Work-related head injuries can lead to subdural hematomas, causing physical and financial trauma for the injured employee. The injured employee may need to consult a Missouri workers’ compensation attorney to receive help collection the workers compensation benefits they are supposed to receive.
What Is Subdural Hematoma?
Subdural hematoma is the accumulation of blood along the surface of the brain. In case of a subdural hematoma injury, blood accumulates along the tissue layer surrounding the brain. The outermost tissue layer around the brain is called the dura. Subdural hematoma injuries result in bleeding between the dura and arachnoid, which is the next layer of tissue. The bleeding associated with subdural hematoma happens outside the brain and just inside the skull. However, the increased accumulation of blood also increases the pressure on the brain. The risk of losing consciousness or death increases when the pressure reaches a certain level.
Subdural Hematoma Caused by Head Injuries
Subdural hematoma injuries normally result from head injuries. These injuries may happen after an attack, fall, or automobile accident. When it comes to work-related subdural hematoma injuries, it may result from falling, getting struck in the head, or getting hit by an object. It can also be caused by an automobile accident. The characteristics of subdural hematoma injuries point to particular kinds of jobs where there is an increased danger of suffering from this work-related injury. These jobs include the following:
- Construction work
- Transportation work
- Farming
- Forest management work
- Work requiring the use of machines or motor vehicles
- Law enforcement and security work
- Firemen and emergency personnel
There are a number of indicators of subdural hematoma injuries. These indicators include the following:
- Disorientation or exhaustion
- Speech impairment
- Jumbled speech
- Vision problems
- Extreme drowsiness
- Unconsciousness
- Balance or walking issues
- Queasiness and throwing up
- Lack of sensation
- Behavior changes
Medical treatment for subdural hematoma injuries is dependent on the severity or seriousness of the injury. The treatment may involve simple things such as monitoring the injured employee, and serious cases may require major brain surgery. The subdural hematoma injury is diagnosed by the amount of accumulated blood, location, kind of injury incurred, and how fast treatment was given. Injured employees may have to go through rehabilitation before they are capable of returning to work. There are some instances when months or years may pass before the injured employee is able to fully recover from the injuries. Work-related subdural hematoma injuries may also cause partial or total permanent disability.
St. Louis Workers Compensation Lawyer
If you are suffering from a work-related subdural hematoma injury, consult with an experienced St. Louis workers compensation lawyer at the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann. We can fight to get you the full amount of compensation you are entitled to.
Call (314) 361-4300 for a free consultation.