What to Do if Your Child Sustains a Concussion After a Car Accident

Car accidents can lead to a long list of potential injuries. While some of these injuries are easier to recover from, including cuts or bruises, others can be more expensive and timelier to manage, like a concussion. Concussions and their associated treatment can be even more difficult to deal with when it’s your child. Learning the signs of a concussion in a child and how to treat them, is important following a car accident that injures you and your child. 

Signs of a Concussion in a Child

The typical signs of a concussion may include a chronic headache, dizziness, reduced vision or hearing, or confusion. Many people don’t realize that children can experience different symptoms than adults, including:

• Agitation or irritability
• Crying
• Loss of balance
• Fatigue

While some of the symptoms of a concussion are the same between a child and an adult, children tend to express pain and confusion in different ways. This could also be due to the fact that children can’t always express what they’re feeling, especially if they are younger. For this reason, it’s important to seek medical care right after an accident.

How to Treat a Child’s Concussion

The treatment of a concussion in a child is similar to an adult, which includes rest and frequent monitoring. Your child’s medical provider may want to continue testing on your child to ensure things like cognition or mobility aren’t permanently affected by the concussion. They will also likely recommend that you monitor them around the clock, especially in the first few days following the concussion. This may require parents to take time off from work, which can lead to financial difficulties.

Receiving Compensation for a Child’s Concussion

If another driver was at fault for the accident which led to your child’s concussion, you may be able to seek compensation from them or their insurance provider. This compensation can help with some of the costs of a concussion, including medical testing, monitoring, and pain and suffering of you and your child.

Seeking compensation may be one of the last things on your mind following an accident, especially one in which your child is injured. However, a child’s injury can be expensive and if someone else’s negligence was the cause, they should also be responsible for the costs. Many parents also feel more comfortable taking time off work while their child recovers from a concussion and the compensation received from a personal injury lawsuit may be able to help them do that.

How to Protect Your Child From Car Accident Concussions

Parents take numerous steps to protect the safety and wellbeing of their children, including secure car seats and defensive driving. While you may not be able to prevent all car accidents, especially ones in which other drivers are at fault, there are things that you can do to improve overall safety.

Make sure your child’s seat belt is secure and fitted properly. Car seats also come in different sizes and types and it’s important to choose the right one for your child. The position is also important, including where and how you place the car seat. If you’re not sure, consult with a professional.

Contact a Millcreek Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Car Accident Case in Pennsylvania

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a car accident in Pennsylvania? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. represent clients injured because of a car accident in Millcreek, Fairview, Harborcreek, Erie, and throughout Pennsylvania. Call 814-402-8826 or fill out the online contact form to schedule a consultation with a member of our legal team. We have an office conveniently located at 2525 W 26th St, Erie, PA 16506, as well as offices located in Meadville and North East, PA.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.