A serious head injury can sometimes result in a skull fracture. The skull bone is very durable and it takes an extremely strong force of impact to cause the skull to crack. When a skull fracture does happen, the brain is left vulnerable and susceptible to serious injury.
If you or a loved one has suffered a skull fracture in an accident that was caused by the actions or negligence of another driver, it is possible that you are eligible to file a claim to recover any damages from the crash. You may be able to receive compensation for current and future medical bills, loss of quality of life, lost wages, physical pain, emotional anguish and other damages related to the collision.
To begin exploring your legal options, contact our skull fracture attorneys today by completing the Free Case Review form to the right.
Skull Fracture Types and Symptoms
Treatment of a skull fracture injury depends entirely on the type of fracture that has been suffered by the victim. Knoxville car accident victims can sustain a number of different types of skull fractures, including the following:
- Compound Skull Fractures In this type of fracture, there is a break in the bone or loss of skin and the splintering of the skull bone.
- Penetrating Skull Fractures This type of fracture is characterized by an object piercing the skull and leaving a distinct and localized injury to the brain tissue.
- Depressed Skull Fractures When there is a break in a cranial bone, or crushed portion of the skull, with depression of the bone going inward towards the brain, it is considered a depressed skull fracture.
- Linear Skull Fractures There is no splintering, depression or distortion of the bone in this type of fracture. There is only a break in a cranial bone that resembles a thin line.
- Simple Skull Fractures In this type of fracture, the bone breaks but there is no damage to the skin.
Any injury or trauma to the head is often very serious and debilitating. We urge you to see your physician immediately if you have suffered any kind of head injury in order to rule out the possibility of a skull fracture.
After being involved in a Tennessee auto accident, if you or another injury victim shows any of the following symptoms, a skull fracture may have occurred:
- Bleeding from the point of impact, ears, nose or around the eyes
- Bump or bruising on the head (this can take up to 24 hours to develop)
- Confusion
- Difficulty balancing
- Headache
- Nausea
- Slurred speech
- Swelling
- Vomiting
- Bruising behind the ears or under the eyes
- Changes in pupils (like non-response to light or unequal sizes)
- Convulsions
- Drowsiness
- Loss of consciousness
- Restlessness and irritability
- Stiff neck
- Visual disturbances
If your skull was fractured due to no fault of your own, please contact our lawyers today by completing the Free Case Review form on this page to see how we may be able to help you with your claim.
Complications from Skull Fractures
The victim is at a heightened risk of brain damage and other complications, including fatality, when a skull fracture occurs. Infection, contusion and hematoma are all serious complications that can result from a fractured skull.
Infections
Particularly when the point of impact is at the back or base of the skull, fractures can tear the layers of tissue the cover the brain. Bacteria that enter the skull through a fracture can result in infection and brain damage.
Contusion
A contusion happens when the brain tissue is bruised. A contusion is characterized by a distinct area of swollen brain tissue that is mixed with blood that is released from broken blood vessels.
Hematoma
When a skull fracture results in damage to a major blood vessel in the head, heavy bleeding into or around the brain can occur. This type of injury is called a hematoma. There are three types of hematomas: epidural (bleeding into the area between the skull and the dura), subdural (bleeding in the area between the dura and the arachnoid membrane), and intracerebral (bleeding within the brain itself).
Contact an Experienced Tennessee Skull Fracture Lawyer Today
Head injury victims may not realize how seriously they were injured or the full extent of their financial and emotional losses until it is too late to file a claim. Tennessee has a strict statute of limitation for filing an injury claim and failing to do so within a reasonable amount of time can significantly affect your ability to recover fair compensation for your injuries.
We encourage you to contact a Knoxville personal injury lawyer at Greg Coleman Law to begin the legal process as soon as possible if you suffered a skull fracture due to no fault of your own. An auto accident can bring unwanted chaos into your life. Rather than worry about how you will be able to afford the treatment of your injuries, you should be focused on recuperating. Let our knowledgeable attorneys fight to secure your financial stability by holding the at-fault parties accountable for your losses.
With an office located in Knoxville, we are dedicated to fighting for the rights of anyone who has been harmed at the hands of another in the state of Tennessee.
We believe that our judicial system works best when personal injury victims have access to legal counsel, regardless of their financial ability. In order to ensure that our clients can afford proper representation in their pursuit for justice, our firm operates on a contingency fee basis. This means that if you choose to hire our attorneys, there is never any cost to you until we obtain a favorable outcome for your claim. If we fail to do this, you do not owe us any fees.
For more information on the legal rights which may be available to Knoxville skull fracture victims and their families or to schedule a confidential, no-obligation case evaluation with one of our attorneys, please complete the Free Case Review form on this page.
