At the New York offices of Michael B. Palillo, Attorney at Law, we represent many workers who have been injured in a workplace accident. We therefore know that as a construction worker, you face a higher risk of receiving a traumatic brain injury than almost any other type of worker since you must do so much of your work on roofs, scaffolding, tall ladders, etc.
The Mayo Clinic explains that falls represent the number one reason why construction workers and others receive TBIs. The force of the impact of your head hitting the ground or another hard surface when you fall causes your brain to violently slosh around in your skull, thereby injuring its extremely delicate tissues and nerves. These injuries can then cause your brain to become dysfunctional in one or more ways.
Unfortunately, the longer you work construction, the higher your risk of falling and receiving a TBI. Your chances are even higher if you work for a small construction company that employs fewer than 25 workers.
TBI symptoms
No two TBIs produce the exact same symptoms, even if the injuries themselves are similar in nature. In addition, you cannot judge for yourself how serious your injury is. What may seem to you like a minor bump on the head could instead be a serious TBI. That is why you should always get immediate medical assistance any time you fall or otherwise hurt your head. Only an experienced head trauma specialist can properly assess the extent of your injury and begin appropriate treatment if indeed you did suffer a TBI.
Another frightening aspect of a TBI is that symptoms may not appear until hours, days or even weeks after your fall. Consequently, be on the lookout for these indications of a possible TBI during the first month after your accident:
- Eye or vision problems
- Ear or hearing problems
- Stomach problems such as nausea and vomiting
- Speech problems
- Balance or coordination difficulties
- Thinking or remembering difficulties
Also ask your family members to watch for changes in your personality or behavior that you may not recognize yourself, such as unusual anger, frustration, anxiety, fear, depression, etc. All may indicate a traumatic brain injury.
For additional information, please visit this page of our website.
