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Cleveland Medical Malpractice Attorneys Fight Against Disregard for and Misdiagnosis of Concussions

You deserve proper care and consideration following a head injury

Concussions are a specific type of traumatic brain injury usually caused by a blow to the head, but can also be the result of violent shaking of the head or upper body. While the immediate effects of a concussion may not be obvious, when a person suffers one or multiple concussions, it affects brain function with possibly catastrophic results. The injury attorneys at The Eisen Law Firm are dedicated to representing medical malpractice victims in Cleveland and throughout Ohio, including those who have suffered a concussion, had a concussion misdiagnosed, or suffered more severe injuries as a result of a concussion or other brain injury.

Failure to diagnose a concussion

While the lifelong effects and compounding nature of concussions are well-documented, doctors sometimes misdiagnose a concussion by assuming it is less severe than it really is, or by missing it altogether. There are four key symptoms that doctors look for when diagnosing a concussion:

Because these are all fairly common symptoms, if none of them is especially severe, a doctor might not make the connection that a head injury has caused a concussion. After any head injury, however, a doctor should conduct tests to confirm if a concussion has in fact occurred, and if so, begin treatment immediately to limit the damage caused.

If a doctor fails to treat a concussion properly, there may be long-lasting cognitive, physical and emotional effects. Furthermore, people who suffer multiple concussions have a 39% greater risk of suffering a catastrophic head injury with permanent disabilities as a result of a future concussion. Therefore, it is critical to identify and treat every concussion a person suffers. Failure to do so puts your well-being, and even your life, at risk.

Concussion protocols in high school and university athletics

Sporting events are one of the most common venues for concussion injuries. In 2012 alone, there were more than 3.8 million reported concussions, twice as many as a decade earlier. Unfortunately, if an athlete doesn’t lose consciousness after a collision, coaches and team medical staff may not diagnose a concussion.

As a result, players may take the field while still suffering the effects of a concussion, whether minutes, hours or days after the initial injury. One in five high school athletes suffers a concussion during a sports season, and players with one concussion are three times more likely to suffer another during that same season.

The State of Ohio requires written permission from a health care provider for student athletes diagnosed with a concussion to return to the field in any sport. Failure to observe this law puts the child’s health and life in danger should they receive another head injury during play. It’s also important to remember that 33% of concussions occur during practice, so students must have written permission to return, even to participate in practice drills.

If you believe your child was allowed to take the field before it was safe to do so, your child’s coach or school may be held liable for any further injuries or brain damage they suffer. The Cleveland medical malpractice attorneys at The Eisen Law Firm can help you build a case and secure compensation.

Consult with our Cleveland medical malpractice attorneys if your concussion was left undiagnosed or untreated

The Ohio medical malpractice attorneys at The Eisen Law Firm understand the severity of head injuries. If anyone has overlooked or downplayed your concussion, and if that caused further injury, you have a right to compensation. Call us at 216-687-0900 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. We serve clients in Cleveland, Lorain, Columbus, Toledo, Akron and all of Northeast Ohio.