Most people experience mild to moderate headaches from time to time, and they’re usually a harmless nuisance. For people who’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury, on the other hand, headaches can become a chronic, demoralizing, and disabling affliction.
Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, affect approximately 2.5 million U.S residents per year, resulting in over 50,000 deaths.
Any significant impact to the head can cause a TBI, as can any violent jolting of the body that causes the brain to strike the inside of the skull. The most common events leading to TBIs are falls and vehicular accidents. Contact sports, assaults, and military combat are also frequent sources of TBIs.
While some of the effects of TBIs are immediately observable — loss of consciousness, vomiting, impaired cognition and coordination — other symptoms cannot be predicted or detected, and may continue troubling the patient for months, years, or even permanently. Of these frustratingly invisible and lingering symptoms, headaches are the most commonly reported.
Lack of observable evidence can be a serious problem for anyone who sustains a TBI as a result of someone else’s malice or negligence. They must rely on a court ruling to cover the cost of treating or living with the symptoms of post-traumatic headache syndrome.
If you’re facing this uphill battle, the personal injury lawyers at The Stoddard Firm have the experience you’ll need on your side in pursuing compensation for your injuries.
Post-traumatic headache syndrome is defined as a headache developing within seven days of a TBI or within seven days of regaining consciousness after a TBI. If the headache lasts longer than three months, it is considered persistent post-traumatic headache, also known as chronic post-traumatic headache. Concussions, which are mild TBIs, are just as likely to produce post-traumatic headaches as more damaging head injuries, according to medical experts.
Most post-traumatic headaches mimic the symptoms of migraines, which may include:
Other post-traumatic headaches feel more like tension headaches, which are typically milder, duller, and more closely linked with muscle soreness or tightness in the head and neck area. Still others take the form of cluster headaches, which are more localized but intense enough to have earned the nickname “suicide headache” for their devastating effect on quality of life and mental health.
Frequency of the headaches themselves can range from weekly episodes to constant, unrelenting pain.
If you are experiencing these painful headaches after suffering a TBI in an accident or incident caused by another party, you have the right to hold that party accountable through a legal claim.
Experience counts in complex injury cases. The seasoned attorneys at The Stoddard Firm have successfully secured both verdicts and settlements for many clients with post-traumatic headaches and other invisible and harder to prove injuries.
Matt Stoddard, the firm’s founder, has extensive background fighting for the rights of injury victims. He has tried many high-dollar cases and achieved winning results. He and the entire attorney team are responsive, hardworking, and aggressive in taking on parties who negligently or intentionally cause injuries to others. You can trust them to fight for you.
We recognize the weight of what you’re going through when you have post-traumatic headache syndrome. We’ll take the time to learn the specifics of your condition and the injury that led to it so that we can build a strong claim on your behalf. We will negotiate for a fair settlement with the insurance company of the negligent party who caused your injuries.
If your case goes to trial, the extensive homework we have done about your condition and the long-term impacts it has on your life will allow us to explain it to the court in an understandable, relatable manner. Our goal will be to get you the best financial outcome possible.
Every step of the way, we’ll work to take the stress of legal proceedings off of your shoulders, so you can devote maximum energy to getting well.
There is no standardized treatment for post-traumatic headache syndrome. There is also no universal timeline for recovery. Many patients cannot work, attend school, or participate in their favorite activities for an extended period of time, leading to lost income, derailed ambitions, relationship challenges, and depression.
Medical treatment for these headaches is extensive and expensive. It can include:
You may also need to make impactful lifestyle changes to limit environmental and food-based irritants.
Examples of damages you could receive for your headache claim include payment for:
Our attorneys will advise you about specific damages for your case once we assess all of your losses—both those you are experiencing now and those you may experience in future.
Here are answers to some of the questions our lawyers have gotten about trauma-related headaches. These answers are for information only—always see a doctor if you have suffered a head injury and/or are getting headaches.
How can I tell if I have a migraine or post-traumatic headache syndrome?
Although post-traumatic headaches and migraines share similar symptoms, research indicates they are not the same thing. One study found that headache patients who had suffered a traumatic brain injury were significantly more likely to show symptoms of dysautonomia, which is a nervous system disorder, than uninjured patients with comparable migraine symptoms. Some of the common signs of the disorder include dizziness/vertigo, excessive or inadequate sweating, and difficulty swallowing. Your doctor can help you discover whether you suffer from post-traumatic headache syndrome.
Who is at higher risk of post-traumatic headaches?
People with a history of migraines may be at higher risk of developing post-traumatic headaches following traumatic brain injuries. Adult women may be more susceptible after a sports-related TBI injury, But young males are also affected in large numbers, partly because they are more likely to engage in hobbies and careers that carry elevated risks of sustaining TBIs. High school football players and service members also have higher risk of trauma-related headaches.
How will your lawyers prove that I have post-traumatic headache syndrome?
We will work to prove your condition by introducing extensive data about the prevalence of post-traumatic headache syndrome in TBI sufferers. We will make the link between your TBI and the post-traumatic headache symptoms you are now suffering and will introduce your medical evidence that describes your diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Our attorneys will also engage medical experts to testify about your condition.
For legal guidance specific to your situation, reach out to us directly.
Winning compensation for post-traumatic headache syndrome is a complex endeavor, but it can be achieved with the help of knowledgeable legal counsel. Our attorneys at The Stoddard Firm know how to prove that invisible conditions are real and that they take a great toll, physically, emotionally, and financially. We are also skilled at arguing for our client’s interests, both across the negotiating table and in the court of law.
Reach out today at 470-467-2200 to arrange a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer. We will advocate strongly for your right to compensation.
Matt Stoddard is a professional, hardworking, ethical advocate. He routinely faces some of the nation’s largest companies and some of the world’s largest insurers – opponents who have virtually unlimited resources. In these circumstances, Mr. Stoddard is comfortable. Mr. Stoddard provides his strongest efforts to his clients, and he devotes the firm’s significant financial resources to presenting the strongest case possible on their behalf. Matt understands that his clients must put their trust in him. That trust creates an obligation for Matt to work tirelessly on their behalf, and Matt Stoddard does not take that obligation lightly. [ Attorney Bio ]
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