No matter what you do in your line of work, you probably need the ability to think clearly and communicate well. A blow to the head can severely impact a person’s ability to function in their job, even if the injury seems minor.
If you recently experienced a blow to the head while at work, you should make sure to seek a professional medical examination as soon as you can. Identifying and treating head injuries is not always simple, and, if left untreated, they may harm your professional and personal life in ways you cannot repair.
Reporting a head injury on the job
If you have not yet reported your injury, you should do so immediately. The longer that a person waits to report the injury, the more reasons they give the insurer to deny the claim. If you wait too long, the insurer handling your employer’s workers’ compensation may legally deny your claim entirely, simply because you missed the window of opportunity.
Once your employer understands that you suffered an injury, they are more likely to remain flexible if your injury affects your performance or communication.
Common symptoms that affect victims
Depending on the nature of the injury and the treatment that a victim receives, head injuries can produce many different symptoms. However, some symptoms are more common than others, and pose a great threat to any worker.
Very often, a head injury shakes up the connections in the brain, to the point that a victim cannot focus on a task, and may respond in volatile ways to this frustration. This is particularly frustrating when it comes to tasks that a victim has performed many times, or a task that should be simple to complete. Although the victim understands that they should be able to complete the task easily, their brain makes completing the task difficult or impossible.
Another destructive symptom that affects many head injury victims is frequently misunderstanding communications. This may mean misreading a sentence, or simply misinterpreting what it means. Likewise, a victim may struggle with misinterpreting conversations with other workers and team members, leading to constant frustration for both the victim and those they work with.
Protecting your future
Recovering from a head injury is not always a quick process, and the longer you wait to begin treatment, the more difficult the process can become. Do not hesitate to use all the legal tools and resources that you have to build a strong workers’ compensation claim and keep your rights protected, allowing you the freedom to focus your attention on recovering fully from your injury.