Head Trauma in Children December 4, 2009.

Head trauma in a child is a very frightening thing. Even though the skull is pretty tough, a sufficiently strong impact may cause traumatic brain injury.

Head trauma, or concussions in children are the bane of a parent’s existence. The very thought of their child tripping over a rug and connecting with the sharp edge of a coffee table or falling out of the top bunk bed are the stuff of nightmares for anxious parents. "If a child is involved in a car crash that was the result of someone else’s negligence and sustains traumatic brain injuries, it is critical to seek the advice of a skilled personal injury attorney," advised Christopher Mellino, of the Mellino Law Firm LLC in Cleveland, Ohio.

Fortunately, the skull is strong and fairly resilient to minor impacts and will do its job of protecting the brain from being slammed around inside the skull. Thankfully lower level impacts won’t faze kids and they’ll just pick themselves up and keep on going. "The thing is that falling and running into objects is just about the number one reason kids land in the ER. On average, there are actually over one million head injuries in kids every year. More serious injuries, like those acquired in an accident are another matter and require prompt medical attention," Mellino added.

While head injuries (minor ones) may be a fact of life with a child in the house, there are circumstances that may lead to the frightening possibility of traumatic brain injury. If the child sustains an impact of sufficient force to make the brain move inside the skull, hitting the front and back of the skull, it will rupture and tear blood vessels, injure nerves, and possibly leave bruises on the brain. If a scenario like this happens, a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury mobilizes ER doctors. "Parents will need the expertise of a highly trained personal injury lawyer to recover damages for any injuries a child has sustained in an accident at the hands of someone else," said Mellino.

The difficult thing with children hitting their heads is that they are not likely to either know or understand what a concussion is nor even recognize the symptoms. This is something the parents need to be on the alert to spot. "Typically speaking, the usual signs are sensitivity to light, vomiting, headaches and dizziness," outlined Christopher Mellino, of the Mellino Law Firm LLC in Cleveland, Ohio. Although this might be a mild concussion and things will clear up in a couple of weeks, the side effects may last for years.

In the case of an injury accident, head straight to the ER and have the child checked immediately for traumatic brain injury. Make the next phone call to a qualified personal injury attorney for assistance.