By Sheldon Warden

Winter brings with it a magical feeling for most people. The season is full of holidays that bring family and friends closer together. Unfortunately, this season also brings with it an increased chance of sustaining detrimental head injuries. Most people would obviously realize that icy roads can increase the likelihood of a vehicular accident which could cause a brain injury, but there are many other ways that a person can sustain a brain injury that don’t sound nearly as treacherous as frozen over streets.

Why Winter increases the Risk of Brain Injuries

Just like icy streets, frozen over sidewalks present a danger for those walking across them. Slip and fall accidents are common throughout the year, but once ice has settled on the ground, the occurrence of this type of accident can go through the roof. It’s important to remember, however, that the following activities also greatly increase the risk of a person sustaining a traumatic brain injury during the winter.

• Ice Skating
• Sledding
• Skiing
• Snowboarding

The aforementioned activities combine slick surfaces with high speeds, and while all of these things are enjoyable, this combination proves disastrous for numerous people every winter.

Preventing Serious Brain Injuries

There’s probably not a person in the world who knew that they were going to sustain a brain injury before taking part in the activity that caused it. Unfortunately, the winter months make this occurrence a constant possibility. Luckily, there are ways that a person can lessen the likelihood that they or someone they love will sustain massive head trauma.

Wear a Helmet when Appropriate

The most obvious safety step for people participating in sledding, snowboarding, hockey and other high risk winter activities is to wear a helmet. Helmets save innumerable lives every year, and it’s simply reckless to not wear one when engaged in an event where accidents are liable to occur.

Always Buckle Up

Another safety step that should be incredibly obvious is to always wear a seatbelt. This should be common sense year-round, but during the winter months, accidents can easily happen even if a person is driving superbly. Our Reading personal injury lawyer in Pennsylvania has handled many winter crash cases and warns that it only takes a fraction of a second to lose control of a vehicle on ice, and failing to be secured properly in your vehicle can easily lead to a serious head injury.

Take Precautions to avoid Slips

Slip and fall accidents account for many serious brain injuries. During the winter, it is important for those in extremely cold areas to apply salt to their driveways, walkways or sidewalks if they have frozen over. Doing this on the sidewalk in front of a person’s house will decrease the chance that they or their neighbors will slip and fall. It also isn’t a bad idea to wear slip resistant shoes or snow boots during this time of the year.

Signs of a Serious Brain Injury

Many people believe that if they have a head injury, they will notice obvious overbearing symptoms that lead them to seek treatment. This, however, is not always the case. There are a few common symptoms of brain injuries that many people may not even consider serious.

• Unconsciousness, even if for only a few seconds.
• Seizures.
• Repeat vomiting.
• Prolonged confused states.
• Blurred vision.
• Headache.
• Sudden change in sleep patterns.

These symptoms are all hallmarks of serious brain injuries. While it is true that these warning signs can occur due to other reasons, their appearance after a head injury, regardless of how seemingly minor, are a likely telltale sign of a traumatic brain injury.

No one should live on edge during the winter months. It’s obvious that the likelihood of a serious brain injury will go up during this time of the year, but there are ways to avoid these tragedies. Furthermore, a person who recognizes symptoms of a brain injury should seek medical attention immediately. Winter can be a treacherous time, but with the right proactive measures, individuals will likely enjoy this magical time with no brain injury at all.

Shelby Warden is a legal researcher that pays special attention to safety laws that were created to prevent injuries and protect the public. The Law Firm of McMahon, McMahon & Lentz and their Reading personal injury lawyer team in Pennsylvania have helped many people who were injured due to the negligence of another get the compensation they deserve so they could get their lives back on track. Their firm does not receive any fees or expenses until you have received the compensation for your losses.