Traumatic Injuries: Loss of Smell
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento traumatic injury attorney. As we lead our busy daily lives, most of us take our five senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch for granted. Yet when we suddenly develop anosmia – the loss of the sense of smell – we may not only lose a sense of pleasure, we can also become more vulnerable to various dangers.
After all, we each need a strong sense of smell when smoke begins blowing through office air ducts due to a fire or when we need to detect leaking gas behind a stove following an earthquake.
Yet too many of us keep suffering traumatic anosmia, the loss of smell due to blunt-force physical injuries caused by car accidents, playing certain sports or being injured in a typical slip-and-fall accident.
How Traumatic Anosmia Develops Due to Accidents
Since facial bones are often rather fragile, blunt force trauma to our heads can cause one or more smaller bones to fracture and critical olfactory nerves can be easily damaged. The first cranial nerve that’s supposed to send messages to our olfactory bulb in our forebrain is often injured. Likewise, a fracture of the ethmoid bone – the one that separates our nasal cavity roof from the structural floor of our eye sockets – can also cause a loss of smell.
Recognizing the Loss of Smell
Many people seriously injured in car accidents who are battling major head injuries may not discover that they’ve lost their sense of smell until they’ve nearly completed their doctors’ overall treatment programs. They often discover this loss when they’re eating and find the experience much less pleasurable. While the loss may not be complete, higher levels of impact can quickly take this sensory gift away from someone forever.
Current Diagnosis and Treatment for the Loss of Smell
At present, a person’s loss of smell is often diagnosed by scratch-and-sniff tests that employ different concentrations of various chemicals.
Unfortunately, there is no current treatment that can restore a complete loss of smell that’s considered permanent. An injured party can only hope that as different bones heal and certain nerves regain prior levels of functioning, their sense of smell may return. If the olfactory nerve itself was damaged, there’s little chance of recovery.
Nevertheless, in some cases, a person’s loss of smell may only be partial – this condition is known as hyposmia.
Obtaining Compensation for Your Loss of Smell
While insurance companies may try to downplay the value of your lost sense of smell, our firm will carefully set forth all current and future losses tied to this condition. For example, some professionals may lose their careers due to this loss – including cooks, gas line employees, florists and others.
We will also explain how once a person loses the sense of smell, certain long-term, emotional memories tied to smell may also be lost – robbing the person of the chance to recall shared memories with close relatives and friends. Our firm will not only advocate for every loss tied to your loss of smell – we’ll make sure you’re properly compensated.
Sacramento Loss of Smell Injury Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento traumatic injury attorney. If you have suffered a traumatic injury due to a vehicle collision, a trucking accident or a motorcycle crash, please call today to obtain my firm’s readily available legal advice. If you’re calling from a different city, you can reach me by calling our toll free phone number: (800) 404-5400.
For over 34 years, I’ve helped Sacramento residents and many others recover financial damages for personal accident injuries and wrongful deaths caused by the negligence of others.
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I remain a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum which only extends memberships to this this nation’s highest-rated trial lawyers who often win million-dollar verdicts and settlements.
Our accident attorneys have a lengthy reputation for obtaining generous verdicts and settlements for our clients.
You can learn more about how we handle personal injury lawsuits by visiting the following website: www.autoaccident.com.
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