Traumatic Brain Injury: How Does It Happen? How Do You Know if It Has Happened to You?

Often called concussion, post concussion syndrome or mild traumatic brain injury, these injuries can happen to anyone involved in a motor vehicle collision, particularly if you are struck from the rear. If your head and neck flex and extend in a rear-end collision, your brain moves in your skull and hits the front and the back of the skull. This motion and contact can cause injury to the brain which is not perceptible on MRI, but exists and has an impact on your life nevertheless.

If you are involved in a motor vehicle collision and, afterwards, are dizzy, confused, have memory loss, have ringing in your ears, get lost on old routes to and from familiar places, are sensitive to light and noise and have other unusual for you responses to your environment, you might have a concussion or TBI. If the symptoms last beyond three months, you likely have a traumatic brain injury.

Most people recover completely but some, the silent minority, do not recover and while they look normal and people expect them to be themselves, they are contending with confusion, memory loss, ringing in their ears and other problems that affect their home and work lives. These people need neurologist who cares and understands, and possibly a neuropsychologist who can quantitate the damage to the patient’s brain. Don’t feel isolated and alone. Get the appropriate medical care and, if necessary, cognitive therapy and recognize that you have a very real injury.

If you or a loved one have been involved in an auto or truck accident, or any other type of motor vehicle accident and you are experiencing the symptoms described above, you might have sustained a traumatic brain injury. If another person caused the accident to occur, you might be in a position to get help with your medical needs and legal rights. For an evaluation of your situation, please contact our law firm, Hersh and Hersh for a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.