Diagnosing a brain injury is one of the most challenging post-accident tasks for car accident and other personal injury victims, their loved ones and even their physicians. The task can be complicated by treatment and focus being given to other, more obvious and apparent personal injuries like open wounds or broken bones.
Even normal findings on some standard tests (CT scans or MRIs) do not necessarily rule out the possibility that the car accident or other personal injury victim suffered brain damage, whether it be traumatic closed head injury or secondary swelling or bleeding. As part of my ongoing effort to keep up on this tragic, but fascinating area of personal injury law, I've compiled a list of common symptoms.
Loss of consciousness is by far the most common indicator of brain damage following a car accident. This symptom runs the gamut from a blank stare to a deep, long term coma. The longer the loss of consciousness, typically, the more serious the brain damage. Doctors use the Glasgow Coma Scale to measure the victim's brain functioning. The lower the score, the more serious the brain injury. In a car accident or other head trauma type accident, there will almost always be a loss of consciousness if the victim suffered a brain injury or brain damage.
Concussion Indicators: By far the most common outcome of a car accident brain injury is the concussion. Concussions are accompanied by headaches, dizziness, nausea, mood swings, uneven pupil dilation, among other signs. While many car accidents result in concussions, only about a quarter of concussions result in permanent brain damage. Family members and loved ones should pay close attention to car accident or other personal injury victims exhibiting signs of concussive injuries.
Amnesia: Some serious brain injuries are accompanied by amnesia. Oftentimes, the car accident victim will not remember events just prior to or just after the accident. Some victims forget much more fundamental memories. Typically, the longer the amnesia, the worse the injury. Loved ones play a large role in keeping the amnesia victim safe, tracking progress and reporting to medical providers.
Encephalopathy: Encephalopathy is a brain injury that occurs in a relatively small number of car accidents or traumatic injuries. This is a generic term for severely impaired brain functioning. Things to look for are severe confusion, memory loss, bizarre aggression, babbling or incoherence. Although encephalopathy can be very scary to witness, it is not always an indicator of permanent brain damage.
Seizures: At its most basic level, doctors and scientists explain that the brain nerve cells communicate with each other by sending electrical discharges across the brain in a particular fashion to achieve a particular result. A grand mal seizure occurs where all of the brain cells shoot electrical discharges at the same time. Smaller or focal seizures occur when the shower of electrical discharges is limited to one part of the brain controlling a part of the body. This may reveal itself in a persistent or strange tick following a car accident.
Pupils: Mismatched pupils, particularly those that do not react to light, or non-reactive pupils, are indicative of a brain injury. That injury can range from a common concussion to brain swelling or bleeding. Sometimes the result can be life-threatening and immediate surgery is required. Mismatched and non-responsive pupils, while commonly indicative of a concussion, are actually a very serious condition. If a loved one is experiencing this symptom following a car accident, seek immediate treatment.
This is not an exhaustive list of symptoms of traumatic brain injury or brain damage. In fact, I'd be very suspect of any list that purported to be complete. The difficulty in diagnosing a brain injury—even for doctors—is all the more reason why personal injury victims, with the help of their family members, should carefully monitor themselves in the days and weeks following the accident.
If you or a loved one has been in a car accident and suspect serious brain injury or brain damage, seek treatment immediately.
When you or the loved one are stabilized and on the road to recovery, seek out an experienced Oregon brain damage lawyer for advice on whether there is compensation available for the tragic, life-altering injuries.