At the time of a collision, the driver and any passengers can get tossed around in one of the two or more colliding vehicles. If the head on any of those tossed individuals hits a headrest, a window or another passenger, then that same person could suffer a brain injury. It would not cause any pain during the moments that follow the impact, but it should be examined.

The follow up to that examination

The follow up could prove more important than the initial examination. That should be a time when the injured driver or passenger shares with the doctor details about any subtle changes, no matter how small they might be. Those should be noted, in the event that some more glaring symptom might make its appearance.

Suppose, for instance, that the injured victim has complained about a mild headache. That fact must be noted in the patient’s medical record. If that patient has sustained a traumatic brain injury, that same injury could trigger the appearance of a more glaring symptom, such as a dizzy spell.

If there were no record of the headaches, or worse no mention of what had happened during the accident, the physician would have little reason to link the dizzy spell to the accident-related impact on the head. Hence, the physician would probably not suggest completion of the next action.

Schedule a visit with a neuropsychologist

Understand that this professional is a specialist. He or she will not see any patient that does not have a referral. That referral can come from the examining doctor or from the family physician. The neuropsychologist will arrange for the performance of psychometric tests.

The psychometric tests help to reveal information that might not be seen in the images produced by an MRI or a CT scan. The results of a traumatic brain injury get revealed slowly, over a prolonged period of time. The most helpful information could be the observations made by the person that felt the impact on the head at the time of the collision.

What might that particular person observe, if he or she did suffer a brain injury?

• He or she might see lights flickering in front of the eyes.
• He or she might have strange dreams, or maybe trouble sleeping.
• If the person affected were in school, he or she might struggle to maintain the same grades that had previously been on his or her report card.
• An adult could find it hard to concentrate.
• An adult might have difficulty recalling information.
• A child in school might feel strange doing certain activities in PE class. For instance, that child might feel uncomfortable when moving the head into a spot below the torso.

If you or someone you love has been suffering with a brain injury, it is important to consult with Injury Lawyer in Burlington.