Virginia Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers

Living with Post-Concussive Symptoms & Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) after a Car Accident

A concussion is a traumatic brain injury caused by a sudden force to the head resulting in the brain moving rapidly back and forth inside your skull. These injuries can damage brain cells and cause a chemical change in the brain. Almost any traumatic event can cause concussions, and we typically see them as a result of personal injury events such as car accidents, trucking crashes, motorcycle accidents, pedestrians being hit by a car, bicyclists being struck, train or metro accidents, a slip and fall, or even in dog attack cases.

Concussions can cause a wide variety of symptoms that can last any amount of time. No two people are the same, nor are there identical types of traumatic brain injuries. Since everyone’s brain chemistry and neurological links are different, an injury to the brain will be unique for each individual. Symptoms can vary in degree, severity, and onset.

The most common types of symptoms are:

• Loss of Consciousness
• Nausea & Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Ringing in the Ears
• Fatigue
• Poor Hand-Eye Coordination
• Post-Concussive Headaches
• Short- and Long-Term Amnesia/ Memory Loss
• Decreased Cognitive Function
• Dramatic Mood Swings
• Trouble Going to Sleep and Staying Asleep

What is Post-Concussive Syndrome?

In addition to suffering from the symptoms above, a person suffering from a concussion may also develop the post-concussive syndrome. This does not include a specific symptom, but rather symptoms last longer than initially expected. Symptoms can occur for months, years, or even a lifetime.

Diagnostic Criteria for a Concussion

Doctors can diagnose a concussion based on the injured person suffering from any of the aforementioned post-concussive symptoms. The degree of severity of a concussion can vary wildly and can range from a mild concussion, moderate concussion, and severe concussion. The severity depends on the seriousness of the symptoms, with loss of consciousness being a major contributing factor.

Traumatic Brain Injury Diagnostic Criteria

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, and there are distinctions to the level of severity of traumatic brain injury a person can suffer that are classified as mild, moderate, and severe. A person suffering from a concussion is usually diagnosed as suffering from a mild traumatic brain injury. However, depending on the symptoms, the injured person can be diagnosed as suffering from a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury. Similar to concussions, there is no single test to classify one severity level compared to another, but treating doctors follow certain guidelines to diagnose the severity of a traumatic brain injury.

Loss of Consciousness

The amount of time someone experiences loss of consciousness can be a criterion used in diagnosing the severity of a traumatic brain injury. It is considered a mild traumatic brain injury if someone is unconscious for less than twenty minutes. Being unconscious less than six hours after being admitted to a hospital is considered a moderate traumatic brain injury. Being unconscious for more than six hours after being admitted to a hospital is considered a severe traumatic brain injury. This is just a general template some medical professionals follow. However, doctors use several other considerations to determine the severity of the traumatic brain injury.

Glasgow Coma Scale

A Glasgow Coma Scale is another metric used to measure the severity of traumatic brain injuries. It is based on a scale from 1-15. The score is based on cognitive functions exhibited by the patient—eye opening, motor, and verbal responses. A patient scoring 13-15 is considered to be suffering from a mild traumatic brain injury, 9-12 as suffering from a moderate traumatic brain injury, and anything eight and below is a severe traumatic brain injury.
Imaging Studies- If someone suffers from a traumatic brain injury, a treating emergency room physician usually orders imaging of the head, typically a CT or MRI scan. This can show objective findings of a traumatic brain injury in the form of a skull fracture, contusions, and/or intracranial hemorrhage. These findings can also result in emergency surgery.

Evaluating Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury Cases

The severity of symptoms caused by a concussion varies widely and depends on several factors. Some considerations when evaluating a traumatic brain injury case are:

• Mechanism of Injury– Was the concussion caused by a severe rear-end car crash caused by a tractor-trailer? Or was it caused by a fall after being attacked by a dangerous dog? Both have serious potential to cause a concussion and resulting traumatic brain injury symptoms. The severity of symptoms and duration may vary widely based on the mechanism of injury.
• Prior Traumatic Brain Injuries and Concussions– An injured person’s medical history plays a significant role in the recovery process. If someone has had prior concussions and traumatic brain injuries, they are more likely to develop post-concussive systems, and the severity of those post-concussive systems is likely to be more severe. Repetitive injuries to the brain can cause Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, most commonly known as CTE. We commonly see athletes or military personnel suffer from more serious traumatic brain injuries, or CTE since they are more likely to have a history of prior concussions and traumatic brain injuries.
• Age at the time of Traumatic Brain Injury or Concussion– The person’s age when they suffer a concussion or traumatic brain injury, even if it is a mild traumatic brain injury, will be a factor in the recovery process. When the post-concussive symptoms are minimal, children have a greater chance of fully recovering from a mild concussion and/or mild traumatic brain injury. This is because a child’s brain is still developing, and its neuroplasticity has a greater chance of recovering from a mild traumatic brain injury. However, a child who suffers from a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury has a greater chance of being permanently affected by it for the same reason. Their brain is still developing. If a traumatic concussion causes severe damage to the brain, a child is less likely to recover than a middle-aged adult. Additionally, anyone over the age of fifty who suffers from a traumatic brain injury is more likely to experience lasting effects compared to someone in their thirties—age matters.

Brain injury cases are serious, and whether you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury and are experiencing post-concussive symptoms, it is crucial to seek medical attention immediately. Early intervention, combined with therapy, can make a big difference in the recovery process, which can be slow and tedious.

If another party caused the concussion and traumatic brain injury, it is important to consult an experienced attorney who can help you get compensation for injuries suffered.

Contact an experienced brain and head injury lawyer

At Curcio Law, we have dedicated our practice to helping those injured through no fault of their own. We are experienced attorneys who know the intricacies of traumatic brain injuries, the toll a concussion can have on our clients, and how post-concussive symptoms can affect our clients for years, possibly the rest of their lives. Please call/text us at (703) 836-3366 or contact us for a free consultation to see if we can assist you or a loved one suffering from a concussion or traumatic brain injury.