proving TBI without an MRI

Many types of accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including falls and car crashes. The most common and well-known form of a TBI is a concussion.

TBIs can range in severity from minor to severe, and even minor TBIs can have significant, detrimental impacts to health. The problem is that although you can point to a bruise on your skin, it’s not as easy to point to a bruise on your brain.

One way that doctors attempt to diagnose TBIs is through brain scans such as CT scans and MRIs. However, just because an MRI comes back normal doesn’t mean the victim did not suffer a TBI.

If you’ve suffered negative health effects after striking your head in a slip, fall, car accident, or other accident caused by someone else, don’t let the insurance company tell you your symptoms aren’t worth compensation. Our experienced traumatic brain injury attorneys know how to prove TBIs so you can get the treatment and recovery time you need.

How to Identify TBIs

TBIs are described in three levels of severity.

Minor TBIs are the least severe, but this in no way means they are not harmful. Any TBI is by definition a traumatic injury to the brain. “Minor” TBIs are also the most easily missed on CT scans and MRIs.

Symptoms of minor TBIs include:

  • Loss of consciousness
  • Headache
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Disorientation, problems concentrating, or memory problems
  • Drowsiness, sleeping more than usual, or difficulty sleeping
  • Loss of balance and/or coordination
  • Blurred vision or sensitivity to light, ringing in the ears or sensitivity to noise, loss of sense of smell, and/or a lingering bad taste in the mouth without cause
  • Mood swings
  • Depression, anxiety, or aggression

Symptoms of moderate to severe TBIs are generally the same as the symptoms of minor TBIs, but are usually more severe, more persistent, or become worse over time rather than getting better. Moderate to severe TBIs can also cause weakness in the extremities, seizures, and coma.

How We Can Prove TBIs Without Physical Scans

Many of the symptoms of TBIs are observable in victims’ behavior, even if they are not visible on a brain scan.

Witnesses are a key part of winning a brain injury claim. This includes witnesses to the accident, who can confirm if the victim lost consciousness, vomited, complained of a headache, or other symptoms at the scene, as well as witnesses to the victim’s behavior after the accident, who can confirm lingering symptoms such as loss of concentration, change in sleep patterns, and changes in personality. Juries can also see these behaviors demonstrated for themselves through videos of the victim in their day-to-day life.

Evidence showing the scene of the accident can also be helpful. This helps juries envision the accident for themselves to better understand what happened.

Let Us Get to Work On Your Case

Have you suffered persistent side effects after an accident caused by someone else? TBIs can cause lingering problems that affect quality of life, ability to work, and personal relationships. When you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, you deserve compensation.

Call our South Carolina brain injury lawyers today for a free consultation.

About the Author

Mark Joye is the Head of the Litigation Department at the Joye Law Firm. A Board-Certified Trial Advocate with nearly 30 years of litigation experience, he currently serves on the Board of Governors for the American Association for Justice and is a past president of the South Carolina Association for Justice. In a recent trial, Joye headed a trial team that secured $17 million for a family killed in a tractor-trailer accident.

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