While most mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBI) don’t produce long-lasting difficulties, in some cases they can be followed by debilitating, painful symptoms for a significant period after the initial incident. Unfortunately, these seemingly minor brain injuries come with a host of special challenges, which can complicate the legal or insurance processes.
Concussions and MTBI are often used interchangeably. And while they have gained significant coverage in sports media over recent years, in everyday life this same issue – usually of lingering symptoms despite a perfectly normal outward appearance – gets less respect.
MTBIs commonly arise in car accidents, where the head is jarred without warning from side to side or strikes an unforgiving surface. According to most experts in the field, up to 70 per cent of concussion sufferers experience headaches right after the injury.
And while such immediate difficulties are to be expected, the more troubling cases are those in which symptoms linger for long periods of time. That is when injury sufferers can find themselves struggling to have their problems recognized as legitimate and may require legal help. Experienced personal injury lawyers will garner evidence from experts and family members to help prove that MTBIs can result in serious long-term problems and disability.
When filing claims for compensation or benefits, the greatest difficulty for injury sufferers can be convincing others of their problems. Symptoms of MTBI, unlike more severe cases of brain injury, often escape more objective diagnostic tools like CT scans and MRIs. That is where a personal injury lawyer can help: they will connect you with the right specialists, including neuropsychologists, in order to properly document symptoms, work to secure long-term benefits and ensure you aren’t forced back to work amid lingering issues.
Horowitz Injury Law has extensive experience in traumatic brain injury cases, even where symptoms defy easy identification. Learn more or schedule a free consultation at www.horowitzinjurylaw.com.
