When auto accidents, falls, and other traumatic events occur, the people harmed generally receive prompt treatment for life-threatening injuries and broken bones. Mild traumatic brain injury (“MTBI”), however, may well go undetected. Doctors may fail to diagnose or treat traumatic brain injuries, and attorneys may fail to recognize the need for diagnosis and treatment because of certain brain injury myths.
Part of the problem is the inability of imaging tools to identify pathology caused by mild traumatic brain injury. Despite its serious effects, pathology may be very slight when compared to that seen in moderate and severe head injuries. Diagnostic imaging technologies that can detect clinical signs of mild TBI are expensive. Doctors and hospitals may believe that advanced imaging technology should not be deployed for injuries that are not life threatening.
Without knowledge of the epidemiology of brain injury, minor or mild brain injuries may be missed. Two false assumptions seem to have the greatest need for correction. First, a person does not need a loss of consciousness to suffer brain trauma. A change in mental state, such as being dazed or confused, amnesia, or neurologic deficit may indicate mild brain injury even if the patient remains conscious after impact. A neurologic deficit is a functional abnormality of a body area due to a decrease in the function of the brain. Examples include inability to speak, decreased sensation, loss of balance, weakness, mental function problems, visual changes, abnormal reflexes, and walking problems.
An important aspect of loss of consciousness as a requirement for a diagnosis of brain injury is that the patient may revive after going unconscious momentarily before medical personnel arrive to treat and transport. If no witnesses see the impact, and the patient has no memory of what happened, the hospital chart note may never record the period of unconsciousness. The diagnosis of brain injury may go unmade. If so, proof that a TBI occurred is likely to become considerably more difficult.
Second, a person does not need to strike his or her brain in order to suffer brain trauma. Head trauma and subsequent brain injury can occur either directly or indirectly. Force directed against the victim’s head as the result of striking or being struck can be a direct cause of brain injury, and external force of sufficient magnitude is likely to be fatal. But transmitted forces which do not physically impact the outside of the head may also injure the brain through bruising (bleeding), tearing, or swelling. Examples of indirect trauma include acceleration-deceleration injuries such as whiplash.
If direct injury to the brain did not occur, emergency room doctors may focus on more obvious external injuries. Learning the signs and symptoms of head injury that may be associated with brain trauma is an important step for those caring for an injured person.
If you or a loved one have been hurt in a fall, car accident, sport, or other impact, contact us promptly. The Law Office of Dane E. Johnson is dedicated to helping brain injury victims recover compensation for their injuries. We offer a no-cost, no-obligation case consultation to evaluate potential TBI legal claims. Contact Portland injury attorney Dane Johnson toll free at (800) 714-3204, or tell us about your case online.
Related Web Resources
Dr. Glen Johnson, Common Indicators of a Head Injury
Comments on this entry are closed.