Mike Hancock is the founder of Hancock Injury Attorneys, a former insurance defense attorney, and an AV-Preeminent–rated lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell, with over 35 years of experience practicing personal injury law.
Why brain injuries are often misdiagnosed
After a car accident, most people focus on visible injuries, such as bruises, broken bones, or immediate pain in the neck and back. However, brain injuries are often misdiagnosed because the symptoms of a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be subtle, delayed, or mistaken for stress or fatigue.
Brain injuries are often misdiagnosed because unlike a physical wound that is visible to everyone after an accident, a brain injury may not be immediately obvious.
One of the biggest challenges after an accident is that brain injuries don’t always present obvious symptoms. Unlike a broken arm or a visible wound, a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can be subtle and easy to overlook. Even a seemingly minor car accident can result in a brain injury, and symptoms may not appear right away. Brain injuries are often misdiagnosed because those symptoms may not appear until hours or even days after the accident.
If a brain injury goes undiagnosed, that injury can have lasting consequences that affect your health, career, relationships, and quality of life. Understanding why brain injuries are often misdiagnosed and recognizing the warning signs can help accident victims seek appropriate medical care as soon as possible.
To better understand why brain injuries are often misdiagnosed after a car accident and what warning signs you should keep an eye out for, watch the video below. This video discusses brain injuries resulting from accidents in Florida and addresses the question of why brain injuries are often misdiagnosed after a car accident.
Video Transcript:
You might not even realize you suffered a brain injury, but the consequences of one can be lifelong.
Why do brain injuries and concussions often go undiagnosed after an accident?
They can occur, whether it be a car accident where there's a whiplash injury or a fall in which you fall and in addition to hurting your hip or your knee, you hit your head.
Often times the injuries and symptoms from a brain injury or concussion are very subtle.
At the urgent care especially or if a client goes fails to go to an emergency room and they just go to an urgent care complaining of some neck pain or some knee pain or some hip pain from a fall and they said, "Oh yeah, I bumped my head also."
They often are not asked the right questions to properly diagnose whether you also suffered a concussion which is also known as a traumatic brain injury.
And the traumatic brain injury is kind of differentiated by regular traumatic brain injury or TBI injury or an MTBI which means mild traumatic brain injury.
And in the scheme of things, the mild traumatic brain injury is the most common where our clients come to us and their main focus might be on neck pain.
And they might say, "I've got headaches."
If it's a car accident, based upon my experience, I ask the appropriate questions and ask, "Well, how are you feeling? Were you did you feel dazed or confused immediately after the accident? Did you know, what's the last thing you remember before being hit and what's the first thing you remember after being hit?"
Those are the questions that a neurologist is going to ask you. Someone specializing in brain injuries.
Often times they say, you know, come to think of it, I don't even remember being hit and the next thing I remember is someone knocking on my window of the car asking me if I was okay. And I don't remember anything in between.
So, that proves that they suffered some form of loss of consciousness for a brief period of time and that helps go to prove the diagnosis of a brain injury or mild traumatic brain injury, a loss of consciousness.
The specialists of neurologists who specialize in treating traumatic brain injuries, they will say that a loss of consciousness is not necessary for the diagnosis of a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury.
You can still have a concussion and mild traumatic brain injury even without loss of consciousness.
Other types of symptoms that our clients tell us about are sensitivity to light.
You know, after an accident, they're like, you know, it's very uncomfortable for me when I go outside.
Sensitivity to noise, headaches, confusion, forgetfulness, irritability.
All these things are really in and of themselves, they might not be enough to clue in the victim that they've suffered more than just a neck injury or back injury.
But altogether when asked the appropriate questions it leads to a diagnosis of concussion and mild traumatic brain injury and a lot of our clients develop PTSD for driving some worse than others.
They have severe anxiety.
They may avoid driving altogether.
This is based upon my clients experiences. They may avoid driving altogether.
They may avoid driving their children in the car because they're afraid of what might happen.
They become hyper sensitive and the doctors will call it hypervigilant when they're either driving or even as a passenger in the car.
Such as symptoms of, you know, a car came up next to me and it just made me freak out. That never was the case before this accident.
So they become hypervigilant of other drivers.
They're always worried about whether another driver is going to cause a similar accident to the one that led to this brain injury.
The good news is that for some of our clients, those symptoms diminish with time after months.
But what really helps is us getting our clients to the appropriate doctors, getting our clients evaluated by a neurologist, getting our clients evaluated by a neuropsychologist who is trained in the diagnosis and treatment of mild traumatic brain injuries and brain injuries themselves.
And it's really important for the benefit of our clients to get that treatment started as soon as possible after an accident happens because the medical literature and the medical opinions of these specialists is that the sooner you start treatment for the brain injury, the better you are able to recover from that brain injury and more likely you're going to make a better recovery, quicker, with less ill effects for the rest of your life.
But then there are some unfortunate cases that our clients suffer traumatic brain injuries and sometimes they're still so subtle that only their loved ones can really tell the difference between the way their husband was before the accident versus after the accident.
But the husband then has trouble holding down a job, has trouble living without pain, without confusion, without forgetfulness, without severe chronic headaches.
We're able to help our clients get to the appropriate doctors.
And the best thing is to help them get better as fast as possible.
If you or a loved one suffered a traumatic brain injury, a mild traumatic brain injury, or a concussion after an accident, please reach out to us. Call us 24/7 at 813-915-1110 for a free case consultation and to speak with an attorney.
Brain Injuries Are Often Misdiagnosed After a Car accident: 4 critical steps to protect your rights
In many cases, accident victims go to an urgent care center or primary care doctor to address immediate pain. The focus is often on physical injuries like whiplash, back strain, or joint pain. If you briefly mention hitting your head, it may not trigger a deeper evaluation, especially if you seem alert and responsive.
This is one of the key reasons why brain injuries are often misdiagnosed after a car accident. Medical providers may not always have the time or specialized training to detect neurological issues during an initial visit.
Because brain injuries are often misdiagnosed, it’s important to be proactive about your health after a crash.
Even if you feel “fine,” consider taking these four steps after a car accident:
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible
- Be honest about all symptoms, no matter how minor
- Monitor your condition in the days and weeks following the accident
- Request a referral to a specialist if symptoms persist
Trust your instincts. If something feels off, it’s worth getting a second opinion.
If you suspect a brain injury after a car accident, do not ignore your symptoms. Seek medical attention after the accident. Because brain injuries are often misdiagnosed, keep track of any symptoms that develop or change after the accident and throughout the course of your medical treatment.
Symptoms of brain injuries That Are Easy to Miss
Another reason brain injuries are often misdiagnosed is that the symptoms can mimic everyday stress or fatigue. After a car accident, you might experience:
- Persistent headaches
- Dizziness or balance issues
- Confusion or difficulty concentrating
- Memory problems
- Sensitivity to light or noise
- Irritability or mood changes
Individually, these symptoms may not raise red flags. But together, they can indicate a concussion or another form of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Because brain injuries are often misdiagnosed, it is important to pay attention to changes in how you feel after a crash and discuss any concerning symptoms with a medical professional. Recognizing these warning signs can help prevent brain injuries are often misdiagnosed from going undetected and may help you receive appropriate medical care sooner.
Why brain injury symptoms may be overlooked
Unfortunately, brain injuries are often misdiagnosed, and many people may not realize they have suffered a brain injury after an accident. They may dismiss warning signs or assume their symptoms will go away on their own. In other cases, symptoms may be overlooked because they can resemble those associated with stress, fatigue, or other medical conditions. As a result, important symptoms that could help a medical professional identify a brain injury may go unrecognized.
Recognizing these symptoms is important because ignoring potential signs and symptoms of a brain injury after an accident can make recovery more difficult and prolong the healing process. The sooner you recognize changes in your physical, cognitive, or emotional health, the sooner you can discuss them with a medical professional and determine whether additional evaluation is necessary.
The challenges associated with identifying brain injuries are well documented. Research published in the National Library of Medicine highlights the difficulties involved in diagnosing traumatic brain injuries, particularly when symptoms are subtle or overlap with those of other conditions. This research underscores why recognizing potential symptoms and communicating them clearly to your medical provider can be an important part of the diagnostic process.
questions doctors should ask after a car accident
Proper diagnosis often depends on asking the right questions, something specialists like neurologists and neuropsychologists are trained to do. This is especially important because brain injuries are often misdiagnosed when symptoms are subtle or do not appear immediately after the accident.
Neuropsychologists are trained to evaluate cognitive, behavioral, and emotional changes that may occur after a brain injury. Asking the right questions can also help medical professionals identify symptoms that might otherwise be overlooked and reduce the risk that brain injuries are often misdiagnosed during an initial consultation.
For example, after an accident, a medical professional should ask the following questions:
- Did you feel dazed or disoriented after the crash?
- Do you remember the moment of impact?
- Did you experience any gaps in memory?
- Have your symptoms changed or worsened over time?
Even a brief lapse in memory can be a strong indicator of a concussion or a mild traumatic brain injury. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are numerous symptoms and effects of a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion. Because brain injuries are often misdiagnosed, providing your medical provider with detailed information about your symptoms and how they have changed can be important to the diagnostic process.
If you are concerned that brain injuries are often misdiagnosed, you may choose to review the CDC's information about traumatic brain injury signs and symptoms to learn more about common symptoms, how to recognize potential warning signs, and what to do if you notice danger signs.
Importantly, you do not need to lose consciousness to suffer a brain injury. Many people who experience traumatic brain injuries remain awake and alert, which is another reason brain injuries are often misdiagnosed in the early stages.
what to do if you think you have a brain injury
When brain injuries are often misdiagnosed, the biggest risk is delayed treatment. Without proper care, symptoms can worsen and lead to long-term complications.
Untreated TBIs can affect your ability to:
- Focus and perform at work
- Drive safely and confidently
- Maintain emotional stability
- Enjoy daily activities
In some cases, individuals may also develop anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress following an accident.
Early diagnosis gives you the best chance at recovery. A neurologist or neuropsychologist can perform specialized testing, recommend treatment, and monitor your progress over time. The sooner you receive proper care, the more likely you are to prevent long-term damage.
What to Do if you suspect a brain injury After a Car Accident
Because brain injuries are often misdiagnosed, it’s important to be proactive about your health after a crash. When brain injuries are often misdiagnosed, the consequences can extend beyond delayed treatment and affect your recovery, finances, and quality of life. If you or a loved one suffered a concussion or traumatic brain injury after a car accident, don’t wait to take action.
We’re Here to Help
At Hancock Injury Attorneys, we understand how serious and complex brain injuries can be. Because brain injuries are often misdiagnosed, victims may face physical and emotional challenges while also struggling to obtain the compensation they deserve.
The experienced Tampa personal injury lawyers at Hancock Injury Attorneys are ready to fight for your rights and advocate for your best interests. We can aggressively negotiate with insurance company representatives or litigate your case in court while pursuing the fair compensation you deserve. Our team is here to help you navigate the legal process, document your injuries, and pursue the medical care and support you need to move forward.
At Hancock Injury Attorneys, we have a strong track record of success in recovering compensation for accident victims through settlement or litigation. We have served the Tampa community for 35+ years and have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our injured clients.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a Tampa brain injury lawyer, call us 24/7 at (813) 915-1110.
You can also visit our Tampa brain injury lawyer practice page for more information about brain injury claims and how our legal team may be able to help.