HANDLING NON-CATASTROPHIC BRAIN INJURY CASES Part II: Recognizing the Injury
Minor head injuries can lead to traumatic brain injuries with minimal initial symptoms.
If you or a loved one has sustained a minor head injury please read the information below and contact:
Most anyone can recognize the injury when a person has received trauma that has resulted in a severe brain injury. Severe brain injury often results in easily observable symptoms including partial or complete paralysis, speech problems, impaired cognitive functioning, disability from employment, long periods of coma, huge hospital bills, and CT, MRI, and other brain-imaging changes.
On the other hand, the so-called minor head injury can often cause traumatic brain injury and long-term residual problems with symptoms that are not apparent to the casual observer. These symptoms which can occur even without a loss of consciousness[1] at the time of the traumatic event include: headaches, dizziness, lethargy, memory loss, irritability, personality changes, cognitive deficits, and/or perceptual changes. This article will discuss handling litigation for a victim of a so-called minor head injury.
[1]Leininger, B.E., et al. Neuropsychological Deficits in Symptomatic Minor Head Injury Plaintiffs After Concussion and Mild Concussion. 53 Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 293-296 (1990).
Binder, L.M. Persisting Symptoms After Mild Head Injury: A Review of the Post-Concussive Syndrome. 8 Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology 323-346 (1986).
Esselman, P.C. and Uomoto, J.M. Classification of the spectrum of mild traumatic brain injury. 9 Brain Injury 417-424 (1995).
Snoek, Jennett, Adams, Graham & Doyle. Computerized Tomography After Recent Severe Head Injury in Patients Without Acute Intracranial Hematoma. 42 Neurology, Neurosurgery, & Psychiatry 215 (1979).