1. I don’t have a headache, so I must not be injured.
Not all brain injuries result in a headache. A common error is to discount brain injury because the victim has none of the “normal” symptoms such as headache, dizziness or nausea.
A study on traumatic brain injury and headache, published by Clinical Psychiatry News, showed not only is headache not present in everyone, but also that moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) are less likely to cause chronic headache than mild TBI. The absence of headache or the severity and duration of headache is not a good indicator of the presence or severity of brain injury. The only way to be sure TBI has not occurred is to get checked out by a medical professional.
2. I don’t have a brain injury because I did not hit my head or I did not get knocked out.
Traumatic brain injury causes include the impact of the brain against the skull, often associated with events that cause whiplash such as being rear ended in a car accident. In these cases, you might not even hit your head, but can suffer a TBI.
Additionally, injury to the brain does not always result in a loss of consciousness or even show immediately recognizable symptoms. Often times TBI victims will continue to walk and talk after an accident. Onset of symptoms such as headache and confusion can occur days after the incident.
3. A helmet will save me from a traumatic brain injury.
Helmets go a long way to prevent head injury, and we would never discount their importance. Helmets and hardhats save lives in events such as bicycle, motorcycle or construction accidents. They do not, however, rule out the chance of brain injury. You may walk away from an accident with your skull and life intact, but that does not mean you do not have a concussion. The tragedy of former NFL players’ brain injuries despite high tech helmets demonstrates that injury can still be sustained no matter how much padding you have on your head.
4. My MRI, CT Scan or EEG study is clean, so I do not have a brain injury.
Some brain injury will not show up on routine tests. According to the Brain Injury Association of America, these scans are often not sensitive enough to detect mild brain injury in particular because the damage is often to the neural connections in the brain and may not be accompanied by swelling or bleeding. The disease now discovered to be common in the NFL, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, can only be definitively diagnosed by staining brain tissue post-mortem.
5. “Mild” traumatic brain injury is no big deal.
True, traumatic brain injuries are commonly classified as mild, moderate or severe, but mild brain injuries are still traumatic and can have serious implications for the victim, especially if they are sustained repeatedly. Mild brain injury can cause changes in memory, learning, adaptation and personality. In a 2007 story published in the Washingtonian, Anne Forrest opened up about her struggles with a mild TBI that robbed her of much of her mental acuity and made her incapable of performing her job as an economist and even robbed her of the ability to drive, exercise or solve simple problems.
Don’t Be A Victim of These Misunderstandings
Because of these myths and misunderstandings about traumatic brain injury, many people struggle without ever realizing the root cause of their troubles. Traumatic brain injury can drastically change your life, hindering your ability to work, perform simple tasks and maintain relationships. Recovery can be a long process and most insurance companies cover only a limited range of treatment and treatment duration. Being properly diagnosed from the beginning makes you more likely to receive the treatment and assistance you deserve.
If you or a loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, you may be eligible for compensation, which will help to alleviate these financial hardships. Please contact us immediately for a free consultation with one of our experienced and compassionate attorneys. We understand traumatic brain injury and will fight for your right to just compensation. Contact us as soon as possible and before settling with any insurance company.