When a car crash leads to a traumatic brain injury, the impact can be shown in every aspect of your daily life. Some crash victims may experience delayed brain injuries that can become dangerous if not treated properly.
- How Do I Know if I Have a Brain Injury After a Car Crash in South Bend?
- What Symptoms May Indicate a TBI or Other Head Injury?
- When Should I See a Doctor for Head Injury Symptoms After a Crash?
- What Medical Tests Diagnose Brain Injuries From Car Crashes?
- Long Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Can I File a Claim for a TBI From a Car Crash in Indiana?
- Long Term Costs of TBIs That May Affect Your Claim
- How Insurance Companies View Brain Injury Claims
- Injured in a South Bend Car Crash? Call Pfeifer, Morgan & Stesiak
At Pfeifer Morgan & Stesiak, our knowledgeable South Bend car accident attorneys can help you determine your next legal step. We have successfully assisted our clients with their legal cases and are dedicated to understanding how your specific circumstances have impacted you and your family’s lives. Schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys. If we determine you have a valid case, there are no upfront costs or fees for any of our legal services.
Call today to learn more about your legal options: (574) 444-0741.
How Do I Know if I Have a Brain Injury After a Car Crash in South Bend?
How Do I Know if I Have a Brain Injury After a Car Crash in South Bend?Brain injuries after a South Bend car crash are not always straightforward. Unlike visible injuries, TBIs can hide beneath the surface, sometimes emerging days after your accident.
Signs that you should be aware of to detect brain injuries:
Physical Warning Signs
Your body may signal that something is wrong. Watch for:
- Blurred vision or sensitivity to light
- Unusual fatigue or difficulties sleeping
- Persistent headaches that worsen over time
- Dizziness or balance problems when standing or walking
- Ringing in the ears that was not present before the accident
- Nausea or vomiting, especially in the days following your crash
Cognitive and Emotional Changes
Pay attention if you experience:
- Feel Mentally “Foggy”: A sensation that your thinking is clouded or slowed down. Automatic tasks may now require deliberate concentration, and your thought processes might feel unclear or hazy.
- Increased Irritability or Unusual Sadness: Brain injuries can directly affect emotional regulation. You might find yourself getting frustrated more easily or experiencing unexplained feelings of depression that were not present before the accident.
- Anxiety That Appears Suddenly After Your Crash: Emotions like worry, nervousness, or panic after a car accident can manifest into anxiety or specific fears related to driving.
- Memory Problems, Especially with Recent Events: Difficulty forming new memories or recalling recent conversations and activities, while older memories remain intact.
- Mood Swings That Seem Out of Character for You: Rapid, unpredictable changes in emotional state that do not match your typical personality.
- Trouble Concentrating on Work or Everyday Tasks: After a brain injury, you may find it unusually difficult to focus on tasks that previously required little mental effort.
What Symptoms May Indicate a TBI or Other Head Injury?
Brain injuries often reveal themselves days or even weeks after an accident. Watch for warning signs that develop over time, including:
- Dilated Pupils: When one or both pupils appear larger than normal and do not respond properly to light, this may indicate increased pressure within the skull.
- Unusual Agitation: Brain injuries can cause sudden personality changes, including restlessness, combativeness, or behavior that is out of character for the person.
- Difficulty Waking Up: Excessive drowsiness or an inability to be awakened can signal that the brain’s normal functions are impaired, potentially indicating bleeding or swelling.
- Coordination Problems: Stumbling, clumsiness, or an inability to perform simple physical tasks normally may indicate brain damage to functions that control movement.
- Weaknesses in Extremities: Unexplained numbness, tingling, or weakness in arms and legs can result from brain injury affecting the motor pathways.
These delayed symptoms require immediate medical attention, as they may indicate a serious TBI that was not apparent at the time of injury.
When Should I See a Doctor for Head Injury Symptoms After a Crash?
Seek emergency care immediately if you lose consciousness, even if it is brief. Slurred speech or weakness in limbs are other signs that you should seek medical attention promptly.
If you do not have emergency symptoms, it is still recommended to consult a doctor within 24 to 48 hours. Headaches, temporary confusion, or grogginess may seem minor, but could turn out to be severe after a diagnosis.
Certain crash circumstances may necessitate a medical evaluation, even if no symptoms are present. These scenarios are examples of when you should seek medical attention:
- If your head struck any object
- You experienced whiplash
- You were ejected from the vehicle
- You were in a high-speed collision
- Sustained significant vehicle damage
- Have a pre-existing medical condition that can make your injuries worse
What Medical Tests Diagnose Brain Injuries From Car Crashes?
When you seek medical attention, specific tests can diagnose your injuries. These medical examinations include:
Initial Assessments
- Glasgow Coma Scale: Measures how alert and responsive you are
- Neurological Examination: Checks basic brain and nerve functions
- Concussion Screening: Evaluates symptoms and cognitive function
Key Imaging Tests
- CT Scan: A fast emergency test that shows bleeding, fractures, and swelling
- MRI: More detailed imaging that can reveal more minor injuries that CT scans miss
- Advanced MRI Techniques: Specialized scans (DTI, fMRI) that can detect subtle damage to brain connections and function
Other Important Tests
- Blood Tests: New tests can detect brain injury proteins in your bloodstream
- Cognitive Testing: Measures memory, thinking, and other mental functions
Long Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injuries
Brain injuries do not always heal like other injuries. While some people recover completely, many face lasting challenges that can persist for years or even a lifetime after their car crash.
TBIs can cause persistent physical problems that require ongoing health management, such as chronic pain, seizure disorders, sleep disturbances, and sensory difficulties. Severe balance and coordination issues may cause ongoing dizziness, vertigo, and coordination difficulties. This can increase the risk of falls and limit activities.
Cognitive challenges after a TBI can cause some victims to have short-term and long-term memory problems. They can also struggle with multitasking and maintaining conversations, which can impact their social and work aspects of their lives.
Can I File a Claim for a TBI From a Car Crash in Indiana?
Yes, you can file a claim for a traumatic brain injury resulting from a car crash in Indiana. These claims often result in significant compensation due to the severe and long-lasting nature of brain injuries. However, Indiana’s specific laws create a system you must navigate carefully.
Indiana’s Fault-Based System
Indiana follows a modified comparative fault system. This means you can recover damages if you were less than 51 percent responsible for the crash. If you are partially at fault, your compensation may be reduced by a certain percentage. If you are found 51 percent or more at fault, you cannot recover anything.
Types of Compensation
Indiana law allows brain injury victims to seek several types of damages, such as:
- Medical Expenses: All current and future medical costs related to your TBI
- Lost Income: Wages lost during recovery and reduced earning capacity
- Property Damage: Vehicle repair or replacement costs
- Pain and Suffering: Compensation for physical pain and emotional distress
- Loss of Enjoyment: Damages for inability to enjoy hobbies and activities
- Loss of Consortium: Compensation for impact on marital relationship
Long Term Costs of TBIs That May Affect Your Claim
TBIs create financial burdens that extend far beyond initial hospital bills. When pursuing compensation in South Bend, understanding these long-term costs ensures your claim reflects the true economic impact of your injury.
TBIs often require years or even decades of continued medical care, including:
- Specialized Neurological Care: Regular appointments with neurologists
- Medication Expenses: Anti-seizure medications, pain management drugs, and psychiatric medications
- Rehabilitation Therapy: Physical, occupational, speech, and cognitive therapy sessions
- Mental Health Treatment: Counseling for depression, anxiety, and PTSD
- Future Surgeries: Some TBI patients require follow-up procedures months or years after the initial injury
- Adaptive Equipment: Specialized equipment like mobility aids, memory assistance devices, or home modifications
Victims and their attorneys should consider including lifestyle changes in a claim, such as childcare expenses, household services, and lost income. In some cases, the more you adapt to lifestyle changes due to your injuries, the higher the compensation amount may be.
How Insurance Companies View Brain Injury Claims
Insurance companies may be skeptical of TBIs because many brain injuries do not appear on standard imaging. Symptoms cannot be objectively measured, and diagnosis may depend on self-reported symptoms.
The insurance company may attempt tactics to lowball, delay, or deny your claim. These tactics may include:
- Medical Record Scrutiny: Searching for pre-existing conditions
- Surveillance: Monitoring your activities for inconsistencies with reported symptoms
- Early Settlement Offers: Quick, lowball offers before symptoms fully develop
- Independent Medical Exams: Brief evaluations by insurer-selected doctors
- Causation Challenges: Arguing that symptoms came from something other than the crash
Injured in a South Bend Car Crash? Call Pfeifer, Morgan & Stesiak
Do not wait until medical bills pile up or insurance companies try to pressure you into inadequate settlements. Seek legal counsel from an experienced attorney who has the staff and resources to fully manage your case so you can focus on your recovery.
At Pfeifer, Morgan & Stesiak, we have helped countless injury victims in Indiana, including crash victims with traumatic brain injuries. Our team understands the nature of brain injuries and how Indiana laws apply to these cases. This combined knowledge makes a critical difference in the compensation our clients receive.
Call today at (574) 444-0741 for a free, no-risk case review.
