Did you know you could walk away without any symptoms after sustaining a brain injury in an accident? Health experts say signs of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) could take days or weeks to appear.
Unfortunately, this means many vehicle accident victims with a TBI do not get the early medical intervention required to facilitate healing. Take some time to separate myth from fact if you took a serious bump on the head in your crash.
Myth: Concussions are no cause for concern
You may know the mild version of TBI as a concussion. These occur from a relatively minor blow to the head, but they could eventually impose severe health effects. Many patients with so-called minor brain injuries suffer life-long complications, especially without early treatment.
Myth: TBIs always show up on brain scans
While many head injuries become apparent after the patient undergoes an MRI or CT scan, concussions often remain hidden from these scans. Even sophisticated imaging devices are not always capable of detecting TBIs. Ask for further tests if your head got knocked around, but your scans were clear.
Myth: You have only a narrow window of recovery
The medical community once believed the recovery window for TBI patients was only about two years. Now, medical experts know that recovering from brain damage is a lifelong process. Although early treatment is critical, you could benefit from additional therapies throughout the rest of your life.
Another reason to seek exhaustive medical testing after your crash is to ensure you understand the scope of your injuries. You need this information to obtain sufficient compensation under Missouri injury and accident laws.
