Why can brain injury signs and symptoms be difficult at times to identify?

A brain injury is referred to as an invisible injury. There are many different symptoms, some of which may not be obvious and can appear related to other health conditions. Some symptoms are immediate, while others may be delayed for hours, days, or months. Symptoms may not appear until you return to work or perform a task that requires focus and concentration. Signs and symptoms may occur alone, in varying combinations, or may be intermittent. Other injuries like pain from broken bones may mask brain injury symptoms.

A brain injured person may not realize their injury due to the fact they are brain injured and are not self-aware of their problem. A brain injured person may also not be a reliable historian due to their injury and no one witnessed the event to confirm if they hit their head, lost consciousness, had a seizure at the scene, were dazed and confused afterward, or had balance issues. A brain injured person may not remember any of those things and thus deny they ever happened. It is also not unusual for a brain injured person to not admit their injury or blame their injury on something else out of fear, embarrassment, feeling shame, or for some other reason.

This can cause delays in diagnosis, treatment and protecting a brain injured person’s legal rights. Because brain injury symptoms can be complex, vary, and difficult to identify, if you, a friend, or family member were involved in an incident like a car or bike crash, a fall, or another plausible mechanism of injury, it is important to seek medical attention immediately from a specialist trained in diagnosing brain injuries. A brain injury, even a mild one, can be serious and could lead to long-term or permanent serious life changing medical issues or even death. It is not a time to tough it out and hope it gets better on its own. Instead, seek medical attention immediately. Early intervention could save a life or start the road for recovery.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our legal services and how our focus in brain injury and bicycle injury cases matters, please get in touch with us via our contact page at Contact Us.

If you found this post helpful, you might also like to explore the other topics listed below and the many other topics in our comprehensive Safety & Prevention Guide, Brain Injury Guide, and Bike Injury Guide.