An array of psychological, physical, and mental tests are available which can determine the location, extent and severity of impairment/deficits within each brain function caused by a head injury. Neuropsychological testing, clinical physiologists, PET scans, SPECT scans and MRIs also provide information about a brain injury.

Those who suffer skull fractures, loss of consciousness and/or coma typically are diagnosed as severe injuries, with obvious physical impairments that are easily verified. Because they have suffered objective physical injuries, their resulting impairments are readily accepted as having been caused by the initial impact.

Other cases present more difficult proof issues, since symptoms may not be as readily apparent to a jury made up of people who were not familiar with a plaintiff’s normal functioning prior to an accident. Your personal injury attorney must have a thorough understanding of the symptoms of TBI in order to adequately present a case for damages to the jury.

Significant confusion following a head injury is so common that the primary medical inquiry is to establish if the patient is oriented. Not knowing the day, week, year, where they are or what happened results in the patient asking searching questions. Coping with confusion is extremely frustrating and leads to more confusion. As a defense mechanism to bring rationality to their existence, many patients will develop their own explanation or history, integrating some accurate information, into a fabric of reality and fantasy.

Confabulation is not coping with reality, but it is more closely associated with denial and is a defense mechanism. Survivors have difficulty planning which is known as impaired executive function. Planning requires good memory, learning, judgment, attention and organizational skills. Difficulty in following a logical progression or focusing or getting stuck on one step, stage or activity raises frustrations. Dealing with abstract concepts as literal facts is additionally confusing.

The most significant hurdle after injury is often memory loss and impairment. The mind’s capacity to receive, store and retrieve information is affected. Loss of short-term memory is more common than the loss of recall for older information. This should not be confused with retrograde amnesia, which is the inability to recall events before injury. Anterograde amnesia is the inability to recall events that have occurred since injury.

Impaired communication skills, such as aphasia, the inability to understand or recall the simplest words, is caused by brain cell damage, not by physical inability to speak. Survivors who have difficulty understanding are diagnosed with receptive aphasia. Expressive aphasia is the diagnosis for those having difficulty remembering words, naming objects or expressing ideas.

Impaired judgment occurs when abstract thinking is impaired. Being stimulus bound is when the brain only recognizes and reacts to objects and events in the immediate environment. Applying a task to a similar but different situation cannot be accomplished. Difficulty in interpreting the actions or inaction or others is common. Those who show concern and attention can be viewed as being angry toward the survivor.

Frontal lobe injuries can be interpreted as causing dullness because this area of the brain controls impulses, motivation and initiation. These survivors need to be reminded and prompted in simple tasks, such as daily care and living tasks. Regular encouragement and visual cues are helpful in prompting initiation.