If you suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) after a car accident, you are not alone. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), car accidents are the leading cause of TBIs that result in hospitalizations and deaths. One of the most common symptoms of a TBI is memory loss and amnesia. If you or someone you love was in a car accident that caused any kind of TBI, memory loss, or amnesia, you should seek medical attention and contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
TBI and Amnesia
Car accidents that result in TBI can result in severe and permanent damage. The plan of treatment is not always well established even in the medical community. Some of the symptoms may not appear for days or even weeks after the accident. In some cases, the victim themselves may not realize the extent of their TBI.
However, one of the main injuries that victims suffer from when they have had a TBI is memory loss and amnesia. These symptoms can be subtle and difficult to pinpoint, diagnose, and treat in an effective way. However, memory loss can have a catastrophic effect on a victim’s life and impact a victim’s future.
Understanding Amnesia
All traumatic brain injuries affect different victims in different ways, and the severity varies greatly. However, there are several different types of memory loss that can occur after a car accident or other traumatic event.
- Anterograde amnesia. This is the most common type of memory loss that victims of car accidents may experience. In these cases, victims will lose the ability to form or create memories for a period of time after the car accident.
- Post-traumatic amnesia. When a victim of a car accident has a state of confusion after a car accident, it may be post-traumatic amnesia. Additionally, this type of amnesia is not a total loss of memory but rather only a loss of memory for a short period of time after the car accident.
- Retrograde amnesia. If a victim of a car accident suffers not only short term memory loss but also can not seem to have memories from before the car accident, they may be suffering from retrograde amnesia.
Symptoms
If a victim of a car accident begins to have cloudy thinking, inability to recall memories, short-term or long-term memory loss, difficulty concentrating, confusion or inability to organize thoughts or memories, then the victim may be suffering from amnesia and should seek medical attention as soon as possible. The longer the symptoms remain untreated, the more the TBI and amnesia issues may become permanent or worsen in the future.
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
If you were in a car accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury that resulted in amnesia, you may have the right to receive compensation for your medical bills, loss of work, or your pain and suffering. Contact our experienced personal injury attorneys at Griggs Injury Law at (816) 474-0202 to help you with your next steps and for your free consultation today.
