If you suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a car crash, you may have a wide variety of symptoms. Many of these are obvious or become obvious relatively soon after the crash. Some take longer to dissipate than others. Headaches, dizziness, sensory issues and even emotional issues and cognitive impairments are not uncommon.
Amnesia is another potential symptom of TBI — specifically post-traumatic amnesia, or PTA. Amnesia is most often anterograde. Anterograde amnesia affects memories of anything that occurs after the injury. Sometimes those memories return, but there’s no guarantee that they will
Less common is something called retrograde amnesia. This is where memories of what happened before the injury (generally just before it) are lost.
Even if someone isn’t diagnosed with amnesia, they may suffer some amount of memory loss following a crash or other event where they injure their head. Often, it’s caused by swelling that places pressure on the brain. That decreases the amount of information a person can process. It typically dissipates as the brain heals.
The effects of memory loss on your life and your case
If you’re suffering from amnesia or other memory issues, you may not be able to work, attend school or care for your children or other loved ones safely. Whether this is temporary or long-term, it’s crucial to factor this into your claim with an at-fault driver’s insurance company or any legal action you take.
If you have some memory loss, it’s wise not to talk to any insurance company representative or anyone representing the other driver. For example, you may remember crucial details in the weeks or months following the crash that you didn’t remember at first. Those memories can be more easily challenged if they involve things you didn’t mention at first.
If you’ve suffered any type of brain injury or are having any difficulty recalling precisely what happened simply because of some level of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you should always rely on a legal professional to deal with the insurance company and the at-fault driver on your behalf.
