Normal imaging does not rule out a brain injury
A CT scan in the emergency room is looking for bleeding and skull fractures — things that need surgery tonight. It is not designed to detect diffuse axonal injury or the microscopic damage that produces most persistent post-concussive symptoms. A clean CT means you are not in immediate danger. It does not mean your brain was not injured, and it should never be treated as proof that nothing happened.
You do not have to lose consciousness
Most concussions involve no loss of consciousness at all. A blow to the head — or even a violent enough whiplash without any direct impact — can produce a traumatic brain injury. Insurers lean heavily on the absence of a documented loss of consciousness, and it is a weak argument that nonetheless persuades people to give up on valid claims.
Symptoms that matter to a claim
- Headaches, light and noise sensitivity, and visual disturbance
- Memory lapses, difficulty concentrating and slowed processing
- Irritability, anxiety, depression and personality change
- Sleep disruption, fatigue and dizziness
- Word-finding difficulty and trouble following conversation
- Loss of taste or smell
How these injuries are actually proved
Because standard imaging often shows nothing, TBI cases are built from other sources. Neuropsychological testing measures cognitive function against expected baselines. Advanced imaging may reveal what a CT cannot. And critically, testimony from people who knew you before — a spouse, a supervisor, a close friend — is often the most persuasive evidence there is, because they can describe the difference.
If you or someone close to you is dealing with this, keep a symptom journal from the beginning. Contemporaneous notes about a bad day are far more credible than a recollection assembled two years later.
Frequently asked questions
My CT scan was normal. Do I still have a case?
Very possibly. CT scans detect bleeding and fractures, not the diffuse microscopic damage behind most persistent concussion symptoms. Neuropsychological testing and advanced imaging are the tools that document what a CT cannot.
I never lost consciousness. Can I still have a brain injury?
Yes. Most concussions occur without any loss of consciousness. The relevant question is what your symptoms are and how they have changed your functioning, not whether you blacked out.
How do you prove something that does not show on a scan?
Through neuropsychological testing, treating-physician opinions, and testimony from people who knew you before the injury and can describe the change. Those before-and-after accounts are often the most compelling part of the case.
How long do TBI symptoms last?
Most concussions resolve within weeks. A meaningful minority do not, and post-concussion syndrome can persist for months or years. Because the timeline is unpredictable, settling before the picture is clear is a serious risk.
What if the symptoms did not start right away?
Delayed onset is common and does not undermine your claim. Get evaluated as soon as symptoms appear and make sure the record connects them to the incident.
