MRI Scans for Traumatic Brain Injuries

Injuries from a motor vehicle accident or another type of incident may be a life-changing event, especially when those injuries are not visibly apparent, such as blunt force trauma to the head resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI). These injuries range in severity including mild, moderate, and severe. They are particularly concerning since symptoms may not appear immediately. In some mild traumatic brain injury cases, patients may experience variable neurological symptoms. Neuroimaging is pivotal in diagnosing and assessing TBI patients.

Standard MRI scans following blunt force trauma to the head may provide insight into injury detection, changes in brain atrophy or function, and predicting neurological problems. However, this diagnostic imaging tool may be limited in the visualization of the effects of mild traumatic brain injury since it only picks up significant brain tissue damage. Diagnosing TBIs may be challenging as they are often missed on standard MRI scans. Treating providers and insurers often depend on an interpretation of an MRI scan. If there is insufficient concrete evidence, bringing a personal injury claim forward may be challenging.

The good news is that there are advanced imaging techniques available for patients. This includes functional MRI, perfusion-weighted imaging, magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). These advanced imaging techniques may uncover abnormalities that traditional imaging techniques may fail to identify, including standard MRI and computed tomography (CT) scans. The latest specialized techniques now examine and evaluate the damage to brain structure and function to detect changes from blunt trauma.

Following an accident that another party caused, resulting in harm to others, the injured party may be entitled to financial compensation for their injuries and losses. Injured parties typically file claims for damages with the opposing party’s insurer to obtain payment for financial losses and intangible harm. However, insurance carriers are often reluctant to claim payouts and provide injured parties with the full compensation they need to move forward with their lives after traumatic crashes. Working with an experienced personal injury attorney is essential to ensuring your rights and best interests are protected.

When an injured party retains legal counsel, they can focus on their recovery while knowing that they have an attorney working diligently to obtain the maximum compensation they deserve. A crucial aspect of a bodily injury claim is providing clear and compelling evidence for each loss, particularly for the injuries that were sustained in the incident. Recovering compensation for a TBI is often met with issues because of insufficient concrete evidence linking the accident to head trauma. There are various methods available to obtain substantial evidence, which often includes prompt medical care.

Seeking immediate medical attention is important to ensure that an injured party works toward recovery following an accident. An additional benefit of prompt treatment is ensuring that there is substantial documentation and evidence proving injuries occurred in a crash and not from another incident or underlying cause. This is why lawyers encourage injured parties to seek immediate medical treatment following an accident, even if they believe that their injuries are minor. Injuries like TBI may not manifest symptoms right away, highlighting the importance of prompt medical care.

Every encounter with a medical provider provides valuable information that will be included in medical records that a lawyer compiles while negotiating a mutual settlement agreement with the insurance company. Demonstrating a TBI occurred due to an accident is often more challenging when compared to an injury, such as a bone fracture, because it requires advanced imaging techniques to uncover the full extent of the trauma. Insurers will often look for any reason to dispute or deny a bodily injury claim involving a TBI, including a standard MRI scan, as they may not provide full clinical evidence and context.

By gathering evidence supporting a TBI case, including statements from treating providers, schedules demonstrating the treatment the patient has received, notes about the effects of the injury, and concrete evidence from advanced imaging, a lawyer can build a strong case for full compensation. It is crucial to remember that immediate medical treatment is key to ensuring that you receive proper care and support while compiling strong documentation and evidence proving your experience. Without prompt medical care, it may be difficult to prove that injuries occurred directly because of the incident.

The emergence of advanced imaging techniques has proven immensely beneficial for individuals requiring evidence of their traumatic brain injuries to obtain full compensation in personal injury cases. Insurers are aware that it may be challenging to provide clear and compelling evidence of TBIs. However, new technologies and advanced imaging techniques are valuable in navigating such processes. This may include magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy, functional MRI, perfusion-weighted imaging, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Injured parties should know that a traumatic brain injury is not solely determined by diagnostic imaging tools. An accurate diagnosis of a TBI is composed of the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident, patient-reported symptoms, physical assessments, and neuropsychological exams. An attorney will have the experience, skills, and resources to put a full picture of a TBI into context for difficult insurance carriers and defense counsel. At AutoAccident.com, we have decades of combined experience handling brain injury cases. Learn about our services in this video, or schedule a free consultation today.

Proving that a traumatic brain injury occurred from an accident and its impact on your overall quality of life may have a significant impact on your recovery. Your time and energy should be focused on healing and rebuilding your life instead of dealing with difficult insurers and defense counsel. By retaining legal counsel, you will have an experienced attorney protecting your rights and benefit from removing your time into the challenging legal process. Starting your recovery is just a simple phone call away. Contact our California TBI lawyers for free, friendly case advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400.