Car accidents can happen out of nowhere and end as quickly as they begin. Immediately after an auto accident, you may find yourself sitting in your vehicle without understanding what just happened.
MEMORY LOSS AFTER CAR ACCIDENT
While it’s normal for victims of car accidents to not have a full grasp of the details of their accident and injuries, it’s certainly not normal to have no recollection of the accident at all. This level of memory loss may be an indication of a serious brain injury.
This type of brain injury can worsen over time if left untreated. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical in preventing permanent damage that can transform your life. If you or a loved one can’t recall your car accident in the hours or days after it occurs, it’s important to seek medical attention immediately.
WHAT IS A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY?
Amnesia after a car accident may be a symptom of what is known as a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is a debilitating injury that results from trauma to the head. About 1.7 million Americans suffer from TBIs every year, with over 70,000 experiencing long-term disabilities as a result.
If you are unable to recall your accident, chances are you may be unable to recall other memories and may have trouble recalling things in the future, too. Both short-term and long-term memory loss can negatively impact a person’s life, and seeking prompt medical attention is the best way to have a fighting chance at recovering.
WHY DON’T PEOPLE WITH MEMORY LOSS SEEK TREATMENT?
One of the challenging aspects of memory loss is that symptoms are often subjective. While it’s obvious to know whether your leg is broken or you’ve experienced a spinal cord injury, memory loss and TBIs aren’t as easily identified, and as a result, countless car accident victims fail to seek treatment.
If you’ve experienced any of the following symptoms, you should seek medical attention immediately for a diagnosis:
- Difficulty concentrating or unable to focus on work
- Feeling confused and unable to organize your memories or thoughts
- Clouded and foggy thinking
There are three main types of memory loss to be aware of. The most common form of memory loss is called anterograde amnesia, which can cause victims to lose all memories of events that occur in their lives after the car accident and other symptoms like confusion and lack of focus. Post-traumatic amnesia occurs when victims can’t remember what happened immediately after the accident and is associated with “blackouts.” Retrograde amnesia is when victims lose memories that were formed prior to the car accident.
GETTING YOU THE HELP YOU NEED
What can be especially difficult about experiencing memory loss is that if you’re unable to recall your accident, it will be harder to file a personal injury claim against the driver responsible. Having hard evidence like crash reports, witness statements, and photos of the accident scene and damages is essential in supporting a claim so you don’t miss your opportunity to recover damages like medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Bostic Law Group, P.A. is here to help you file your claim and protect your rights to financial compensation from negligent drivers and insurance companies. Our attorneys know what evidence to look out for that can prove liability and get you the help you need. Treating traumatic brain injuries can be expensive and require thousands of dollars in emergency costs as well as future costs – we take all of this into consideration when calculating just how much your case is worth.
Contact our team online or by phone at (843) 350-9646 for a legal consultation regarding your injuries after an auto accident. Brain and head injuries are serious and can impact your finances as well as the rest of your life – we can help you heal and work towards a secure future.
