How to Document Brain Injury Symptoms for a Legal Case

doctors reviewing brain CT scan

Severe head trauma can have a profound impact on your life. If someone else is to blame, that party could owe you compensation for the many ways your health has been affected. However, you’ll need considerable medical documentation to win your personal injury case.

How Cain Law Can Help with Your Traumatic Brain Injury Claim

The legal team with Cain Law wants to help you win your TBI claim and recover the money you need to rebuild your life. We bolster your claim by working with local and nationally recognized medical experts like:

  • Nero-optometrists
  • Brain injury experts
  • Audiologists
  • Psychiatrists
  • Neuroradiologist
  • Endocrinologists
  • Vocational experts
  • Biomechanical experts
  • Life care planners
  • Neuropsychologists
  • Pediatric Neuropsychologists
  • Pediatric Neurologists
  • Educational experts in IEP and 504 Plans

Armed with this expert testimony, we can prove that you have suffered a brain injury, establish the debilitating consequences it has had on your life, and calculate maximum compensation for your personal injury claim.

Importance of Documenting Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms

To win your TBI case, you must adequately document the symptoms you’ve experienced. In particular, note symptoms like the following:

  • Physical limitations, such as vision problems, persistent or severe headaches, dizziness or balance issues, sensitivity to light or noise, and fatigue or general weakness
  • Emotional problems, including poor decision-making skills, increased irritability or anger, unexplained mood swings, depression or anxiety, and emotional numbness or apathy
  • Cognitive problems, such as memory lapses, trouble retaining new information, difficulty concentrating or staying focused, trouble finding words or forming coherent sentences, and impaired decision-making and problem-solving skills
  • Behavioral changes, including increased impulsivity or risk-taking, social withdrawal or avoidance, aggression or inappropriate behavior, difficulty managing relationships, and changes in sleep patterns, such as insomnia or excessive sleeping

How to Prove a Traumatic Brain Injury

Knowing how to describe a brain injury is critical to proving your case. When speaking with medical providers, try to use clear and specific language to describe how you feel and what you’re experiencing on a day-to-day level. Remember, these doctors are medical professionals, and they’re trained to understand your symptoms even if you are not entirely sure how to communicate them effectively. Review your medical records to ensure that your comments are included in them. Ask your doctors to supplement your medical records with additional information if it’s missing from them.

Additionally, keep a written record of your symptoms. Include changes in symptoms, reactions to medications, and treatment dates in your notes.

What Evidence Should You Include to Document Your TBI?

Documentary evidence can be especially useful when proving a TBI. Here are some useful items to include in your claim:

  • Emergency room records
  • Diagnostic testing/imaging
  • Documentation of ongoing treatment
  • Personal testimony
  • School records
  • Neuropsychological testing results

Medical Specialists Who Can Help Document Your Brain Injury

Neurologists are typically the most critical medical professionals in diagnosing and documenting a brain injury. They can measure declines in the following:

  • Cognitive/General Intellectual/Academic Functioning
  • Attention/Concentration
  • Learning/Memory Function
  • Speech and Language Functioning
  • Sensory-Perceptual and Motor Functioning
  • Executive/Higher Level Cognitive Functioning
  • Psychological/Emotional Functioning

Other experts can augment and support the neurologist’s findings. These can include the following:

  • Occupational therapists
  • Physical therapists
  • Speech therapists
  • Mental health counselors
  • Recreational therapists

Types of Brain Injury Treatments

Because the causes and effects of brain injuries are so complex, treatment plans tend to be multi-faceted and can include a combination of many of the following approaches:

Cognitive Therapy

Cognitive therapy focuses on rebuilding life skills by improving functions such as memory, attention, problem-solving, and decision-making. Therapists often use exercises and techniques tailored to the patient’s needs to rebuild neural pathways. These may include memory drills, puzzles, and activities designed to strengthen executive functions.

Hormone Therapy

A blow to the head can damage the pituitary gland, resulting in a growth hormone deficiency. Common symptoms of this condition include depression, anxiety, fatigue, and poor concentration. Doctors may treat a growth hormone deficiency with regular injections of hormones, which can alleviate these symptoms and lead to improved mental clarity, emotional stability, and physical vitality.

A cutting-edge treatment called Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy, or MeRT, uses quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) to measure brain wave patterns and diagnose abnormalities. MeRT reprograms abnormal electrical signals in the brain, helping to modify behavior and alleviate TBI symptoms.

Rehabilitation

Patients who have severe injuries requiring round-the-clock care may need to be checked into an in-patient care facility, where they can receive intensive therapy and access to medical professionals in a safe environment.

On the other hand, outpatient rehabilitation is suitable for patients with mild to moderate injuries or those transitioning from in-patient care. This option allows patients to live at home while attending scheduled therapy sessions.

In both cases, rehabilitation programs for patients with minor TBIs are continuing to evolve.

Vision Therapy

TBIs can cause blurry vision, double vision, or difficulty tracking objects. Vision therapy involves exercises and activities guided by an optometrist or ophthalmologist to improve visual processing and coordination. This may include:

  • Eye-tracking exercises to restore focus and movement
  • Strengthening eye muscles to improve alignment
  • Visual-motor integration training to coordinate vision with motor skills
  • Use of specialized lenses or prisms to aid visual clarity

Educational Support

Younger TBI patients may need educational support like the following:

  • 504 Plans provide accommodations for students with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. For example, a plan can call for extended time for tests, preferential seating in class, or reduced workloads to address cognitive or physical challenges.
  • Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are designed for students who require specialized instruction under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IEPs outline goals and services needed to support academic success, such as speech therapy or tutoring.

Headache Management

Headaches are a common and often debilitating symptom of brain injuries. Treatment might involve pharmacological medications, from over-the-counter drugs for mild headaches to prescription medications such as triptans for migraines or anticonvulsants for chronic headaches. Preventive medications like beta-blockers or antidepressants may be prescribed for recurrent headaches. Nerve-blocker injections target specific nerves to reduce headache intensity, while Botox injections have been FDA-approved for chronic migraines.

Contact Cain Law’s Brain Injury Team Today for a Free Consultation

Have you received a traumatic brain injury diagnosis in Oklahoma? If someone else is to blame for the injuries you suffered, Cain Law can help you demand maximum compensation from them. We’ve recovered over $100 million for our clients, and we’re available 24/7 to take your call. Don’t wait – contact us today for a free consultation. In Pain? Call Cain.